A/N: A special thank you to my lovely beta, Fierce Queen whose critical eye picks out any mistakes I've made. This story wouldn't have been the same without you, Fierce !Thank you everyone who has been reading my story, especially the reviewers. A special thank you to the people who have added this story to their favorites list and/or have been following it. You guys make my day. I feel like hugging you all! :D I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Neal had been shifted to a private room on his fourth day in the hospital. He had woken up several times already, but his medication kept him pretty hazy so he barely recognized his surroundings. Elizabeth Burke had spent the whole of visiting hours so far sitting in an extremely uncomfortable plastic chair by Neal's bed reading him articles about the latest exhibits in local art galleries. She had been joined, at various points of the day, by Diana and Jones along with June. She had also noticed a doctor who had a remarkable resemblance to Mozzie, his face hidden by a clipboard as he flipped through what looked like forms as she had left the young man's room for some refreshments.
Elizabeth placed the magazine on the bedside table, stretching her arms over her head. Neal looked so out of place in a hospital bed, wearing a gown he would have refused to wear had he been aware. Knowing him, had he ever needed to be in a hospital. He would probably charm the nurses into letting him wear a pair of scrubs once he woke up. His face, though pale, was covered in a flush that looked as if a child had coloured on a piece of paper with a pale pink crayon.
He was better now; his fever was down to 101 degrees and the doctors seemed satisfied with it. The pneumonia was also much better, and Neal was able to breathe on his own. There were times when he would shift uncomfortably or start muttering incoherently during El's vigil, and she soon learned that stroking Neal's hair calmed him down. The unconscious man seemed to draw comfort from the gesture, leaning into the touch.
It was a few hours past lunch when Neal woke up again, having been in and out of consciousness several times in El's presence, but never for longer than a few minutes. He didn't seem to recognize his surroundings, and he appeared to fall back into a deep sleep before El had a chance to ask him whether he needed anything. Unexpectedly, a pair of slightly glassy blue eyes met another pair of cerulean blue.
"El?" Neal said hoarsely, his voice made Elizabeth wince in sympathy.
"Here, sweetie. Why don't you drink some water," she suggested, holding out a cup of water with a straw Neal gratefully drank from.
When he stopped sipping the soothing liquid, she moved the cup away and resumed her seat next to him.
"What happened?" he asked her softly, turning beseeching eyes towards her.
"You were sick sweetie. You got pneumonia, and Diana found you unconscious in your apartment four days ago." She told him while rubbing calming circles on his hand.
"Four days? Huh. I thought I just had flu or something."
El stared at him, a little confused. He had been feeling sick, so why hadn't he told anyone?
"Why didn't you call me or Peter? You shouldn't be alone when you're sick, sweetie!" Elizabeth exclaimed, a note of disapproval at his actions present in her tone.
"I didn't think it mattered," Neal answered softly, his voice containing an undisguised hurt that broke her heart.
The attendants words came back to haunt her 'You all are NOT his family. Somehow I doubt that you're even his friends!' She had felt that the woman had been unfair to them, but after hearing the pain in Neal's voice, she knew that they had deserved the woman's wrath. From what Elizabeth gathered so far, Neal had been kept in what could be considered as an out-of-prison solitary confinement.
And she had no less of a role to play in the emotional pain the charismatic man was so obviously suffering from. She could have called him to check in on him but she hadn't. True, she wasn't aware of his house arrest situation but that made it even worse that she hadn't even thought of going and visiting him.
And for some reason, Neal believed that he deserved the treatment he had received. Elizabeth could gather from the tone of his voice that he honestly believed that he wasn't worth it. That he didn't matter. It felt like an iron band was squeezing her chest.
"Sweetie, of course it matters. We care about you Neal. I know the past few weeks haven't felt like it, but we do care. Though I swear had I known that you were put on house arrest, I would have made Peter sleep on the couch till he lifted it! And sweetie, I'm so sorry I didn't call you or try to visit. I don't even have any excuse for it but…"
"El, please don't worry about that," Neal interrupted gently. "You were kidnapped and in shock, I couldn't ever ask you to comfort me when you had just faced such a dreadful ordeal," Neal said softly, their roles now reversed as he comforted her while he slowly sat up.
"Thank you Neal," Elizabeth whispered, giving him a watery smile as she wiped away the traitorous tears that had streaked down her face, fueled by her guilt.
Neal gave her a soft smile as he grasped her hand.
Neither of them noticed that Peter had entered the room until he stepped forward and cleared his throat.
None of them, not even Neal expected what happened next. As Neal lifted his gaze to see who had entered the room, he flinched.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you can and let me know how you felt the story has been going so far. I'd also like to know how you guys think this will go. I've been struggling with the ending and I'd really appreciate any pointers. Positive criticism is welcome!