Thank you all for reading! This may or may not be the last chapter. Occasionally I am open to ideas for further chapters. So message away if you have any ideas. No guarantees but it will be fun to read your thoughts!

Oh the thoughts that spiraled about in his head, Neal couldnt focus on one individual thought. It was all such a mess. The room smelled of flowers, paper and laundered blankets. Along the window sill were three different vases, each filled with a different bloom and adorned with get-well cards and sympathy notes. He didnt know who all had brought them since he had been asleep but it didnt matter. Peter had gone to a meeting he couldnt miss and so the room was quieter than usual, which was a good thing. Groggily the young man sat up in his bed and winced as he accidentally yanked on the i.v line in his left arm. After glaring at it for a time he sighed deeply and sat up the rest of the way using the beds machinery, though it hurt more than it should have, he settled with half way. He felt like a bit of a tangled mess at the moment. An oxygen mask rested over his nose and mouth leaving his face feeling clammy, he had an i.v, thankfully only one, tape in the crook of his other elbow probably from a blood draw, as well as one on top of his hand. He wasn't entirely sure what all had happened, he could only remember bits and peices.

"Think..." He uttered to himself. Trying to place the events of last night. Peter had shown up at about six p.m, telling him he needed to get ready to go to the hospital. A few annoying threats here and there and he'd found himself in Peters car. After that things got blurry. He remembered that after being admitted for his pneumonia, he had started having serious stomach pain. Of course everyone had assumed it was just the effects of his illness but after a few choice curse words he had been sent for a cat scan, and after that it was all blank.

Suddenly a louder than necessary knock filled the room and his senses as Peter walked in.

"Gk...ya know...you dont need your cop knock here." Neal groaned. "People are sleeping..."

Peter just paused and gave him a rather plain 'are you serious' face.

"Good morning..." The older man greeted and set down yet another get-well card on the dresser below the tv.

"Morning..."

The agent sighed and stood beside his charge's bed.

"How are you feeling."

"Not good. What happened?"

Peter smiled just a little and stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets.

"Well, you had surgery."

Neal paused for a moment but then just scoffed. "Nice try Fed..."

Peter blinked in surprise and then just laughed a bit. "No I'm serious. You came down with extreme stomach pain and when they scanned you they found you had appendicitis."

Neal fell silent again. Blank confusion pooling in in his tired blues.

"For real?"

"For real." Peter responded.

"Of all the things.."

Burke noticed the faint sense of guilt fill the small room and realized that his partner was actually a little embarrassed, though he wasn't really sure why. Its not like it was unheard of for it to happen to adults. Perhaps it was because he was being taken care of by someone other than himself?

"What are the chances I get to go home today?" Neal tried with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

The older man took a bit of a sharp breath inward and rocked on his feet for a brief second.

"Not good." He replied. Short and simple, at least it got his point across.

"So...I'm guessing the surgery went well?"

"Yeah. It went fine, after they got you down. They couldn't do it until your fever lessened and you refused to allow the surgery even though your life was on the line."

Neal listened intently, the subtitles on the tv in the background somewhat distracting him for the moment.

"Sorry." The con muttered. "I dont remember any of that."

Peter shrugged and picked up a brochure on affordable health care as something to fiddle with.

"Thats fine. They said you might not." Peter said, and placed the pamphlet back down to the night stand beside the clunky wired phone.

"But once you were sedated a bit things went fine. They got your fever down to a tolerable temp and the surgery was over in about an hour. No complications."

Peter watched as Neals expression visibly relaxed.

"Well, I've got to go. Having lunch with El and then I've got a meeting with Hughes." He explained.

"I'll pay you to sneak me some take out."

"Not a chance." The other chuckled knowingly.

"So, you've got another case, whats up...?"

Peters brows furrowed and his shoulders shifted a short degree.

"What do you mean?"

Neal just smirked. "The last time you looked like that we ended up on the baseball field..."

Peter just chuckled a little and sighed.

"Well it doesn't concern you, or me either for that matter. Just some news."

"Oh come on. Tell me. I'm stuck here in a hospital what can I do?" The con artist laughed but immediately stopped as the sudden contraction of his abdominals sent a jolt of pain through his torso.

"Easy now." Peter chimed and moved towards the window. "Alright, but only because I feel sorry for you."

Neals whole figure seemed rigid with anticipation. He assumed either Peter just won the lottery or there was a case he was particularly excited about. He was leaning towards the last one.

"You ever been to see the crown jewels?" The man finally asked and tilted his gaze from the window to his pet convict.

Neals eyes widened in what could have either been shock or amazement.

"Someone stole some of It."

"No." Neal retorted. "There's no way."

Peter scoffed and held out his hands suggestively.

"It's true. They believe the thief was an American tourist. But its on the down low, they don't want anyone knowing that its missing. Its all under lock down with the reason being 'cleaning and restoration'"

The agent watched as the younger of them sighed, though carefully to not stress his post surgery muscles. Burke glanced at his watch and seemed a bit displeased, moving to the door.

"I've got to go. I can't miss lunch with her."

"But it's a trend..?" Neal snickered and only received a fiery stare from his keeper.

"Go to bed Caffrey. Your better judgement fell asleep." Though the words were stern there was a hint of amusement to them.

"Have fun Peter."

The two locked eyes one more time and Neal smiled faintly, watching his friend leave and close the door behind him. The patient laid back and closed his eyes, he really was tired and his body was starting to ache more. Suddenly the door opened again and Neal, a bit annoyed, looked up but to his surprise watched Peter walk back in with a puzzled expression.

"Did she cancel?"

Burke looked up with a bit of an accusing look.

"What?"

Neal watched as the man clicked his tongue for a second as if searching for very precise words.

"You're not, interested in this whole crowned jewels thing right?" His mentor asked with a suspicious aura about him. Neal just grinned but looked away.

"Nah. I've had my fun with that whole thing."

Peter notably relaxed and let out a breath he'd apparently been holding in.

"Ah. Good." But then he sent the same accusing expression straight to his young delinquent and put his hands on his hips in the classic ' Peter Burke' stance. "What does that mean?"

Neal blinked and waved his hand.

"Nothing."

"No. No I want to hear this." The man said and held his own sort of knowing but very serious face. Neal smirked innocently and picked up the wire to his i.v.

"I'm on narcotic pain relievers, I don't have the proper mind set to go through an interrogation."

Peter glared for a moment and held an iron clad stare but let it go and let his arms drop to his sides. He patted the younger mans blanket covered leg and then went to the door.

"Behave." He warned. "And get some rest. They will probably bring lunch to you in about an hour."

"Bye Peter." Neal urged and closed his eyes. The agent flipped the lights off and left quietly, this time not returning.

Lunch wasn't as awful as it could have been, but how bad can chicken broth be? He couldn't finish it but the warmth and another dose of pain medication helped him to fall into a deep sleep, which he welcomed.

...

Morning came quietly, the suns gentle rays peering through the blinds that covered the large windows helped him to wake up. He was allowed to have some coffee, though it tasted more like dark roasted cardboard in a cup. After his drink was finished his doctor came in to check his incisions, which were healing nicely and checked his vitals which were in the normal range. His lungs were still in rough shape though, and the headaches didn't lighten up. Yesterday he was sure he was on the mend, but it just turned out to be the amount of medication he had been on that made him feel better. Today he wasn't feeling well, his chest would occasionally send him sharp pains, once in a while he would have a sudden wave of nausea, and his cough was beginning to come back which sent extreme pain through his gut. The nurse had come in and given him a cough suppressant with an amount of codeine which definitely helped but it didnt completely eliminate the urge to cough, just made it mostly tolerable.

Just then a nurse came in with a male assistant and smiled.

"I know you're sick, but the doctor says you need to walk around for a little bit to get your body moving again. Do you think you can manage it for us?"

Neal nodded and allowed the two to help him up. He was sore for sure, but nothing he couldnt handle as long as he was careful. After a few baby steps and awkwardly covering his backside with his gown, he decided he could do it on his own.

"I'll disconnect this for now while you're up walking. But later we will have to use it again." The nurse said as she let him take off his oxygen and disconnected his i.v. After they left he found his clothes in the drawer below the tv. Someone had washed them, and if he were to guess he would say it was El, but who knew. He got dressed a bit clumsily, he wished he had something nicer to wear but a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt would have to do. He slipped on his socks over the top of the compression stockings and then, though he struggled, managed to get his shoes on.

He took a moment to breathe, realizing just how exhausting it was just to get dressed and do daily tasks.

Once he was calmed down again he moved out the door of his room slowly, making his wall down the hall. It was painfully quiet, just the sounds of machines whirring and beeping, the clicking of computer keyboards, and the occasional shuffling of papers or short few words between staff were all that filled the area.

As he walked slowly, the nurses would occasionally smile at him, or ask if he needed anything. After about six laps, he went on again, but this time instead of turning left around the corner to loop back around, he went right. The hall took him towards the exit doors and into another main hall of the hospital. Following the signs he used stairs and slowly went down each flight, stopping a handful of times to breathe and inspect his incisions. He fought off the dizziness that threatened to send him tumbling down each set of stairs he came across. Thankfully no one asked him any questions as he made his way down the different corridors to the next set of stairs and finally he made it to the first floor. Once there Neal went in through a set of maintenance doors and found a building exit near the laundry room.

"Finally..." He hummed to himself, leaning against the side of the building to catch his breath once again and hold his stomach.

...

"I know, I know, you want him to have a friend. But dont you think Satchmo is happy just the three of us?" Peter tried to convince his lovely wife. Elizabeth just laughed and took a sip of her wine.

"Well, if we ever do get another dog, I think it should be a girl."

Peter nearly choked on his food.

"You just want puppies..." He muttered and gave his wife a coy smile.

"Maybe." She teased.

Just as Peter was about respond his phone rang, the familiar tune singing out through his suit pocket. He gave his wife an apologetic look and she just took another sip of her wine. He figured that meant she wasnt real happy but not upset either.

"Hello?" He answered. El listened intently as she took a bite of her fish. "What..?"

She immediately noticed his change in tone, he sounded worried, angry, confused. "Thank you."

With that he hung up and sighed heavily. His lips pursed as he kept his gaze away at random areas of the room to aparently keep his emotions in check.

"What is it hun?"

The man just leaned back.

"Neal is gone. Aparently he left the hospital earlier while they were making him walk."

His wife seemed exasperated as she wiped her mouth with her napkin.

"Can't you just track him down?" She asked, hoping that her lunch wasn't being cut short but also concerned for Neal.

"No. The anklet wasnt on him, I had to take it off for his surgery and they didnt want it back on yet because of possible swelling."

"Well, I guess you had better go find him." She replied with a kind smile.

"You sure? I could have the others go search first."

So just lowered her head a little and kept her eyes locked with his.

"Go on hun. You know you're the one who knows him best. He respects you, and even fears you a little, if you find him you can probably talk him into coming back with you."

"You know you're the best wife on this planet right?" He complimented as he leaned in closer and kissed her.

"I know. Now go teach him a lesson." She smirked.

"I love you."

"Love you too."

Peter rushed to his car and left calling up Jones and giving him the news. "Jones check every airport within twenty miles. Neal took off."

He had some suspicions as to why and where his criminal had run off to.

...

The next day Neal was a mess, but he was hiding it well and keeping up on doses of over the counter cold medicines. He was pleased to finally be back in Britain, it was a nice place for the most part.

Though his body ached he had managed to swing a deal and get some more powerful pain relief from a street friend he hadn't seen in a number of years.

A lot had happened in the twenty four hours or so since his departure from the hospital. He now wore a nice suit with a value of around three grand, a pair of new shoes and his sickly hair had been slicked back making him look quite professional.

Neal leaned up against an alley wall, looking down at a man with red curly hair, an equally red five-o'clock-shadow and gauged ears. He wore a black T, and a pair of dark blue, holy jeans, and a worn out set of sneakers. Overall this guy didnt look like much. Maybe forties, and judging by the condition of his shoes he didnt own a car. Neal looked on at the hypodermic needle that stuck out of the guys left arm. He hung around for a short while to be sure there weren't any bad side effects. Creating a fairly strong tranquilizer had been easy enough, getting it into the guy was harder since the dude clearly knew how to fight. Most likely from years of street living. How he pulled off the theft was a wonder of the world, he obviously was a part of a team.

He slipped off the latex gloves and dropped them into a storm grate, walking off with the backpack that held a royal crown and orb. It was one thing to steal them, but he would be more renound if he returned them undetected. It wouldnt be easy, the furnace was hot at the moment, armed guards pouring around in and out defending the rest of the treasure. But this was Neal Caffrey.

Because they were trying to keep the theft as low profile as possible, they were still allowing tourists to see the other attractions. Just not the jewels. The most busy time to go to the Tower of London would probably be on a Saturday around mid afternoon.

And so the plot was set, doing such a feat without Mozzie would be difficult but he was confident enough without him. He just hoped it worked.

...

Neal sat outside a coffee shop just north of big Ben, he'd done it. It was close, and he was a bit concerned with the incision on his stomach that had opened up a little. Duct tape had fixed it for the moment but he was sure he needed to go see a doctor. Even his level of con artist couldn't confidently do this sort of medical treatment. Water prickled his eyes just a little as the searing pain came in waves in his mid section. His head sweaty and his suit a bit desheaveled. He'd managed to put the jewels back in place but he'd been caught leaving a sectioned off hallway, of course they'd persued assuming he'd stolen some artifact and of course he'd ran, he couldn't afford to be caught by them. If only they knew the jewels were back, and not in his back pocket.

"Shit..." He cursed for once. His head hurt so much, and he felt like he could hardly breathe after running so fast and far. Despite his ego, all he wanted was for someone to show up with a set of handcuffs and take him to a hospital. Wincing he laid his head down on the table, then reached into a womans purse from the next table across and took out her phone without her noticing.

He hesitated for a moment but his extreme discomfort urged his thumbs to punch in the familiar number.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end answered.

"Peter..." Neal said cheerfully. "How was lunch with-"

"Neal! Where are you!?" The man demanded and Neal had to pull the phone away from his ear for a moment to reduce the risk of going deaf. From the other line he heard a muffled 'track this number'. Wouldnt be long now. "Neal what the hell are you doing in London?" The interrogation continued.

"Well, I just came to sight see..." The con answered but then erupted into a violent cough and had to spit out a mouthful of gunk from his battered lungs.

"Damn it Neal, you stay put. I swear if you run off again I'll cuff you to my desk."

"Kinky..." Neal said weakly but with enough sass for Peter to hear. The wind picked up just then and sent a strong shiver down his spine. He was sure that his pneumonia was worsening in some way or another.

"Not funny."

"Aww..." The sick man replied but he sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry.."

Instead of getting a response the call ended. Oh well, he knew Peter would be pissed. But there was no way that he was about to let some amateurs pull off the heist of his dreams. Of course he would have taken the whole lot, not just a couple coronation items. Goes to show a true artist versus just a common thief.

As the wind picked up more so Neal began to feel tired, weak and downright miserable. His body hurt literally everywhere, he'd been slammed against a wall by a guard and nearly caught but got away with only an extremely sore shoulder.

Just then someone smashed his face into the table even more so, while at the same time another person twisted his arms behind his back painfully. It didn't take a con artist to know what was happening.

"That was fast..." He groaned and did his best to not call out in pain when he was jerked to his feet. As he was about to give Peter a piece of his mind he locked eyes with a man he'd never met. The guy wore an officers uniform, and had dark hair and brown eyes.

"Were ya waiting for us? Just sitting out here in the open like that?"

Neal rolled his eyes, he wasnt in the mood for these people but he didnt much have a choice now. Handcuffs clasped tightly around his wrists and pinched his flesh if he moved wrong.

"Hey, I just got out of surgery..."

"That some kind of joke?" The man questioned. Cops here didn't mess around.

"No I'm serious, check me.."

Though the officer was skeptical, he realized that his thief was telling the truth. He didnt know how, but it was true.

"Can ya take it easy?" Caffrey asked in a very meek voice. With no strength to protest and desire to run he allowed himself to be taken away. Though before he did, he handed his cuffs back to the officer and walked himself to the squad car. Leaving the officers highly confused and more of less curious. But come on, he had a reputation to keep up with after all.

...

Several hours of interrogating went on after the con had been treated and his wounds fixed up. During the scuffle with the guard he'd actually nearly dislocated his shoulder.

Now however, he found himself alone in a rather small cell. It wasnt so bad though, he was able to lay down on the cot and rest which was pretty much all he wanted. He was thankful for the toilet too as he had thrown up three times already. His head spiraled through a nightmarish roller coaster and the only thing that soothed it was keeping his eyes closed.

He listened as the cell door opened for at least the ninth time but this go around he didnt acknowledge it. They knew he was extremely sick and recovering from surgery, so for all he cared he could stay there until he at least felt better.

"Lets go Neal." The familiar voice said with mild sympathy. The younger of the two sat up and smiled innocently.

"Funny seeing you here..."

"Hands, now." The order came and Neal just sighed holding out his wrists. Peter was in no mood for games, and he knew it.

"You know these won't hold me right..."

"They don't know that. And actually these will, because if you slip out of them I'll deal with you myself."

A shiver fell down Neals shoulders at the threat and decided it was best to not push matters more. He couldn't help but be irritated. Peter made him feel more like a teenage troublemaker who had just been picked up by his father and was gonna get his ass handed to him once he got home rather than the man who just single handedly returned the crowned jewels to London Tower and got away with it all in one day. He felt he deserved some praise honestly. However. No such praise came.

"You have no idea the kind of trouble you're in.."

Caffrey tilted his weary head and sighed.

"Drop the fatherly preach...I know okay?"

"You're lucky I'm not your father Neal, I would have set you straight before you became a con artist."

"That a threat boss?"

"Damn right. Now shut up, it was almost impossible to get you clearance to come home."

Peter tried to keep his stoney federal agent game face on but he knew the hell Neal was going through and despite it being his own damn fault, he still felt bad for him.

Once cleared to leave, and in the car the two remained silent on the way to the airport.

"So why did you come here..."Peter finally broke the awkward tension and paid close attention to what his felon said next.

"I told you, just some sight seeing."

Immediately Peter pulled the car over to the side of the road. Neal was a bit startled and winced at the pain in his stomach and head from jerking to a stop so quickly.

"You're gonna tell me the truth. Now." Peter demanded. His hazel eyes boring deep holes into the younger man, leaving zero room for argument. Caffrey actually sat back a little more and leaned away a bit. Again he felt more like a kid being scolded than an adult facing serious charges.

"Look I-"

"No! Neal. No more excuses, no more lies. You tell me right now, why we are sitting here at the airport in the UK. The United Kingdom Neal! And you had better watch what you say because I am not going to be lenient with you on this."

The felon sighed heavily ignoring the pain in his lower abdomen and looked away. He couldnt lie anymore. This man could cleanse his soul if he wanted to. He was so persistant.

"I..." Neal started, and began to sweat a little. He didn't want to admit what he had done, it was embarrassing. "I returned the crown jewels."

The silence that fell between them was so intense that the anxiety caused Neal to nearly vomit.

"Thats it." Peter growled and began to shift into gear again.

"Peter I'm not lying!" Caffrey bellowed. "You call now and tell them that the jewels were returned and you will see I'm telling the truth.."

"Alrught fine. But they will assume you are the one that stole them."

"No, theres no evidence. The man that stole them is Shaun Becking."

"The guy they found in the alley!?"

Forgetting the fact that technically that was assault Neal faltered a little and nervously fiddled with his fingernails.

"I didnt hurt him. I just knocked him out."

"With drugs." Peter sat back once more and couldnt seem to believe what he was hearing. "Did you steal that needle and substance from the hospital you were in?"

Neal shrugged and tried to focus his gaze elsewhere.

"No. I mean...okay maybe but-"

"Damn it Neal..."This time Peter laughed and he couldn't tell if it was because he wanted to punch him but couldn't or because he was impressed.

"Becking's fingerprints are all over the items." The blue eyed man explained.

"He didnt wear gloves?"

"Can we just let this go?"

"Assuming you're not lying to me.." Peter began. "Why did you do it? You knew you were off anklet so no one else knows you are here, you stole medical supplies to sedate one of your own kind and then return a national treasure to its rightful place? Knowing you would be arrested at some point by me..? So why."

"Firt of all, if I didn't want you to find me you wouldnt have..."

Peter raised a brow and seemed ready to slap him silly.

"I dont know..." Neal began again timidly looking down at his lap and then out the window." I just...I'm the only one allowed to steal that particular treasure okay?" He finally admitted.

The time went on as rain drops began to pelt at the vehicle, leaving tiny streams of water over the windshield. Another five minutes of quiet storming and Neal looked back up at his friend.

"You mean to tell me...that you stole the crown jewels from a thief and placed them back deep inside London tower, risked being caught and or shot by the guards, all because...you were jealous?"

Neal curled his lips a bit and tried to choke down his argument. He didnt have anything good to say against that. The man was right.

"Yeah." He muttered as a blush coated his cheeks.

He felt the car begin to move again and Peter held a simple smirk that left Neal a little uneasy.

"Two months."

"What?" Caffrey responded with a confused look as he slipped out of his hand cuffs.

"No, No. Put those back on." The fed instructed.

"Come on I-"

"Now Neal."

"Peter it's just-"

"You want me to stop this car?" The tone was sharp but amused this time.

Awardly Neal shrugged off his keepers threat and placed the cuffs back onto his wrists. "And you're under house arrest for two months."

The con man gawked at the driver and didnt much like the grin that was plastered on the others face.

"You really cant do this. I have to work for the agency or-"

"And you will. I'll come to you for advice and consulting. Other than that, consider yourself grounded to your apartment until I say otherwise."

"Oh my g- Peter! Does this amuse you!? Do you have any idea how old I am?"Neal protested and grit his teeth together. "It's embarrassing."

"Oh it does. It amuses the hell outta me. And of course I know how old you are I know everything about you."

"Lucky me.." Neal huffed and sat back against his seat, this time a bit more tired.

"Oh and Dr. Hoist has been assigned to you only. You are his only patient until you get well. And dont try to get rid of him, hes being paid more than me to do this so it wont work." The man added as he pulled into the airport. "And by the way I knew all of it. Shaun, the jewels...I just wanted to see if you would be honest with me or not.."

Caffrey jerked his head up, sending a painful spike through his brain in the process.

"Seriously." It was a statement to his captor. Yes, captor at this point.

"In fact the queen was so impressed by your actions that she offered you a knighthood for returning them safely."

Neals jaw dropped to the floor.

"What did you say to them?!" He was nearly out of his seat by this point. To be rewarded for such a feat? It would truly add to his reputation! Plus be awesome, he wouldnt have to fake his knighthood anymore.

"I told them not to encourage you."

Peter laughed outright at the look of pure devastation on the prisoners face. As the two got out of the car Jones was there to greet them, he smiled to Caffrey.

"You know. Out of all the escapees I have to go catch, your cases are always the most exciting." The man chuckled and took Neal by the upper arm authoritatively for added effect.

Once seated on the plane Burke handed Neal a pill bottle with one capsule inside.

"Whats this?" He asked as he took the orange container into his hand.

"From William. He says because of your sudden movements and the damage so soon after surgery you wont be able to handle the flight. You'll get sick everywhere among other things. So this will put you to sleep."

The blue eyed daredevil grimaced.

"He knows about this already?"

"Yep. Here." The agent said as he handed the wanna-be teen a cool bottle of water. The plane felt cold, but he was sure it was because of the fever he was more than likely carrying. The sun was going down now as well, which added a calm theme to the aircraft.

"I think I'll be okay."

Peter huffed and folded his hands. His interrogation face in full drive. "Is this failure to abide by your handler?"

This guy wasnt cutting him any slack whatsoever, Neal watched as he leaned back in his seat and began to read a book. Indignantly he popped the pill into his mouth and washed it down with half the bottle of water.

"Good job." The opposite man complimented in a soothing tone.

Neal turned sharply and just glared.

"Do we have a problem Peter Burke?"

The man in question seemed surprised and smiled with an air of innocence.

"No? I said good job. Thats all."

"You've been treating me like a kid since the car..."

Again Peter was more serious but instead just let out a breathy sort of laugh.

"Isnt that what you wanted though? You flew, illegally mind you, to a different country because some other guy stole something before you could and you got jealous. So yes. You act like a kid, I'm going to treat you like one."

Jones sat across from them with a pair of earbuds in and listened to some downloaded podcasts. He'd been expecting things to get a little awkward so he prepared ahead of time. Besides, his job was just to smile and wave until they got Neal back home.

"Peter I don't think you understand just how extensively I am not a kid. Kids don't do the stuff I do.."

The older man was becoming annoyed with the prolonged arguing. He set his book down on his lap not bothering to mark his page.

"But you did. You were damn young when you first started thieving and conning people weren't you? Now go to sleep." His words were strict and even made Neal a little hesitant.

"No. I'm not gonna let this go.."

"Neal..."

"You didnt have to come after me, you..."He paused to yawn and then ran his fingers through his dark hair in a fit of irritation. "You could have sent someone else..."

"Sleep Neal."

"Tch..."

After a few minutes the hotheaded young man found himself relaxing, and though he wanted nothing more than to fight the subject more and tell the man just how much he didnt need him, he simply couldnt. Eventually the sleepy waves that washed over him seemed comforting and once his eyes closed they didn't open again for the remainder of the flight.

...

Once home Neal welcomed his bed, feeling groggy still from the flight he didn't care for food or much of anything for that matter. Though as Peter reunited the tracker with the mans ankle, William knocked and walked in along with a small crew of nurses and assistants each bringing in crates and boxes of supplies. Neal grumbled a litte as he brought in his medical bag and sat down beside him.

"Enough." Peter scolded. "Its my job to keep you alive. Whether or not you want me to."

A few minutes went by as Hoist checked over his vitals. His oxygen was a little low so he had one of his men get the machines hooked up and put a mask over Neals nose and mouth. Once he began breathing through it he felt more relaxed, he hadnt realized how tense he was.

Once finished Neal had been given medication to treat his nausea and his fever, as well as something to help with his lungs and respiratory system. He was given, much to his vexation, another i.v this time in his opposite arm as well.

"I feel like a damn test subject..." The man spat though he was distant and obviously tired.

"Good we will see if you learn anything this time..."Peter jeered. "You got lucky Neal, next time its prison...get some sleep."

"I'll take care of him.." The doctor assured and shook his hand.

"Thanks. I'll be back around if you need me. Let me know if he gets to being a problem.."

Hoist nodded and looked over to his patient who was already asleep.

...

Review!