Chapter 3

AN: Thanks, you guys, for your positive response to my story. I am not going to 'kill' Neal off. That would be too sad for me to write. I just like to ramp up the whumpage a little. I hope you guys enjoy what I come up with. JL

El was beside herself. She had picked up the phone to call Peter numerous times. But, she thought wiping the tears from her eyes for the hundredth time. …he had to know by now, right? He just had too. She had been glued to the CNN coverage of the story ever since one of her assistants had mentioned to her that Rikers Island was on the news.

El had shielded her eyes whenever they played the footage of Neal's attack. The quality had not been great, and the media, thankfully, was withholding Neal's name. They didn't want to put his life in any greater risk. Neal's face was not easily recognizable with all the blood and bruising. But, unfortunately, the sounds of the attack were vivid. It seemed the video was replayed every few minutes. And El just closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears in a vain hope to shut out the horror. She was hoping, against hope, that this was not Neal Caffrey she was watching. But something inside her told her that she was witnessing what had been intended to be his death.

El was worried. Peter had not called her. She knew he had to be wherever Neal was. She finally decided to call his cell and leave a message. Maybe he would then take a few minute to, at least, let her know if it had, indeed, been Neal who had been attacked, and how bad off he was.

WC WC WC WC WC

Peter had been pacing the floor, at the hospital, for what seemed like hours. He took his phone out several times and just stared at it. He had wanted to talk to El. He needed to talk to El. He needed some sanity and stability in this river of chaos and craziness that threatened to drown him.

The prison infirmary was not equipped to deal with the scope and severity of Neal's injuries. He was send to the nearest hospital, a U.S. Marshal accompanying. So, when Peter found out where Neal had been taken, thanks to Diana's and Jones' perseverance, he hopped in his car and raced over. He got there in time to see Neal being wheeled into the emergency room. Peter tried to follow the gurney in. But the doctor in charge, and the marshal, blocked his path and one of the ER nurses guided the agent to the ER waiting room. She then bombarded him with questions. All that they knew about Neal was that he had been involved in a prison riot and that the incident had been caught on video and broadcast on the Internet, then on TV. They had no medical history whatsoever on the conman. After discovering Peter's and Neal's connection the nurse shoved a clipboard full of admission and insurance forms into Peter's hands and headed back to the ER.

Peter took a seat and began to fill out the forms. He was surprised at how much information he still remembered. And he was certain that some of Neal's information had changed, but he did the best he could. He took the forms to the nurse at the admissions desk. He showed her his badge and then tried to muscle his way in. The nurse was not impressed. She told Peter he would just have to wait. She told him to let the doctors and nurses work on his friend that he would only get in their way. And, that when they had something for him someone would be out to talk to him. Peter didn't like it. But, he relented. He took a seat in the waiting room. He then pulled out his phone. Peter sighed when he looked at the screen and a wave of nausea and realizations hit him. He had not talked to El. And June, well…June was beyond pissed at him. But, he had to call both women and the office to let them all know as much as he knew about Neal's condition and status.

After calling the office and having an uncomfortable conversation with El and a fairly hostile conversation with June, Peter took to alternately pacing the floor and looking through the windows into the ER, trying to spot Neal. And waiting for word of his progress.

Both El and June arrived a short time after the agent placed his calls. June didn't speak to the agent opting, instead, to pace another part of ER waiting room and occasionally throw him glares that could kill. El was devastated that her fears had been confirmed. She just hoped that the young man would be strong enough to make it through whatever injuries those other inmates had inflicted on him.

"Do you know…?" El bombarded Peter with questions. "I mean was it…did a guard really just stand there and record the whole thing? Did that really happen? What are his injuries? What did they tell you, Hon? Has anybody come out to talk to you yet? She asked. "What did they do to the guard? Did he admit it? Did they keep him there at the prison? They should do to him what he allowed those inmates to do to Neal."

Peter was overwhelmed. He had known she would be full of questions. And he tried to answer them all. Peter nodded. "It was a guard. He told the inmates that Neal was a snitch. Apparently, somebody had told the prison officials what Neal had done for the FBI. The word leaked down to the guards. They say that that 'somebody' was a fellow White Collar agent. I just…" Peter let his anger flare for a moment. "…when I find out who it was, I swear…." The agent paused and took a breath trying to calm himself down. Some of the other guards detained the guilty guard. I'm not sure what will happen to him. But I have been assured that, wherever he's incarcerated, all the guards and all the prisoners will know what he did for a living."

El shook her head. She didn't feel sorry for the guard, not at all. And she couldn't even make her feel sorry for him, given what would probably happen to him, upon his eventual incarceration.

Peter shook his head. "Nobody's told me anything, Hon. I got here just in time to see Neal being wheeled in. He looked…" The agent sighed. "…I heard the EMTs say that Neal's heart stopped twice. He's just…I didn't recognize him, El. The blood…all the…."

June had been close enough to the couple to hear their conversation. And she started in on him, in a manner very unusual for the usually demure lady. "YOU did this to him! You did this to Neal! You made him feel like he didn't have any other choice. Then, to add insult to injury, you put a target on his back! A member of your own division ratted him out, Agent Burke! A member of your own division, after all that Neal's done for you…for them! You really think that he wants you here? Do you really think that he is going to want to see you? Really?" She paused to calm herself a little. "Why didn't you just take our your gun and shot him, Agent Burke? It would have been a hell of a lot kinder!" June started to turn away, she then turned back around. "YOU have no business here, Agent Burke!" She said, glaring at him. "Just Go! Leave! Get Out Of Here!" She said daring him to protest.

TBC