Peter glared at the Flannery files… she was suspected of smuggling rifles, handguns, even explosives…for the last twenty five years… but if her financial history could be trusted, her business didn't really take off until 15 years ago…about two months before the murders, the deposits into her known accounts had shot up dramatically…and yet there was never enough to get a warrant against her… someone was covering her tracks… someone inside law enforcement with enough pull to make whole organizations look the other way… FBI, DEA, NSA even Interpol seemed to turn a blind eye to her activities despite suspicions that she sold some of her wares to terrorists.

A small sound brought his gaze up… he smiled gently…

"Hey Neal…" Peter spoke softly… he didn't want to frighten him. "You awake?" a tiny nod before the blue eyes tugged open, blinking wearily. "You want your phone?" another nod. Peter smiled again as he lay the device in his friend's hand… watching him fumble to use it… between the cast, the ventilator tubing and Neal's weak clumsy grasp… it was a challenge not to reach out and help him steady it. After a moment Peter's phone buzzed quietly…technically he wasn't supposed to use it here in the ICU but…it was worth the risk of getting in trouble for these brief conversations…

"You look worried…" the text was filled with unasked questions… questions Peter didn't want to try to answer.

"You've looked better yourself" with a slightly forced affectionate grin...he carefully rested his hand on his friend's arm

"I can imagine" his eyes crinkled with dismay… "Don't even want to know…do I"

"No you probably don't"

"You look tired too" looking up from the text he read concern in his friend's pain filled eyes

"I'm fine Neal"

"Should get a hotel"

"What makes you think I don't have one?" the look Neal shot him said he didn't have any doubts.

"Don't make yourself sick… Elizabeth would never forgive me"

"If it will help you not worry, I will get a room."

"Good… and sleep in it." he felt the hesitation before Neal typed the next message

"What's wrong?" he moved his hand to lie softly on disheveled brown hair, smoothing it down… "Do you need me to call someone? Neal shook his head…

"Peter…" for a moment the soft sounds of the respirator seemed disturbingly loud in the room "I wasn't alone…in the building"

"I know"

"Did you find her… is Emily ok?" Even on the glowing screen the fear that resonated in those word came through.

"Yes Neal we found her… she is fine…"

"You're sure?"

"Just a few scrapes and bruises…she's at the office with her dad…they're protecting her." Peter's smiled softened at the raw relief in his friend's eyes "she's alright… and you will be too" his voice caught slightly, he desperately hoped he was telling Neal the truth… the doctor said his chances improved dramatically now that he was awake… but…

"Good" Neal smiled "that's good" He was asleep almost before he hit send…

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"We found Ryan Mathews." The young agent's face was too serious for good news

"That's good." Reynolds looked up from Emily and her toys.

He thought about the man… one of the three faces Caffrey gave them at the beginning of this mess…they connected the face to a name almost immediately but tracking the man down had proved difficult. The other two…Kevin Garland, the man Caffrey had positively identified and Lance Chambers, associate of Henry Wilson were already in custody… and not talking.

"DCPD fished him out of the Washington Channel this morning."

"D***!" he sighed, and looked at the kid… "Are we sure it's him"

Robert handed him the file… he flipped past the papers to the photos… "Sure looks like him"

"Yeah it does" he stood up… he needed to talk to the detective in charge of the homicide… he grabbed his phone.

"Detective McGowan" the woman's voice came through clipped and hurried

"Agent Reynolds, FBI…I understand you have a case… Ryan Mathews…"

"Yes, that is a run of the mill homicide… what exactly is the FBI's interest?"

"He was a suspect in one of our cases…" he heard the anger in her sigh

"Is this going to be a jurisdiction-?"

"No Ma'am." He kept his voice conciliatory "I have no intention of interfering with your case…I was wondering if you could tell me how he died?"

"GSW…single shot…" she sounded slightly baffled "We don't get many sniper shots"

"Sniper…?" Reynolds kept the tension out of his voice as much as he could "what kind of round?"

"FMJ… from a 223/5.56… does that mean anything to you agent Reynolds…?"

"Head shot?"

"Chest… back to front…" she hesitated "severed the pulmonary artery… guy fell in the channel but he didn't have time to drown before he bled out." the soft intake of breath didn't go unnoticed "so this does mean something to you?"

"It does, this isn't your sniper's first victim, but… unfortunately we don't have any leads on the sniper either…"

"Not his first victim…I haven't heard about any other…"

"The last one was… not in DC"

"Oh" she waited a moment for him to continue "I'll need details so I can…"

"I'm sorry I can't do that…"he debated with himself quickly "the victim survived… it's a complicated situation, for his safety I have to be discreet."

"When you can give me details…"

"I certainly will."

"Thank you…"she sounded surprised "for you cooperation."

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"Hello Peter" Dr. Cole greeted her patient's friend … the man seemed to be an almost constant fixture in the room

"Dr. Cole" his smile was tight "how are you?"

"I'm well" she returned his smile noticing the way his eyes darted to the sleeping form in the bed.

"You took an MRI yesterday…?" worry flickered in his dark eyes "Is something wrong? Is Ne-Nick alright?" she couldn't help the slight smirk…Alright…? He was far from alright and they both knew it but…

"He's doing as well as can be expected… his condition is still very serious…but he is improving… you must remember he is looking at a very long road… and right now it is all up hill... I can't make any guarantees…"

"I know that." a trace of impatience seeped into his voice "but…is there something new I should be concerned about…"

"No" she shook her head "but he has been more or less flat on his back for almost 2 weeks… and with the surgeries…we have to watch out for DVTs… and we need to determine if there is any hidden damage from the prolonged oxygen deprivation." the man nodded wearily Dr. Cole glanced at her patient as his eyes pulled open "and even though he is awake…while he is intubated he has no means of communicating… not effectively…he can't tell us if something feels different…wrong…" her phone buzzed… she studiously ignored it keeping her attention on the man before her…

"He might surprise you…" Peter looked at his phone as it buzzed too. He raised his eyes to hers with a smirk he couldn't hide "check your phone Dr. Cole"

"What?"

"Just check your phone" his smile was peculiar. She sighed and glanced at the screen "good morning Doctor" her eyes darted to Peter then to her young patient… his casted left hand raised slightly grasping a phone clumsily … he grinned awkwardly around the ventilator tube…his weary blue eyes bore a spark of mischief…

"Hello Nick…" she watched him curiously "how are you feeling this morning?"

"Sure you want me to answer that?" the text flashed on her screen after just a few seconds. She looked at Peter again in disbelief

"Is he really texting me?" Peter just shrugged at her the smirk fading into a highly amused grin "he's still sedated… and…"and barely alive she thought

"Right here…" the message managed to project sarcasm. "I can hear you…"

"Right. I'm sorry" she smiled sheepishly "I'm not sure…" she floundered to a stop.

"It's ok… just don't like to be ignored by beautiful women" Dr. Cole blushed slightly, chuckling nervously.

"Don't tell me he's flirting…" Peter shook his head "you're flirting, aren't you?" the younger man looked slightly rebuked but his eyes sparkled brightly. Dr. Cole drew a deep breath to regain her professional demeanor.

"How are you doing Nick?"

"You tell me?"

"You're in the hospital… you were injured-."

"Know that part" his eyes met hers with surprising intensity, despite the medication and pain "how bad…? Can't move my legs…"

"Your legs were injured… they are both immobilized" she smiled at him softly, grateful to alleviate some of the fear in his face "your spine is fine…" his eyes sparkled with relieved tears. His head dropped back against the pillow…eyelids drooping slightly… "Why don't you get some rest?" she patted his shoulder gently. The young man nodded.

"How long until this thing comes out of my throat…? Hurts" her phone buzzed on last time

"Not for a while I'm afraid…" she hesitated uncertain how much she should tell the fragile young man "your lungs were injured… they need time to heal." He managed a small nod before he drifted back off to sleep. "He was texting me… has he been texting you?"

"Since he woke up."

"And that doesn't surprise you?"

"The kid's a genius… and never shuts up…" he smiled "so no it doesn't surprise me he found a way to communicate."

"How did he even get my number?"

"Honestly?" Peter shrugged "I have no idea… but he just wants to be able to talk to you…he didn't mean any harm." He tried to reassure her.

"Ok…" she studied Peter "this is good…just keep the conversations light…try to keep him quiet… relaxed… make sure there is absolutely no stress… with all the trauma, his system simply cannot take it."