The phone rang… Peter grabbed it …on the first ring.
"Neal…?" a familiar tense voice came through the line "I can't tell you how good it is to hear from you…I tried to look for you after I discovered your clues… but none of my contacts in Paris had seen or heard from you…"
"Haversham…?"
"Suit? How did you get our emergency contact? What have you done with him? Did you torture it out of him? If you think you can hold him indefinitely based on his desire to…"
"Mozzie… Neal told me to ask for 127… the brown envelope…"
"Why would he do that? Where is he?" he paused his next question was quieter "is he ok?"
Peter took a deep breath. He knew this question was coming and dreaded it… "No… he's really not… he's alive but… I would have contacted you sooner… I didn't know how."
"He's alive…? You've seen him?"
"I just left him an hour ago…" he heard the little guy deflate with relief…
"Where are you keeping him…have you had him the entire time?"
Peter sighed… "Fairfax hospital…in Falls Church, Virginia…"
"He's in the hospital?!"
"I need you to focus, Mozzie…" He clenched his teeth… "127 the brown envelope…Neal's life could depend on it." He could count on that one thing… the little guy's loyalty to his friend…
The silence was deafening … "fine…for Neal…" then he continued "on one condition… I want to see him before I turn over the envelope."
"That can be arranged… just hurry…"
"I'll contact you when I have it." The phone disconnected abruptly
Reynolds' questioning look met his gaze as he slid the phone in his pocket… "One of Neal's friends… odd but harmless… more or less." He shrugged… "He'll bring what we need." Reynolds nodded as he fell in step with Peter as he walked back to the hospital…
"Do think Caffrey really has evidence connecting Clarence Walker with Flannery and Martinez?"
"He says he does…"
"What the h*** have we gotten ourselves into…" he stopped, gazing intensely at Peter "if he knew this… had this evidence… why didn't he say anything… he could have used it to bargain for his freedom…"
"Freedom doesn't do you much good if you're dead."
"There's that." he sighed "so why now?"
"Because he really is tired of running." They were quiet after that, for a long moment.
"If Walker is involved… this is going to get ugly" Reynolds finally ventured
"It already has" Peter's eyes reflected his fear "I'll understand if you don't want to take him on, Reynolds" They fell silent then… walking side by side…Reynolds kept his eyes on his feet for a long time.
"He protected her."
"What?"
"Emily… when I found them… he was wrapped around her… taking the weight of the stone himself… she was tucked in a tiny little crevice against his chest"
"I see"
"Jim found where he was tied to a wall light… the thing was nearly 8 feet off the floor… with twine… the scene was still intact… he would have been safe…if he had stayed there …he ran to save Emily and she fought him…and he still saved my baby…" his voice cracked as he trailed off.
"I'm not surprised." He really wasn't… though it explained Reynolds reaction since that day.
"I didn't expect you to be, actually…but I was" he sighed, running his fingers through his hair nervously… stalling… the next part was hard to say "She fought him… because I told her… he nearly tore his hands off to get to her and she fought him… he could have saved both of them, if I hadn't told her he was a bad man... I want to tell him how sorry I am and how grateful I am…but… he's on a respirator, he could still die… he may never walk again… I'm sorry seems so… inadequate…and thank you…" his green eyes glistened with tears… "He saved my baby… I can't even begin to thank him…" Thomas met Peter's gaze for a moment but guilt pulled his eyes back down "But I am… sorry… so very, very sorry and… if making it right means going up against a retired regional head of the NSA… h*** going against the whole NSA…then so be it. I'm in."
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Neal was trying to sit up when Peter got back to the room… raising the bed by small increments flinching as it moved…
"No more than a thirty degree angle, remember" he ignored the glare Neal gave him, when he gently took the remote "your hip…" thinking of the rigid plastic brace around the younger man's waist and legs, Peter bit his lip…
"Doesn't hurt…"
"Right…"he shot his friend an incredulous look "They just reattached your abductor muscles 2 days ago…they were torn completely loose. I don't even know what all is still damaged in there… Of course it hurts…"
"Fine it hurts… but I am so… sick of staring…at… at the ceiling…" he made a face as he tried to make the words sound light "I don't care"
"That I believe." Peter patted his shoulder "I'd offer to bring you some books but…"
"Yeah…" he rested his eyes on his nearly useless hands…the quiet was almost deafening "I closed…my… my hand …today…"
"That's great." Peter grinned
"You'd think… it was… an… accomp…lishment"
"It is!"
"It shouldn't be" the whisper echoed between them as no shout could have, Peter awkwardly patted his shoulder, without offering any empty words. For a long time Neal said no more… "They're …going to a lot …of trouble… to put…. put me back …together…aren't they?"
"They are." He smiled gently "you're going to get there Neal."
"I hope so…" he turned his face away unable to look Peter in the eye when he continued "because …I can't…can't live… live like this…"
"Neal" he leaned in closely "don't… please don't." The younger man nodded without looking at him… "I don't mean don't tell me… I mean don't think like that…"a glance at the monitor confirmed the kid's heart was racing. "Yes, you have a long way to go… but you will be the man you were before"
"No…" the sigh shuddered through the fragile body "No… Peter… I won't." he resisted the urge to shake his friend…
"Neal look at me…"he didn't know what to say…because it was true
"I could… accept that…" he pulled his blue eyes back to Peter "if I knew… I …I would be… able to…breathe…to walk… and hold a pencil…" his breath came in desperate little pants…
"Neal, for once please, listen to me." an almost pleading note colored his voice "You are the most stubborn man I know… you have never once cared about the odds… impossible is a foreign concept to you… you will get through this and you will be back to base jumping off buildings and copying Monet by this time next year. You may doubt that right now… but I. Do. Not."
"You don't…?"
"Not for one minute." The younger man raised his eyebrow… doubtful. "Ok maybe for a minute… when you didn't have a pulse." The startled look he got would have been funny if Neal hadn't been so pale… his lips growing disturbingly blue… "Just rest… and let the respirator help you…you won't always need it, I promise, but right now… you do. So stop fighting it…ok?" he watched the dark head drop back, the ragged breathing slowly settling into rhythm with the respirator… he wasn't expecting the next words
"Are you sure… it wouldn't… have been better… for everyone…if they had…hadn't … tried so hard…"
"Absolutely sure…" he took a deep breath "Neal what's wrong?"
"Have you… forgotten …how much …trouble I… am?"
"I haven't." he smiled at the memory "but I wouldn't trade any of it…"
"Not even… when you got… hurt…" Neal swallowed "tried to get …you out …before you…" he studied the blanket for a moment… "I… destroy… people around… me…good people"
"You have lost more than your share…but it's not your fault"
"Tell me… Donny …and Rico… and Leo… weren't my… fault…. I talked …them into it… they would… have never been… there if not… for me… for my…need to…"
"Need to what?" he knew the answer but…
"Nothing…"still guarded… he shutter with the sigh "the point…is… I brought them… there…"
"That's true… but you didn't decide to respond to unarmed kids breaking in by calling in hired assassins… Normal people call the police not hit men… seems like overkill to me.." that earned him a ghost of a smile…
"I still have a… share of… guilt" Peter sighed… he couldn't disagree. But guilt was the last thing the kid needed right now… He steadied himself to push…it might help…it might also make it worse but Neal needed to get this out.
"Why were you so driven to break into Nolen's house?"
"I told you… before… we were…barely getting… by…100-."
"Neal… before you go any farther…" Peter interrupted "you should know I have Kyle Nolen's client list for the last 35 years." His face fell… then he drew a shaky breath…
"So you know…"he looked away… "Ellen had… just told me… I just wanted…to know …if he was… guilty…to know if… Nolen knew where… I just…" suddenly the tears came "I kil…killed my friends …chasing him… and he…"he choked on something akin to a sob "I… wanted him… to be…worth it… but… but..."
"You were just looking for your family, Neal… that's what it comes down to…what it always comes down to for you … family…You were just a kid… you needed your dad…you had no way of knowing how it would end… how any of it would end."
"And look at…what it …cost…and even… then I… couldn't … couldn't leave it… alone…"he choked again…struggling not to truly sob "they… deserved better…you all… deserved better."
"You did too…" Peter tentatively stroked his hair…wishing he could do more to comfort his friend "You deserved much better."
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Thomas leaned on the tree… waiting had never been his favorite thing and this situation was ridiculous…Peter sat on a park bench… staring at a folded newspaper on his knee…looking incredibly annoyed, but he didn't look back as a small nervous man with coke bottle glasses sidled up and sat on the bench behind him…
"Hello Mozzie…'
"Suit… where are you keeping him… before you answer that, be aware I've looked through Fairfax hospital admissions records…I know that neither Neal Caffrey nor any alias he has ever used is there…"
"I'll take you to him… did you bring it?' the little man patted his coat pocket
"After I see Neal" Thomas thought it sounded more like a ransom exchange than any normal conversation he had ever witnessed… "And you can tell your goon over there to stop skulking around… I know he's there." He noticed the smirk that crossed Peter's features as he waved him over.
"Haversham… Thomas Reynolds…" the man gave him a curt nod before leading the way back to their car. Peter didn't seem inclined to answer his questioning looks any more than the stranger did, so Thomas kept quiet, through the ride back to the hospital…He contented himself with watching the bespeckled man as he twitched anxiously in the back seat. Clearly he didn't trust Peter much… and Thomas far less. Haversham made no comment as they walked in to the building… though he seemed even more agitated than before…if that was even possible. He started visibly when they passed the doors to the ICU… muttering under his breath something that sounded like "what have they done to you?"
All of that did not prepare him for the reaction the little man had to actually stepping into the small room. He gave a groan as if he had received a physical blow when his eyes fell on the figure in the bad…swaying as though he might collapse… his movement forward was sudden and involuntary… Peter lay a hand on his shoulder, whether in support or restraint, Thomas wasn't sure…
"Mozzie… look at me… I know how bad he looks, but you have to believe me… he's getting better."
"This is better?" it was a disbelieving squeak… the man was physically twitching… "How can he be better…he's on life support… the only thing worse is …" he stopped… shivering… as Neal stirred … opened his eyes… peering at the little guy in obvious confusion…blinking… looking at Peter questioningly… Haversham jumped… evidently he hadn't expected his friend to wake…
"What have they done to you…?"In an instant the confusion turned to undisguised delight…and something else…
"Mozzie!?" he swallowed convulsively… "What are …you doing… here…it's good… to see you" Thomas saw it clearly now… worry that flickered in the blue eyes… even though the smile didn't slip at all "but…you shouldn't…be here, Moz… it's dangerous…"
"Obviously…" his face tense as his eyes darted over the visible injuries on his friend's body… "What has the Suit gotten you into this time?'
"This isn't… about Peter…is… all on …me." The small man patted Neal's shoulder awkwardly, openly doubtful of that statement. He turned and strode to the window. Thomas suspected he saw tears in his eyes… after a moment he spun back and handed Peter a small brown envelope… not more than 3 inches across, before grabbing Caffrey's medical file. He planted himself in the chair next to the bed…skimming the file
"Are you aware, my friend how many drugs they have you on." Neal's smile was affectionate… tolerant… "16 … 16 different chemicals they are pumping into you daily… and we are talking some serious stuff…not to mention whatever gas they are no doubt dosing you with though that thing," he gestured to the respirator. "they claim you have had 7 major surgeries in 3 weeks…assuming they actually have put you under that many times… do you recall the reasons they cited?" he was up and pacing frantically now.
"Not really… I've been…pretty…" he shrugged helplessly
"I find it highly unlikely that was medically necessary… we will have to do a full body scan to determine what they may have hidden in your body…"
"Moz…you're… making…me…dizzy" the little man froze mid step then timidly returned to the chair by the bed.
"it's no wonder, really, you are having trouble with your memory… it's astounding they haven't managed to reprogram you entirely…We need to get you out of here and quickly… they are clearly already erasing your friends." Peter's head jerked up, but he remained silent…Neal started, then looked away… he didn't deny it. Tomas felt his stomach roll… as his conscience added one more thing he had taken from this man. I'm sorry…
"I'll be back Neal…" Peter touched the younger man's head gently… his eyes more worried than they had been in days…
"I'll be… here."
"Yeah… you're efforts to run away are a bit hampered at the moment…" his grin was clearly forced…
"Almost… as re…straining… as …the anklet…"A look of absolute innocence slid over Neal's face. The older man's tense smile relaxed into a friendly grin…
"Almost…" he patted his shoulder." doubt you could get much farther than 2 miles now…"
"Is… that a …challen…ge?"
With another gentle pat and a stiff chuckle Peter shook his head before he walked out… Thomas followed him. In the waiting room Peter opened the envelope… he shook the contents out in his hand… a key and a small piece of paper… with a jumble of letters and numbers written neatly on it.
QPxUUSVP-0-WTxUWTUR-9
-10-12 ORUQVT
"Of course it's in code" Peter muttered…" I should have expected that… I hope Neal remembers the key…" he fell silent then, with a sigh… he looked at Thomas "that would have been a joke… but now…" he dropped his eyes for a moment "how could I not notice…?"
"Are you sure it's true… that he's having trouble with his memory?"
"He didn't recognize Mozzie until he spoke to him… I noticed he was off but I brushed it aside until the little guy said something…" he swore softly.