Peter grabbed onto Egon's hand tightly and leaned down toward Egon's face. Unsure of what he had just heard was real or his imagination playing a cruel trick, he held his breath and braced himself for the worst. Egon was still very weak and had shown no sign of consciousness for the past five days, was it finally time for him to wake up?

"Egon, if you can hear me squeeze my hand." Peter impatiently waited. "Squeeze my hand!"

Slowly, very slowly, Egon's cold fingers curled around Peter's hand in response.

"You're awake!" Peter shouted with his unparalleled excitement. "Say something!"

"...I ..." Egon stammered weakly. "...I have a headache."

"Oh, sorry." Peter immediately lowered his voice. "But welcome back! We missed you!"

"...back?"

"Do you..." Peter's excitement was replaced with remorse. "Do you remember what happened?"

"...I remember... Janine." He struggle to speak as his throat was painful and the oxygen mask nearly muted his words. "...she was hurt."

Dr. Scott had heard Peter's voice carrying through the corridors. Upon entering the room to investigate the commotion she saw Peter holding onto Egon's hand and her previously comatose patient speaking very softly.

"Dr. Spengler." Dr. Scott gently lifted Egon's eyelid to check his pupil with the penlight from his coat pocket. "My name is Dr. Scott, do you know where you are?"

There was a brief pause before Egon responded. "...hospital."

"That's right." She stepped back taking Egon's hand from Peter and pressed her fingers against Egon's wrist to measure his radial pulse. "You've been here for five days. What's the last thing you remember?"

Egon swallowed once to try and ease the soreness of his throat. "...Peter. Peter you were with me."

"Yeah, we found you Spengz. You made it." Peter confirmed with a relieved smile. "We brought you here."

"...the others are safe?"

"Yes, the guys are just fine. They're back at the firehouse. Janine is at home with Louis for the rest of the week."

Egon swallowed again, his throat still raw. "...My throat hurts."

Dr. Scott gently opened Egon's mouth and shined her penlight down his throat. "The intubation irritated your esophageal lining. The pain should subside by tomorrow morning." Satisfied that Egon was stable Dr. Scott wrote down some notes on her clipboard. "Just take it easy for now, we'll run some tests later."

Egon's one good eye blinked slowly as fatigue already won out over his taxed body.

"Get some rest 'Big Guy'." Peter encouraged. "I'll still be here when you wake up."

"...Thank you for staying." Egon fell asleep and his body relaxed in the bed.

"You're welcome." Peter was torn between rushing back to the phone to let everyone know Egon was finally awake and staying by Egon's side. "I'm sure the guys will stop by later."

True to their word Ray and Winston decided to stop by the hospital after taking care of their latest call. The bust was simple enough, a single Class-2 imp like ghost who was causing trouble at a small diner on the other side of town. The drive was more of a chore than catching the little nuisance itself.

Walking into Egon's room Ray and Winston were greeted by the sight of Egon now sitting up in his bed, his tired good eye focused on Peter who was sitting beside him and telling the injured physicist about everything that had happened while he was missing.

"Egon!" Ray rushed over to the bed and threw his arms around the recovering man in an unbreakable hug.

"Ow..." Egon muttered as the unexpected gesture caused his still healing wounds to ache in response.

"Sorry..." Ray released his hug and blushed with embarrassment. "I just didn't expect- When did you- Peter!" He turned to the psychologist. "Why didn't you call us?"

Winston walked over to Egon and put his hand on Egon's uninjured shoulder as Peter answered sheepishly. "I didn't want to leave Spengz alone and I figured you'd be stopping by anyway!"

"You still should've called! Winston scolded. "I think Dana would like to know, too!"

"She does." Peter replied somewhat smugly. "I called about ten minutes ago. She said you already went out on a call."

Winston playfully smacked Peter's shoulder before addressing Egon. "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted." Egon was able to speak louder and more clearly but his throat was still hurting him. "Peter told me what happened. Thank you for saving my life."

Winston stood up a little straighter with pride. "You know you don't have to thank me, right? I know you would do the same for me."

"Thank you all the same." Egon was truly appreciative of his friends, grateful to have such great people in his life. "Ray?"

"Yeah? You okay?" Ray sounded alarmed, but still looked composed.

"Fine. Ray, I hope you don't think that you're responsible for my current predicament."

Ray blushed a deep shade of red. Not knowing what to say he just kept his silence.

"From what Peter has told me," Egon explained calmly and without any accusation in his voice. "the ghost was a bitter, vengeful spirit who wanted to take out his frustrations on someone who could logically associate with his pain. Being murdered will leave spirits very agitated, you know this, a spirit who sees any person at fault for their pain; being trapped or forcibly removed from their environment, will lash out regardless of the situation."

"I know." Ray's face began resuming its normal pallor. "But since I'm the one who was clumsy with the containment unit I'm the one who let the spirit escape."

"Accident Ray. You were injured." Egon was still able to recall the events taking place in the firehouse before he was taken. "I could've checked in on the unit just as easily as you. We're both at fault, yet neither of us are to blame."

As if he needed Egon's validation Ray was finally able to let go of his guilt. "I'm glad you're still with us."

"So am I."

Two weeks after Egon was admitted to the hospital he was finally released into the care of the other Ghostbusters. Leaning heavily and awkwardly on a set of crutches, his formerly dislocated shoulder still bound in a blue sling, Egon limped through the garage of the firehouse with Peter, Ray and Winston hovering around him protectively.

Janine had long since returned as receptionist to the Ghostbusters. Upon seeing Egon she raced from her desk and gave Egon a firm hug. "Glad you're back!"

Egon was uncomfortable with the hug as it hurt his still healing ribs, but he didn't try to push her away. "It's good to be back."

Janine let him go and stepped aside so he could walk toward the stairs. "I'll bring you some tea in an hour, just try to rest."

"She's right. Let's get you situated upstairs." Ray took Egon's good arm from the crutch and wrapped it around his shoulders. "Remember what the doctor said: no heavy lifting, no physical exertion of any kind and get plenty of rest."

"I remember Ray." Egon steadily climbed the staircase one step at a time.

Peter and Winston followed close behind ready to catch Egon if he lost his footing or tripped.

"If you'd bring me the schematics on the containment unit I can work from my bed." Egon suggested as he finally made his way to the top of the staircase.

"Sure, just don't try to sneak down into the basement and do any work without us!" Ray reprimanded like a father to a child.

Peter stepped up as the group entered the bunk room together. "We'll make sure of it. Spengz knows better than to go against a doctor's orders, right?"

"Of course I do." Egon allowed Winston and Ray to help him lay down on his bed. His crutches were set up against the nightstand beside the bed. "I would just prefer to do some work while I recuperate to keep my mind occupied."

"I'll go get the blueprints for you." Ray volunteered. "Be right back."

Winston reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottles of prescribed medication for Egon. "Here. Two pills now and two more in eight hours." He sat the bottles down on the nightstand. "And tomorrow you have to work on your physical therapy exercises."

Peter gave Egon a sly smirk. "Gee, now I know why you like to take care of us when we're sick. Control!"

"Very funny," Egon rubbed at his black eye, which was now open but still bruised. "I'll remember this the next time you come down with the flu."

"Love you, too!" Peter joked as he sat down on Egon's bed. "Want me to read you a story?"

"I may be injured," Egon joked in response. "but I still remember where all the 'tender' parts of the human anatomy are located. I'm also a light sleeper."

The Klaxons sounded off as call came into the firehouse.

"Perfect timing." Winston told himself. "Okay, Peter you stay with Egon. Me and Ray will handle the call."

"I don't-" Before Egon could protest the idea Winston had slipped out of the bunk room via the fire pole.

"Nothing personal," Peter explained nonchalantly. "but with Janine still getting over her concussion and being so much smaller than all of us it'd just be easier for one of us to stay back with you for another week or so. Just until you can get around without needing the crutches."

"A wise precaution."

"I figured you'd see it that way." Peter patted his leg. "I'm going to go get those blueprints for you and call Dana."

"Wait, before you go I just wanted to tell you something." Egon's voice was its usual firm tone but his eyes were uncharacteristically full of emotion. "I heard what you said when I was in the hotel and when I was in the hospital. I consider you my brother as well. Thank you for coming after me. You saved my life and you gave those spirits eternal peace."

"Egon, I..." Peter had left out the part where he had bargained with the ghosts at the hotel. It seemed so cold as if he was comparing the value of Egon's life to that of another.

"I also know that you kept Ray and Janine from tearing themselves apart from guilt and that you reassured Winston that his experience as a Marine doesn't make him responsible for our safety."

"I'm a psychologist, remember?" Peter tried to dismiss the compliments as business as usual. "I can read people."

"Yes. And you can also push people away, but instead you chose to bring everyone together."

"I hate to break it you Egon, especially since you're singing my name in praise here, but you're the one who brought us all together. You keep me honest, you make Ray's plans a reality, you remind Winston why helping people is his natural calling and you remind Janine how respectable men act."

Egon refused to let Peter ignore his own admirable traits. "Peter, you're a good person. Stop deflecting."

Peter wanted to crack a joke but nothing came to mind.

"Don't let your past mistakes effect your future, don't become full of bitterness and revenge. We know what that does to a person's spirit."

"All too well..."

"Peter, when I was in the hospital," Egon's eyes became dark and hardened. "when I was dying, the ghosts who abducted and tortured me appeared before me."

Peter felt himself pale with fear. "They... what?"

"They appeared before me." Egon repeated. "I know of their plight and I know of their pain. They also told me that you gave your word that they'd finally be given a proper burial. Before I woke up they came to me again. They wanted me to thank you. You helped them when no one else could."

Everything that Egon just said left Peter floored. They had captured ghosts without a second thought, does that mean so many more spirits could've been helped rather than imprisoned? Or was the ghostly couple just a fluke? It was almost too much for Peter to bear. Deciding it was time to lighten the mood Peter had a brilliant idea. "You know what? To celebrate your first night out of the hospital we should order pizza! My treat!"

Egon gave Peter a suspicious glance and shook his head. "That does sound good right about now."

"Great! I'll place the order, Ray and Winston can pick it up on their way back!" As Peter jogged out of the bunk room he turned and looked back at his friend over his shoulder. "I'm glad you're back, it's just not the same without you!"

-The End