Standing outside the door Elizabeth bit her lip nervously. At least it wasn't the ICU anymore she thought… and the glimpse of Neal she caught through the door way appeared much less fragile than the last time she visited. Reclining in the bed, absorbed in a book he looked almost normal. Squaring her shoulders, she told herself firmly she could do this… just like she told Peter this morning when he offered to explain the situation to their friend.

"You going to come in?" Neal's voice interrupted her thoughts even though he hadn't looked up. "I promise not to pass out… for at least half an hour…" his voice still sounded breathy and weak, but despite the oxygen he was still on, he didn't gasp painfully between words.

"Hi sweetie…" she started, unsure how to begin "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok." He lay the book aside and looked at her, offering a wan smile.

"Well," she returned his smile with some effort. "You certainly look better than the last time I was here."

"I must have slept through your last visit…" he chuckled self-consciously "Sorry about that"

"You didn't actually" Elizabeth perched nervously on the chair near his bed "but you were pretty well drugged."

He opened his mouth to reply then closed it quietly… after a moment he said "I've been drugged pretty often lately."

"It's completely understandable" she studied her hands for a long moment "I'm sorry they hurt you like this." The words spilled out before she could catch them "I know you protected us… that they wouldn't have… hurt you so much if you had given them Peter's name… and I am so sorry for…" she trailed off, trying not to cry.

"Hey" his voice pulled her eyes up "It's ok."

"No it's not, but thank you… I can't thank you enough for… not telling them… and for everything else."

"You're as close to family as anyone I have… family takes care of each other."

"Yeah." She dropped her eyes "you're right."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to either of you, if I can help It." that did it… she was crying.

"I'm sorry" she managed, as she swiped at her cheeks "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" He watched her quietly. Just say it, she thought, just tell him.

"I wanted to… I tried to take care of William…" she took a deep breath to steady her nerves the last three weeks wearing on her heavily

"What happened?" Neal suddenly looked tremendously frail and afraid "is he hurt?"

"No!" Elizabeth calmed her voice and squared her shoulders again, trying to sound soothing "No Neal, honey he's ok… he's fine. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." She blew out a breath "But Miss Wallace took him yesterday… she placed him in a temporary foster home."

"Oh." His tone was flat… carefully controlled. "What does that mean exactly? Will I get him back when…?"

"I'm not sure, but" she looked at him with new resolve "Neal, we are not going to let your nephew grow up in the system. He will be much better off with you and we will make sure that happens if that's what you want." She owed him that and more right now.

"Elizabeth you don't have too…"

"Family takes care of each other." She met his eye firmly "that's what you said. Well… you and Will are family. We'll take care of this, don't worry." He grinned at her hopefully, but worry still clouded his eyes...

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Neal offered the slim, grey haired doctor the best smile he could manage, but Dr. Wilson's expression remained solemn as he looked from the chart to the young man.

"You don't have any problems with liquids?"

"No." he shook his head. "Not really" sitting like a lump in his stomach for a few minutes before they settled wasn't really a problem.

"I was hoping to release you to the rehabilitation facility tomorrow" The elderly man shook his head "But I am not comfortable doing that without knowing why you can't keep down more than two or three bites of solids."

"I'm sure it will get better soon." He desperately wanted to get out of this room, this hospital… even though he doubted the rehab center would be that much better, it would be different. Three weeks in this place was long enough. Besides this wasn't just about him… if he had any hope of getting his nephew out of foster care he needed to get well… quickly.

"This is the second time we've tried to start you on solids…both have had the same result." he frowned "the damage to your esophagus was… extensive but it should be sufficiently healed by now to tolerate a soft diet." His hands pressed gently on Neal's stomach just below the diaphragm. "Does that seem more painful than it has been?"

"No." he swallowed quickly, as the broth he just consumed threatened a reappearance.

"Would you tell me if it was?"

"Yes." Neal said quickly. Dr. Wilson offered him a doubtful smile. "I would like to run some tests… if you will consent."

"Yeah" Neal sighed "if it will help get me out of here."

"Neal, I know you are anxious to begin your recovery in earnest but I am concerned… a rupture of your esophagus would set you back severely… it could be significantly dangerous to your health."

"I know." He forced as much surrender into his smile as he could as his whole being rebelled against the delay.

"I am worried that a rupture would allow gastric fluid to leak into your abdominal cavity which would set you up for another potentially fatal infection." The doctor patted his arm gently "we want to do everything we can to prevent that, right?"

"Right." The resignation in his voice was almost real. "What kind of tests?"

"We'll start with an ultra sound and an endoscopy to determine if everything has healed properly… and to pin point any possible leaks."

As the doctor left Neal settled back in bed and almost growling with frustration, glared at the window. He wanted to believe his body would return to normal eventually but… that seemed less likely with every set back. Morbidly he considered the possibility that he might spend the rest of his life in this bed, leaving Will to spend the next fifteen years in the system. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to throw something.

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Natalie Shea did not exist… the information didn't really surprise Diana. It was too much to hope the woman had been stupid enough to use her real name. It did leave the problem of who she was though. Hopefully she had been connected to the kidnapper through the haphazard investigation in DC. Diana pressed speaker and lay her phone aside while she waited for the DCPD cold case evidence clerk to answer the phone.

With Dennison laying low… probably out of the country, the team was back on current cases, firmly inside their area of expertise. There was a rather puzzling potential insurance fraud that landed on her desk this morning… no reason why she couldn't looking over it while she was on hold. She wanted to believe the Washington Police department wasn't purposely giving her the run around but after being transferred to four different offices… she was beginning to have her doubts.

"Good morning. Cold case evidence storage. How may I help you today?" the flat monotone voice that broke into her thoughts two-thirds of the way through the summary of her insurance fraud case, sounded more like a recording than a real person.

"Good morning." She sat up a little straighter "this is Agent Diana Berrigan from the FBI. I am requesting all of the evidence and records regarding the stork kidnappings."

"Authorization?"

"Was faxed to you about an hour ago."

"Oh." The voice was quiet for two seconds "let me see if I received it." Papers rustled on the line. "Here it is. One moment while I determine the location of the evidence in question." The bored voice droned.

"Thank you." She waited… once more on hold, Diana studied the case in front of her as far more than a single moment passed. Finally the line reconnected and the dreary voice asked

"You want all of it? It is a significant amount…"

"Yes I want all of it."

"I will ship it tomorrow."

"That's fine," she muttered impatiently "I am mostly interested in the records… could you email them to me immediately." Silence… several seconds ticked away.

"I suppose." The voice said "why is the FBI looking into this old case anyway… it was local, and thirty years ago." The tone suggested that was a medieval time.

"We found new evidence that suggests it wasn't local." She hedged "get me those files as quickly as possible, please."

Half an hour later she had to concede the bored clerk was efficient. Opening the attachments in the first email she plunged in. Four hours later she had a potential name. Twenty-one year old Katherine Harris had been listed as the suspect, Steve Richard's roommate. Her statement was filled with wide eyed naiveté that sounded false even on paper. No, she had no idea Steve was stealing and murdering children… she was shocked and horrified…sickened by the whole incident.

Diana could picture the woman pressing her hand to her chest and batting her eyes innocently without even knowing what Ms. Harris looked like.

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

It was time to clear the air. He could not put it off any longer. Peter knew he needed to talk to Neal, keeping secrets was always what got them into those trust issues that caused trouble. He'd tried to approach the subject for a week now… he still had no idea how to explain what went through his mind at the dock. The image of that moment still haunted him… would always haunt him, but it was made worse by knowing Neal heard him. He swallowed and turned into the room.

Dr. Wilson stood beside the bed with a serious expression. Peter slipped inside and Neal acknowledged him with a quick glance his way before returning his attention to the older man.

"Both the sonogram and the endoscopy are conclusive." The doctor said "your esophagus is almost completely blocked by an abnormal formation of scar tissue."

"Which means…?" Neal sighed "you'll have to remove it, right?"

"Yes." The doctor smiled kindly.

"You're talking about another surgery?" Peter couldn't help adding. The thought of another one made his stomach clench slightly… Neal had been through so many already.

"This is actually a very simple procedure… no external incision required."

"But you'll have to put him under?"

"That would, I think, be more pleasant for everyone." The doctor chuckled

"I second that." Neal agreed and Peter chuckled ruefully despite his worry.

"I'll get Sadie started on getting you ready to go."

"Thanks." Neal smiled brightly as the doctor excused himself but his face fell once they were alone.

"You ok?"

"I'm great." He pasted his brightest smile "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Neal…"

"What?" he kept smiling

"It's ok to not be ok, you know.'

"You worry enough." Neal shrugged "without me falling apart."

"I think you are entitled to a breakdown, or several actually." He gripped the younger man's shoulder gently "you've had a h*** of a month."

"I am really ok." He shrugged "I'm just…"

"Worried?"

"Beginning to think I'll never leave this room." He sighed "I know I'm getting better… but it's just so slow. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been easier if…" he shook his head "if I had …"

"No! You may drive me crazy but trust me no one wants to lose you."

"Are you sure?" there it was, the opening he needed.

"Neal…there's something-."

"I'm sorry Peter," the sturdy motherly nurse interrupted "But there is an opening in the OR in one hour which means I need to ask you to leave while I get him ready."

"But-"

"You will be able to see him as soon as the surgery is finished." She said firmly. Peter sighed and with one last squeeze to his friend's shoulder reluctantly made his exit. There would be a chance to talk about Neal's memory after the operation.