NOTE: Wow...long chapter is long, and was extraordinarily difficult to write. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen

"I know it hurts, I'm sorry..."

Sitting in a chair next to the bed Neal reached out and gently ran his fingertips through Peter's hair in an attempt to sooth him. Staring sightlessly at a point a thousand miles away Peter kept swallowing convulsively between shallow panting breaths. Neal hated watching Peter suffer, made even worse by the fact that he didn't know how to help. He had lost count of how many times he had apologized, despite the fact that he wasn't sure if Peter could understand him. Even with his eyes open he never managed to focus on anything other than the pain. Even if Peter was in a state to understand him a simple apology was probably more insulting than helpful.

Welding his eyes shut Peter ground his teeth together and growled before suddenly relaxing completely. He had gone through the cycle of battling to stay awake before passing out nearly a dozen times, the length of time that he was out was getting longer and the amount of time he was able to stay awake was drastically decreasing each time. Neal checked his pulse again and found Peter's heart racing like a humming bird's.

Neal glanced at his phone to see what time it was, it was just past eleven. He had been waiting nearly four hours for Mozzie to find a vet willing to help. Neal wasn't sure how much longer Peter could wait, it almost seemed like a miracle that he'd lasted this long. Getting to his feet Neal paced restlessly for a moment before sitting back down.

Feeling increasingly helpless Neal fished the washcloth out of the bowl of cold water and rung it out. The treatment wasn't really helping against the fever but Neal couldn't just sit there doing nothing. Pressing the cloth against Peter's cheek he ran it down along the side of his throat. Neal was careful not to touch the back of his neck, any time he'd brushed against the scar Peter flinched even if he was otherwise unresponsive. Neal wasn't sure if the scar was still physically painful or if it just triggered memories, either way it was a source of stress that Peter didn't need right now so he kept clear of it.

Removing as much of the sweat off Peter's face and throat as he could Neal turned his attention back to the angry marks across his shoulders wondering if there was anything more he could do. Neal's own skin ached just looking at the infected cuts. Taking a closer look there seemed to be something wrong with the gash directly between his shoulder blades. Touching the area gingerly Neal realized that soaked in the blood was a strip of cloth embedded in the wound, most likely from the shirt he'd been wearing when Cheng had attacked him. Neal didn't dare remove it himself right now, but if Mozzie couldn't find help he was going to have to try.

"No matter what happens I'm not going to let Cheng just get away with this." Neal promised. "I know you said you didn't want revenge, but you at least deserve justice."

Neal put his hand over Peter's and sighed heavily. He knew that actual justice wasn't going to be something he could offer Peter, revenge would have to do. He hadn't extended an offer to the next game to Cheng yet, but he doubted that he was going to say no. Thinking about Cheng just made Neal angrier, he had originally planed to just scam him out of a few million, but he was starting to think about ways to take him down completely.

Before Neal could become too lost in dark thoughts of Cheng there was a heavy knock at the door. The sound startled Peter awake with a sharp gasp. Looking panicked he gripped the sheet and tried to push himself up. Neal put his hand on Peter's arm to encourage him to stay still. Jerking away from the touch Peter curled his lip to expose his teeth in a snarl like an angry dog. A second knock at the door agitated Peter further as he tried and failed to get up.

"It's okay, Peter, just relax. That should be the vet."

Peter did calm, but only because he had already run out of energy needed to fight. Laying still he closed his eyes as he quickly lost consciousness again. After taking a second to ensure that he wasn't going to try to get up again Neal hurried to the door. The man who had knock was already heading back towards the stairs. He had a large rolling suitcase and a back pack slung over one shoulder with him.

"Wait, are you the vet?" Neal asked hopefully.

"Dr. Taylor." The vet turned back around. "You're Mr. Halden?"

"Nick." Neal nodded. "Thank you so much for coming. Please, come inside."

Taylor hesitated for a moment, glancing back down the stairs. Neal knew the look well actually, he was a man suspecting some sort of trap. Neal opened the door wider and took a step back to prove that no one else was hiding in the apartment behind him. The light from inside caught his shirt and revealed the blood that had stained it from when he had been cleaning Peter's back. Seeing the blood the vet decided that trap or not he needed to investigate.

Neal stepped back further to invite the older man inside. He was casually dressed and his disheveled graying hair suggested that he had been in bed when he'd gotten the 'house call' request. Coming inside the vet caught sight of Peter. He instantly dropped the back back and left the rolling suitcase by the door to rush over to Peter's side. He gave the damage across his back a quick inspection before he carded his hand into Peter's hair. Neal stepped up next to Taylor and noticed the sorrowful expression that had fallen across the vet's strong features.

Neal hadn't expected to see such an emotional response from the medical professional, but in a way he was grateful that Taylor looked truly horrified by the condition of his new patient. Part of him had feared that the vet would just callously advise Neal to euthanize Peter. At least it was clear that the vet cared for the Animula that he treated.

"Peter..." Taylor sighed sadly. "You old Grizzly Bear, you just never give up do you? I would have thought that you would have died of heartbreak years ago. What have they done to you now?"

"Wait, you know him?" Neal asked surprised.

"Our paths have crossed a few times over the years, there aren't very many vets that specialize in Animula left anymore."

"Can you hel..."

Having noticed that Peter was starting to surface again Neal had reached out to brush his temple when the vet stopped him by aggressively grabbing his wrist. Looking up at Taylor Neal was shocked to see rage burning in his pale blue eyes.

"Don't you touch him," Taylor hissed darkly "don't you *dare* touch him again."

"What?" Neal asked confused.

"It's bad enough to beat him in the first place, but there is no excuse for waiting until he's at death's door to get him care for it." Taylor spat angrily. "I would take him away from you here and now if I thought he had any chance of surviving the move. I should give you a few lashes, see how you like it, you sick fu..."

"Wait, I didn't do this to him!" Neal exclaimed in horror. "I ju..."

"Don't lie to me. These marks are less than a week old."

"I just met him yesterday."

"Met him?" Taylor questioned Neal's choice of words.

"Won him." Neal admitted miserably. "I...I didn't even really understand what the bet entailed, I was drunk, maybe even drugged."

"You didn't go through the Market to get him?"

"No. I just woke up and he was here, calling me 'Master'. I didn't hurt him, I swear."

"You have papers for him?"

"I do."

The vet released Neal's wrist but continued to regard him with distrust. Neal couldn't blame him for assuming he had beaten Peter, but he was still sickened by the idea. Neal went over to where he kept the forged paper work. Taylor inspected them for a moment. He furrowed his brow and handed them back. While Neal put them away Taylor carefully rolled Peter's arm over and looked at the raised healing tattoo. Taylor turned on Neal once again and studied him for a moment.

"I didn't even know he was injured until a few hours ago. I would have gotten him help right away if I'd known. I did make it worse, I dragged him half way across the city today, he should have been resting." Neal fretted as he raked his hand through his hair. "I don't know why didn't he just tell me he was in pain..."

"He wouldn't have dared show weakness to a new owner." Taylor explained, his expression softening somewhat. "You really don't have any experience with Animula do you?"

"No, but I'm learning fast, and so far I'm horrified."

"That's a good place to start."

"It is?"

"If nothing else it proves you have a good heart."

"I can't imagine anyone would be okay with anyone being treated like this."

"You'd be surprised."

"Does this mean you'll help him?"

"Of course I will." Taylor said warmly. "I'm sorry for accusing you, I'm just growing so weary of helping my patients only to leave them in the hands of monsters."

"I understand."

Taylor went back over to where he had left his equipment and brought it over. Trying to just stay out of the way Neal sat cross legged on the bed on the far side of Peter to allow the vet room to work. Taylor took notice as Neal reached out and took Peter's hand in his own. Taylor set an IV port in the back of Peter's other hand and after pushing a few syringes of antibiotics and other medications through it he hooked it up to a bag of fluids that he hung from the headboard. Taylor instructed Neal to watch carefully since he'd be responsible for Peter's recovery as he taught him the basics of wound care.

Neal had to turn away when Taylor pulled the strip of gory cloth free from the wound. Taylor noted that the cloth was one of the main sources of infection, having giving bacteria a perfect place to breed. Cleaning the area more aggressively than Neal had dared Taylor ended with a series of layered wet and dry bandages that would need regular changing. To Neal's relief Peter remained mercifully locked in sleep during the treatment. Exhausted from the long day Neal listened to Taylor's remaining instructions as closely as he could. Eventually the vet bushed Peter's hair back affectionately and took a step back.

"Alright, I've done what I can for now. I will leave you with everything you need to care for him for the next few days. I'll come back for a follow up and you can call me any time. However I want you to understand that even under the best care there is still a very good chance that he is could die, the infection has really set in."

"Thank you for all your help. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Just promise me that if he lives you'll treat him well, or better yet that you'll treat him right."

"How do I do that?" Neal asked seriously. "I don't mean medically, I just mean in general. I fear I've done so far more harm than good with him. I honestly don't even know what is even considered 'right' for him. I don't know what he wants or even what he expects."

"It's simple: he wants compassion and consideration, he expects pain and humiliation."

"That's horrible. I never realized Animula were treated so poorly."

"Not all are, Peter's special, and he's suffered for it." Taylor said. "He's more broken than most, but show him enough of what he wants you'll eventually change his mind about what he expects."

"I'll do my best."

"You're already doing far better than most."

"I still don't think I can be a 'Master'." Neal admitted.

"Peter doesn't need a Master, he needs a friend."

"What about the 'fifth rule'?"

"The what?"

"Peter told me the five rules for owning an Animula." Neal explained.

"There are only four."

"He said there was a fifth one, that I shouldn't ever mistake him for someone who could be my friend, no exception."

"No, I've never heard that. I mean it is generally understood that a human wouldn't even bother to try and make friends with an Animula. However he made that a rule himself."

"Why?"

"To keep you at a distance."

"It didn't work." Neal smiled.

"No, but it does tell you his mind set. Don't expect him to change or to trust you overnight. If you two are going to make this work it is going to take time, you'll be breaking rules he's lived with his entire life."

"Don't worry, I'm good at breaking rules...I've been doing it my entire life."