Chapter Twenty Two

Sitting up on the couch with his head back Neal jolted awake when someone gently knocked on the front door. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, he'd just sat down on the couch for a moment to collect his thoughts last night and now it was midmorning. He hadn't gotten much sleep over the past few days and last time he'd laid down he'd woken to unexpected violence. Looking over at Peter Neal cringed at the yellow and red stain that had soaked through his shirt. He had meant to change the bandaging last night, but he'd passed out before he could get it done.

Feeling guilty for letting the wounds soak through he hoped that Peter wouldn't blame him for allowing it to become a sticky mess. Neal had felt for a moment last night that he and Peter were actually finding common ground to stand on. He wasn't really surprised that Peter had pulled away and tried to redraw the line between them, but he still didn't fully understand why Peter was insisting on being treated as a possession rather than an equal. Neal didn't have time to think about it right now as the visitor at the door knocked again.

Assuming it was Mozzie Neal got up to answer the door rather than call out that it was unlocked and risk waking Peter. He had called Mozzie to apologize about ordering him away, but his petulant friend hadn't answered the phone. It was a mixed blessing, he didn't want to lose Mozzie's friendship, but he also hadn't really been in the mood to talk about what had happened. He knew that Mozzie wanted Peter gone, but he also felt that if he just spent some time with Peter that eventually he'd warm up to him.

As he got to the door Neal rubbed at his painful throat, the visible bruise was not going to help Mozzie's attitude, but there was nothing for it. Opening the door Neal was surprised to find the gray haired vet standing in the hall with his suitcase sitting on the floor behind him. Seeing Neal the vet quickly slipped a small thin leather case into his jacket pocket that looked suspiciously like a case used to hold a set of lock picks, but Neal couldn't be sure.

Taylor looked surprised to see Neal but he covered it quickly and smiled apologetically. Neal returned the expression, he had meant to let the vet know that Peter was still alive and have him come for a follow up visit, but he'd been distracted by the attack and it had slipped his mind.

"Doctor..."

"I'm sorry for just dropping by like this, Mr. Halden, but I didn't hear from you and I neglected to get your number. I feared that you might have lost mine."

"No, I have it, I meant to call you yesterday, but I...it's complicated. Never mind. I'm glad you're here."

"Is...uh...is everything okay?" Taylor asked nervously gesturing to Neal's throat. "Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine."

"What happened?"

"Peter and I had a little misunderstanding." Neal admitted.

"Peter did that?"

"It wasn't his fault." Neal said quickly. "Please don't report him, he's not dangerous."

"Don't worry, I'm not reporting anything to anyone."

Taylor's response made Neal suspect that Taylor would probably be in just as much trouble for having treated Peter in the first place if he went to any kind of authority. Mozzie had been the one to find Taylor so there was a good chance that the vet wasn't exactly a law abiding citizen. Neal had been so distraught with Peter's condition the first time that he had been grateful to have anyone's help. It hadn't occurred to him then that the vet might actually be a danger. After all Peter was living with him illegally, and the Market had large rewards for such information.

"I'm not a threat to you or Peter." Taylor assured knowingly. "I just want to help."

"Thank you."

"So...can I come in?"

Neal hadn't even realized that he was standing in the door way to block Taylor. He stepped to the side and invited the vet in. Bring his suitcase inside Taylor went directly to where Peter was passed out on the bed. It wasn't until the vet gingerly touched the stain on Peter's shirt that Neal realized that it must look like he wasn't caring for Peter very well. Peter's condition was so delicate that it didn't take much neglect for it to spiral out of control again.

"I'm so sorry about that, I've been doing my best to keep up with it, but I fell asleep on the job last night. I've been doing the antibiotics, I've never let the bandages get this ba..."

"Being a caretaker isn't an easy role," Taylor interrupted "and it doesn't look like you have a whole lot of help."

"I'm a bit of a loner."

Taylor didn't comment on the remark but he did turn and study Neal for a moment. Turning back to Peter Taylor touched the back of his hand against Peter's forehead. Even unconscious Peter flinched at the contact. Taylor carded his hand into Peter's hair in an attempt to wake him. He fluttered his eyes open slightly, but failed to actually join them in the waking world.

"Has his fever broken at all?"

"It comes and goes. I try to keep it down with cold water."

"That would offer him some comfort, but not fix the underlying cause. The antibiotic isn't strong enough, I'll have to add another one."

"I'm sorry...I should have called sooner."

Taylor looked back at Neal again. Neal could see that the vet was trying to figure him out, but he wasn't sure what conculsion the man was coming to. Peter hadn't been awake the last time the vet was here either, so the only word Taylor had to go by on the situation was Neal's. Going back to his work Taylor bent down and opened the suitcase and fished through it. Eventually he found what he was looking for and pulled out a small glass medicine bottle that held a clear liquid that he drew out with a syringe. Needle in hand Taylor continued to root through the case full of supplies.

"Damn it. I forgot my alcohol wipes at home."

"I have a whole box of them that you left with me last time."

"Can you get me one?"

"Of course."

Without thinking Neal turned to go to the kitchen table where he had the supplies set up. Taylor took the opening and sunk the syringe into the back of Neal's shoulder. There hadn't been any pain associated with the assault, but Neal knew instantly what the vet had done. Neal jerked away, but whatever Taylor had injected him with acted fast and he stumbled as he lost his balance. Taylor caught Neal before he fell and guided him over towards the couch like he was leading a drunk friend. Forcing his victim to lay down on the couch Taylor stood over him as Neal fought to stay awake.

"Wait..." Neal slurred. "Don't..."

Quickly losing the battle with the drugs Neal closed his eyes, fully expecting to be in police or more likely FBI custody when he woke. He wanted to try to bargain with Taylor, not just for himself, but to keep Peter from being sent back to the Market as well, however his tongue was too heavy in his mouth to work properly. Cursing himself for being so stupid and letting his guard down Neal prayed that Peter didn't end up paying the cost, there was a chance that Taylor saw this as a 'rescue'. Once Neal was out Taylor reached down and pressed his fingers against his throat to check his heart.

"I'm sorry, 'Nick', but I can't be too careful." Taylor apologized even though he knew Neal couldn't hear him. "I have to talk to Peter alone, he won't speak freely around his Master no matter how you've been treating him."

Taylor looked over his shoulder to where Peter was still lying asleep struggling against his fever with the infection still slowly leaking through the cloth of his shirt. Taylor had reservation to begin with leaving Peter here, but he hadn't had a choice. He was still willing to give Neal some benefit of the doubt. Taking care of someone who was as close to death as Peter was wasn't easy. The fact that Peter was still alive spoke to the idea that his Master had been at least trying to help him, but coldly saving a valuable asset from death wasn't the same thing as truly caring for him.

Neal had put on a good show last time of truly being concerned for his new and apparently unintentional acquisition, but there was only one way that Taylor could learn his true intentions. He wanted to believe he'd found one of the rare humans that actually saw Animula for who they really were, but he wasn't going to get his hopes up until he spoke with Peter. He already knew that the papers Neal had were fakes, very good fakes, but they showed that he wasn't a legitimate owner. The tattoo had to be a forgery as well, albeit and impressive one. Neal could have done that to Peter while he was passed out and then used the damning mark to blackmail the Animula into staying.

An Animula who 'allowed' an unregistered mark would be worthless to the Market. Neal could be using that as a threat to keep Peter quiet about the forgery, have an easy way to control him and dodge taxes all in one. He might even just be trying to get Peter healthy enough to sell off his organs himself, they could fetch a sizable sum on the black market. On the other hand Neal could have been telling the truth from the start, and that he just woke up after a night of drinking to find the Animula his responsibility. Peter might have agreed to the tattoo freely, knowing that he could take the chance at a life here, go back to an abusive owner, or be shipped back to the Market. It wasn't much of a choice, but if he'd at least been allowed to make it there was hope for his 'owner'. He had the feeling that Neal could be a powerful ally, assuming he wasn't just another part of the problem. Taylor looked down on the young con man, unsure of what to think.

"At the very least I hope for your sake that you've been treating him well. Peter might not be the type to want revenge...but I am."