The door opened onto a dark spiral staircase twisting down into a cold basement. The two agents carefully made their way down the steps... at the bottom they faced a concrete wall fitted with a steel door. The key in Peter's hand turned the reluctant lock and the door slid open silently into a pitch-black room. He used his phone to light his path as he stepped inside...he managed four steps before the room flooded with light to Diana's triumphant exclamation.

"Neal!" Peter stared in shock for moment staring at his friend as the younger man lifted his face from his arms... they found him... alive. They weren't to late. The kid was harshly exposed, horribly thin and pale but...

"Found a light sw-" Diana's voice cut off as she stepped through the entrance and spotted the huddled figure in the corner. Peter was already crossing the room at a run. The naked body didn't flinch at all as Peter reached him. Dull blue eyes flicked over his face but then drifted away.

"Neal... Look at me" he whispered but the younger man's gaze avoided his resolutely. "Please" he lay his hand on his friend's arm. He barely had time to note the warmth of that slender arm before Neal wrenched it away with a hoarse inarticulate cry. Neal scrambled away frantically.

"You're REAL!" Neal gasped "you can't be real! You can't be here! Leave me alone, Peter, please go back where you came from! Please!" his voice cracked desperately as his breath grew faster and faster and the last of the color faded from his face.

"It's ok Neal you're safe..."Peter kept his distance "I'm here to help you." The kid was hyperventilating.

"Please Peter!... please!... you can't ...help me! ...you have to... you shouldn't be... here Please!" tears ran down his face and terror twisted his face until his eyes rolled back and his trembling body collapsed. Peter caught him, frightened the fear had been to much for the younger man. Fever heat rose from the grey skin and his breath sounded wet and congested, but he was warm and breathing and that was...

"It's going to be ok kid..." He held his friend close "It's going to work out you'll see."

The ride to t hospital had been a blur, assaulted by colliding images from months ago and today. Breathless declarations of gratitude mixed with terror filled eyes and pleas ... Peter had a sinking feeling that while the haunting images from the last time might finally leave him alone, they would be replaced by the desperate fear from today. To think that Neal was terrified of him... Peter was afraid to find out why they kid would fear him.

Now sitting in the waiting room, he closed his eyes and hoped the news would be much better than last time. They could find a way through the fear and hurt eventually as long as Neal could physically recover.

"Agent Burke" the voice calling his name snapped him to attention.

"That's me." he stood anxiously studying the young woman at the door.

"I'm Dr Winston." She smiled gently at him "I've been in charge of Mr. Caffrey's care here in the ER. I understand you are waiting for an update."

"Yes!" he swallowed nervously "Yes I am."

"Before we begin... have you been unable to contact the patient's family?"

"Neal... doesn't have any family to speak of... some of his friends will be here soon."

"I see..." she glanced at the file with a small frown. "Well then ... I'll remind you that while his condition is stable, he will not be up for any questioning for some time."

"I understand. I'm not here as an investigator... He's... He's my friend." Peter steadied himself with the knowledge the Neal was doing as well as could be expected. "He was ... taken several months ago... we were led to believe... it doesn't matter. I'm here as his friend. I was his medical contact... before he went missing."

"Oh" she frowned again then met his eyes. "In that case... he has two broken ribs. They have begun to heal; I'd estimate the injury approximately a week ago... which likely resulted in the fairly mild case of pneumonia he is fighting. His chest, back and left forearm were bizarrely enough covered with theatrical latex and makeup. Once that was removed, we found a number of lacerations and contusions in various stages of healing... x-rays show several older fractures in various stages of remodeling... as well as some scaring on his chest and back." she paused and gave him an assessing look " He is seriously malnourished and moderately dehydrated. " Again, she hesitated... "We are not certain but sexual assault could not be ruled out by our examination... there was some... irritation but no tearing."

"I see..." Peter couldn't meet her eyes for a moment. "Can he have visitors?"

"That can be arranged shortly" she nodded " Once we have him settled in a room. He is responding well to the fever reducers... his temp is down from 102.8 to 101.2, and we have given him a sedative, but he is still very anxious, and the ER seems to be an overstimulating environment for him... Has he been known to overuse drugs in the past?"

"Never."

"That is interesting... he seems to have developed a very high tolerance for sedatives and as i said he is very frightened. So, I'm not sure when he'll be ready to see anyone."

"Right..." Peter rubbed his hand over his face remembering the panic attack at the sight of him "It's just that we were led to believe he was dead... and some of his friends will need to see him to..."

"I understand and visitors will be allowed but perhaps no more than 1 or 2 at a time to avoid overwhelming him."

"Thanks"

"Physically he should make a full recovery... Emotionally... well it appears there is a great deal of trauma..."

"Yeah." he gave her a grim nod "But the kid's tougher than he looks."

Elizabeth opened the door and froze for a moment. Agent Berrigan stood on her porch looking... grim.

"What's wrong?" her anxiety ratcheted up a notch as the tough agent hesitated.

"The boss is... well he's not hurt" she stated quickly "I can't say he's ok, but he's not hurt."

"What happened?" Elizabeth was already gathering her coat.

"I don't think he discussed our recent investigation with you... he wanted to spare you if things ... turned out not to be the outcome we hoped for."

"Diana-" She frowned. Peter rarely hid things from her "What investigation?"

"We started picking up forgeries a few months ago... forgeries that reminded all of us a lot of Caffrey's work... one thing led to another and well we started to suspect that he... Neal might still be alive..."

"I went to his funeral Diana."

"Me too." she hesitated again "but when we had the coffin exhumed there was a wax figure... it's a long story..."

"So, you think he faked his death-" She shuttered, anger building in her heart "Why would he do that to us?" Elizabeth had every intention of giving him a piece of her mind if they ever found the man. She glanced at the agent before her. Diana looked away and took a deep breath.

"He wasn't given a choice."

"What do you mean?" her anger floundered.

"He's been a prisoner... all this time..." She studied her feet before looking up "we found him today."

"Alive?"

"Yes but... he hasn't had an easy time of it..." The agent met her eyes solemnly "They are at the hospital now... I think the boss needs you up there."

"How bad is it?"

"I honestly don't know but... Peter has been pushing himself so hard to find him and..."

"Right" Elizabeth turned to lock the door "Then let's go."