The Shaggy C.I. - Part 2
It was a strange and curious purgatory he lay within as Neal continued to dream on and off of his life as Satchmo, the Burkes’ pet lab. It was a weird experience that helped to keep him from going insane while he was trapped within his own body. At times he went back to the hospital, hearing his friends talking to him or the doctors and nurses as they moved around him, checking his vitals and talking to him while they made him comfortable. He could say nothing, thinking all his unspoken replies. The darkness was suffocating, closing in on him at times so Neal waited for those dreams he had about the Burkes. In his fantasy world Peter was staying home with El during Neal’s time in the hospital. They worried over the young man, El trying to work from home as much as possible to keep Peter company and visit with Neal. He liked knowing they truly cared for him as he saw the world through Satchmo’s eyes. He could only guess that he was hearing them in the hospital speak of things at home and his mind had formed this fantasy from those small bits of conversation. Since the time of the accident and for what seemed like days after, Neal was attached to the Burkes through the head of one lucky mutt. For now he would deal, his mind becoming used to the oddness of his new view on his friend and partner. Neal had been resting one day, the darkness stifling when suddenly he heard Peter’s voice close by. Had he come to visit him in the hospital? The con tried to wake up, respond to his friend but instead felt a hand gently scratching behind his ears, his body responding to the act. It was a relaxing motion until his eyes slowly opened and he realized he was staring up at a tall yet familiar shelf. Neal blinked trying to figure out where this shelf was when he heard Peter speaking again. His eyes moved towards the voice of his friend and partner, mouth open in a happy panting motion.
“Satchmo seems to be doing better.”
There was a hesitation afterwards of the agent’s voice as Neal shifted slightly on the soft surface he lay on to get a better look at his friend. Peter as usual seemed bigger than he should be and Neal, he realized he was laying on the floor on Satchmo’s pillow which had been moved next to the sofa. He sighed, the sound coming out like a soft snort through Satchmo’s muzzle as Peter looked down at him curiously. He turned at the sound of footsteps coming closer and a familiar scent of perfume and something else that smelled rather good.
“Yes he is.”
She paused halfway, looking at them as if deep in thought as a look of concern crossed her face.
“You’re worried about Neal. Honey, the doctor told you he wouldn’t wake up right away.”
El’s voice piped in as she came around the corner from the kitchen in their home. She was wiping her hands on an apron tied around her waist as she moved closer to Peter and hugged him. They both seemed upset by his condition as they talked, Neal feeling her hand touch Satchmo’s head. She looked so much taller than he remembered as he stared up through Satchmo’s eyes with nothing but love. Neither of his friends looked quite the same as the con remembered, their colors muted by the dog’s eyes but vibrant with scents and sounds he wouldn’t know otherwise. Whatever hallucination this was, it was comforting to know he was with the Burkes. Neal didn’t understand why he was playing Satchmo but maybe it was some need he had to please Peter. He had been less than honest and what was more honest than a man’s dog? El scratched behind his ears, or Satchmo’s for that matter but it felt good even to Neal as he pushed his head into her fingers till his whole body seemed to relax. Being a dog wasn’t as bad as you’d think.
“I know... I just wonder why they haven’t found the driver or car yet? Something’s suspicious there. None of the cameras on that block were working so there’s no view of the car for us to even search for and conveniently no witnesses.”
Peter sounded frustrated, his hand combing his brown hair before he stood and paced to the back door and back, pausing as Elizabeth blocked him. She wrapped him in her arms a moment as Neal watched the tender moment, feeling like a third wheel. Satchmo didn’t seem to think much of it, chewing at his cast a bit before his attention moved aimlessly around the room despite Neal’s want to pay attention to his friends.
“He’ll be ok, Peter. Neal will come through. Not everything is a conspiracy. For all we know it was... really an accident. Besides, we need to think positive for Neal.”
Neal watched her kiss Peter before leading him towards the stairs.
“Let’s have a quiet lunch and relax. Wash up and afterwards we can go see Neal. Dr. Marrin said talking to him would help.”
He watched Peter nod from where he sat, a quiet thumping sound making him turn to see Satchmo’s tail wagging where his own butt would be. This dream was getting odder by the moment but it was better than just being trapped in his own body or the darkness. He watched Peter go upstairs while El went back to the kitchen. Neal eased himself up on all fours feeling a twinge of pain in his right arm / leg as he took a tentative step. He must have whimpered because El was out looking at him again with a motherly glance.
“Come on Satchmo, time for your afternoon snack.”
Neal felt a sense of happiness come over him that was more from Satchmo than himself. The dog didn’t like his medicine as far as he could sense but the con had finally convinced him the pain was worse than the smell or taste of the pill the dog kept trying to eat around. They had managed to deal with it for the past few days, this dream as real an experience as he could sense as the Burkes’ dog but still making him wonder at the reasoning behind it. Neal didn’t like the taste of the pill either but he had to convince Satch by acting like he did. He felt his tongue lolling out as he smelled something nasty to him but good to Satchmo. They were both learning about compromising as he ate the nasty concoction that was his meal and wished it were something a bit more to his taste like veal parmigiana. Oh well, it was food and his stomach felt so much better for it.
“Good boy, eat it all.”
El petted him on the head, Satchmo feeling content so he did too. Much as this was odd to him, Neal was getting used to the attention. If anything it was better than being back at the hospital in darkness. He could hear people and machines around him when he was back in his body. At least this fantasy with Satchmo made him feel he was alive and moving around. He ate the tasteless mash that was dog food and convinced Satchmo that the pill was necessary as they swallowed it up. He sensed only little things from the dog in the way of feelings and images. Sometimes he was only given a smell but it was enough to convey what the lab was thinking. He’d have to ask Mozzie about this dream once he was out of the coma.
“Here you go, Peter. Deviled ham sandwiches.”
Satchmo perked up, Neal getting a good look at the agent as he sat at the dining table a few feet away. He padded over, limping on his right arm / leg and looking up at the man he considered his friend. The man smiled down at him curiously, shaking his head firmly.
“Sorry Satch. No deviled ham for you. Doctor said it’s bad for your stomach.”
Peter spoke kindly before looking away and eating. Neal knew he didn’t like deviled ham but with Satchmo’s nose it smelled almost decent. After a few minutes of staring up at Peter, they padded back over to the pillow in the living room and lay down. Maybe it was the pain pill but his arm didn’t hurt much anymore as he felt the dog start to relax and slowly fall to sleep. Neal could hear the Burkes talking in the background about this and that before the sounds faded and the beeping of monitors replaced them. He heard someone moving around in the background with stealthy steps and then a low curse.
He’s alive. Yeah... but he’s in a coma. What do you want to do about it?
The voice was gruff and gravelly and not one he was familiar with. His gut told him something was wrong here.
Eric is watching the agent and his pretty wife. When do you want him to go in for the shot?
Silence again as the man grunted a reply and a beep indicated his call had ended. Neal was hoping this was just another dream but the sound of monitors beeping in the background made him think it wasn’t. This couldn’t be a doctor. The same staff had come in every day so he had learned to identify them each by the sounds they made, voices and sometimes in the case of female nurses, their perfume or the jingle of their jewelry. Maybe Satchmo was rubbing off on him.
You should be dead, pretty boy. Burke’s going to pay for closing down our business. You’ll just be the first casualty.
Neal didn’t know what to think of those words until he felt a hand on his mouth, nose pinched as he heard the machines start to alarm and beep wildly. The man was keeping him from breathing as he finally felt his hand twitch slightly, clenching at the sheets in reaction at his side, body shaking till there was a banging nearby like someone was knocking on a door.
Who’s in there? Hello? (Get a key for this room!)
They kept banging on the door as the hand reluctantly removed its grip on his nose and mouth and a voice whispered in his ear.
Next time, snitch.
He heard soft footsteps and a door open somewhere nearby before a click and then the sound of another door opening up. There was a rush of feet and voices around him. Hands gently felt his neck and wrist for a pulse, a blurry vision of someone over him as his eyes was opened briefly. Something flashed a light in them before the darkness returned and he could only just hear them.
Call Agent Burke. He wanted to be informed of Mr. Caffrey’s condition.
The sounds faded away and suddenly he found himself sitting up on the floor, ears alert as he looked around to see he was back at the Burke home. As Satchmo he pushed himself up to his feet and moved closer to the sofa where Peter was now taking a nap. Neal felt that the dog understood his worry, poking a wet cold nose into the hand of his sleeping owner. Peter woke up with a start.
“Satchmo... what’s the matter boy?”
He heard as well as felt the dog whine, the sound deep in his throat as Neal saw the agent wipe tiredly at his face and nod. It wasn’t a look ofconcern more than knowing but it didn’t seem to be about the same thing.
“Guess it’s time for your walk. Let me get your lead.”
Peter’s cell was suddenly ringing as he reached to grab it. Neal could just hear the voices on the other end. It was his doctor from the hospital. Satchmo perked up a bit more making it easier to hear as the agent nodded and his expression grew grim.
“Thank you doctor. We’ll be right there.”
The agent hung up the cell standing up as he moved into the kitchen looking for something. Satchmo followed, Neal watching through the dog’s eyes until he realized Peter was looking for El. When Neal thought about her, he had a sense of loss and realized the dog was telling him Elizabeth had gone out. He gave a little bark, Peter turning to look at him before giving a little shrug.
“She must have gone out. I’ll leave a note.”
Peter wrote a brief note, sticking it near the door before taking Satchmo out back. Neal didn’t enjoy that part of being a dog but once they were back inside Peter petted him gently on the head before he left out the front door. He could hear the sound of the door locking and then a slam of a car door before an engine roared to life. Neal moved over to the sofa and jumped on top as he tried to look out the window. Satchmo was letting him know they weren’t supposed to be on the sofa but Neal told him it was ok this once as he watched the blue Taurus disappear. Peter was going to check on Neal’s body in the hospital, he knew that much as he moved from the window and back onto the floor. This dream was beginning to feel way too real to the con but it was all he had to keep his mind from going insane while trapped in his current state.
So Satch... what now?
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 /
Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9