Red's Love

Chapter 8

Liz's POV

I frowned as I looked at Red, in his mobile hospital room. I sighed "I'll make this quick, because I told myself I'm not gonna cry over losing you." Tears flowed down my face, I chuckled sadly 

"Apparently not quick enough." Elise smiled "Wow. You really are gonna miss him if he dies, are you?" I nod, wiping away tears. I excuse myself and call Ressler.

"Ress, please make the deal with Asa! I-I don't want Reddington to die!" Ressler sighed. Asa smirked "Sounds like your partner doesn't want to lose that clever crime lord friend of hers."

"Fine. You got yourself a deal."

....................................

Liz smiled "Cooper, you came."

"What do we know?"

"Asa Hightower gave us all the antidotes." Ressler nodded "It's been given to Reddington?"

Elise nodded "But last I checked, he's still critical."

"Do you think Hightower lied?" Liz's voice broke "I don't know." her eyes grew watery. Aram hugged her 

"You know, he's okay. I mean, he has to be okay."

Dr. Haverkamp approached the team and a very emotional Liz. "I want to caution you against unwarranted optimism, but Mr. Reddington is stable for the moment."

Liz nodded, her voice broke "Do you think he'll recover?"

"Too early to say. Uh, it'll be a while before we know the extent of the damage already done, but the antidote does seem to be taking effect." Cooper replied

"Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"Well, just that whoever poisoned Mr. Reddington knew his medical history - intimately. The toxins were uniquely designed to target his body chemistry." 

Liz bit her lip and nodded, her eyes still a little watery "Can we see him?"

"Well, he's just coming to. You should give him a few minutes."

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Red's POV

Baz nodded "Welcome back."

"Did you find Marvin?" Glen cleared his throat "Oh, yeah. I found the weasel."

I nod "Tell me what happened." Glen replied "I put the word out. We found him at Dulles. He was with this broad, the big girl. Bags packed, headed for the South Pacific."

I nodded "Thank you, Glen. And Dembe?" Baz and Glen didn't respond. I write down something on the edge of a medical record and rip the paper. I hand the slip of paper to Baz. "Have Marvin taken to that address."

Elise smiled "Hey, you're back. I gotta tell ya, your friend? Elizabeth? She went all to pieces, thinking you were gonna die." 

I nod "I expected as much from Lizzy. Hey, what's wrong?" Elise bit her lip "Well, if you didn't come to when you did, if you didn't get the antidote when you did, I think I would've gone to pieces too."

"We barely know each other, Elise."

"Well I feel like I've known you - for years."

-----

"It's the toxin lab. Yes? What? I don't under-" Cooper looked at Liz "What is it?"

"That can't be right. Are you sure?" Liz goes into the vinyl hospital room enclosure 

"Red, the result-" she saw an empty hospital bed. Red is gone.

........................

Marvin Gerard is tied to a chair, Red comes in the room. Marvin looks at him 

"Red, what the hell is this about?"

"Where's Dembe?"

"Dembe? How would I know? I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know what any of this is about."

Red nodded to Baz "Please wait outside." Red sits in a chair across from Marvin.

"Unfortunately, for this grand pantomime of innocence, I know a great deal about all of it. I know about the wine. I know about you hiring Isabella Stone. About Zack Smoll, Stratos and his wife. I know that you were one of the very few people who had access to that offshore account that financed the attacks against me. I know that's why you didn't come to dinner. The only thing I don't know is what you've done with Dembe."

"I didn't show up to dinner because Becky and I were on our way to a yoga retreat in Tahiti. It's a place we found when you sent us down there last year, remember?"

"Tell me where Dembe is." he aims his pistol at him

"Red, I swear to you. I don't know any what you're talking about." Red inhales sharply

"I shouldn't be surprised. We're criminals, after all. It's in our nature to betray."

"I didn't do whatever it is you think I did."

"Remember that wretched bit of business on the Malay Peninsula? I was positive I would rot alone in that holding cell in Surat Thani. Slowly eaten alive by mosquitoes to the constant refrain of body blows and screaming. 47 interminable days of near-constant rain. I couldn't be sure any of my messages had been dispatched. And then, on the 48th day, they swung the cell door wide open and handed me a package. Half a dozen tins of chilled Beluga caviar and a note. "Love, Marvin"  When I think of it - guards on two continents - the bribes alone must have cost you a fortune. I still cannot fathom how you managed to pull it off from inside a federal prison. But you had my undying gratitude, so when the opportunity arose, I facilitated your freedom."

"Exactly. Why would I betray you?"

"We'll get to why soon enough. But first, I need to know about Dembe."

"Jeez, Red. I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

Baz hands Red the phone "It's Elizabeth Keen. She says it's important."

"Elizabeth."

"The wine was clean. The toxin lab said there was nothing in it."

Red shakes his head "That's not possible. Check again."

"They said the poison had to have been administered by something with a higher alcohol content, like gin or-" Red widened his eyes "Scotch."

"Yes. Did you drink Scotch?"

"I did." he uncorked the bottle of Scotch and sniffs it. "But there were only two people who had access to the bottle. And I'm one of them."

"Who was the other?" Red inhales "No, it can't be."

Marvin looked at him "Raymond, are you okay?"

"Red, talk to me. Who poisoned you?" Red clicks the phone shut and speaks, sounding more desperate

"That can't be."