The Watcher

by: HardyGirls

Disclaimer: They're not mine but it's nice to dream…

Chapter Four

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Authors Note: Once again thank you so much for the lovely reviews, they are so very much appreciated and I'm just thrilled you like it.

Fenton watched Frank come-to slowly. His eyes fluttered a little and then he stopped; falling back into sleep again. He was so still and pale, Fenton couldn't help but watch the measured rise and fall of his chest just to assure himself that he was still with them. The emergency room doctor appeared and with a nod to Fenton checked Frank's vital signs. Frank flinched a little at the light that was shone into his eyes making the doctor nod.

"How is he?" Fenton asked.

"He's doing much better Mr. Hardy, he's stable and I think he's pretty much over the worst of it. We've got his temperature back to normal and given what we've seen with Joe the poison in his system is breaking down now. Thankfully neither of your sons has had a lethal dose."

Frank murmured and both men turned to him. His eyes opened to slits and closed slowly, his body still once again.

"He's going to do that for a while but he's close to waking fully; his body hasn't just been poisoned, he was pretty exhausted as well when he collapsed." The doctor smiled encouragingly at Fenton.

Fenton bit his lip and nodded, unable to return the smile for the moment. He kept replaying in his head the sight of Frank calling out to him and then crumpling to the floor. He took a deep breath and forced himself back to the here and now. "What about his other injuries?"

The doctor nodded. "You're son obviously has a high pain threshold. He's got several bruised ribs and from the examinations we've done he's got a severe abdominal strain and bruising. It's not life threatening but it must have been giving him some serious grief over the past few days."

Fenton nodded. "Oh yeah, it's not the first time, and with Joe so ill… this is why he wouldn't stop…" his voice trailed off as Frank twitched in his sleep. "My sons have a unique relationship." He continued when Frank once again settled. "I've never known two brothers or siblings of any kind actually, to be as close as my sons are."

"You must be very proud of them both."

Fenton shook his head. "You have no idea…"

The doctor finished annotating Frank's chart and moved on to his other patients.

Fenton watched him go and then turned back to be greeted by a pair of sleepy brown eyes blinking at him.

"Hey son, welcome back." Fenton smiled warmly and took Frank's hand in his.

Frank coughed lightly then grimaced, his other hand rising sluggishly to his chest. "What happened?" he slurred. "Why am I in ..." he started to take more notice of his surroundings.

"Sh… everything's fine, you collapsed in Joe's room but you're getting better now…" Fenton regretted the reference to Joe; he already knew what the next question would be by heart.

"S'Joe alright?"

Fenton smiled his most encouraging smile. "He's going to be fine, just like you are... you need to rest some more."

Frank sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Feel sick… tell me… I can remember feeling hot…"

Fenton looked around and caught the eye of a nurse and nodded to her. Frank's doctor was back by his bedside almost immediately.

"Hello there, so you've decided to join us in the land of the living for a while longer..." he said quietly, once again checking the young mans vitals. "How are you feeling?"

"He just said he was feeling sick." Fenton told him.

The doctor nodded, and picked up Frank's chart. "Now that's something I can fix, I'll have the nurse bring you something to add to your IV for the nausea. You might feel like that for a little while yet." The doctor asked Frank a few more questions and when he was satisfied everything was progressing well left father and son to talk, with the strict warning of "not too long, he needs more sleep."

Fenton sighed and against his better judgment filled Frank in on what had happened to him.

After he'd finished Frank was silent, blinking a little as his eyes continued to adjust to being awake.

"Did you see th'card? … I put it in my pocket right before I passed out." Frank asked.

"I've taken care of it already; both the note from home and the card in your pocket have been handed over to the police. Chief Collig is looking after the case personally." Fenton assured him quickly.

Frank nodded, his eyes closing again.

"Get some rest son, you'll feel better next time you wake."

-00-

Callie Shaw approached the emergency department with butterflies the size of elephants in her stomach. She didn't think she could be any further shocked than she'd been when Joe had been beaten to within an inch of his life, but now she once again felt the cold band of dread squeezing her every breath. Chet had called her as soon as it was clear what had happened to Frank. She was still trying to think positively but she'd already seen how Joe had suffered. She willed her mind away from her fears and taking a deep breath entered the waiting area.

Chet Morton sat staring into space and for a moment Callie's arrival didn't register with him. She came and sat beside him wordlessly. He quickly reached out his arm around her and hugged her.

"He's holding his own Cal, they think he's through the worst of it and he's going to be fine." Chet tried to consol her.

"Oh Chet! I just don't understand!" her pent up grief unable to be controlled any longer. It was the hug that did it. Until then she'd been able to maintain some semblance of keeping it all together. Chet was like a brother to her and his warm embrace melted what little resolve she had left.

"I know… Mr. Hardy's been talking to the police while Frank's been asleep. They've taken the flowers from Joe's room for analysis. Joe had been trying to tell Frank something about them and Frank was too when he …, well, when he got sick. Anyway, they've doubled the guard on Joe's door and unless you're on the list you don't get in to see him. The policeman that was up there feels terrible for actually taking the flowers from the delivery guy into Joe."

Callie wiped her eyes with a proffered hanky from Chet. "So is the policeman ok?" She asked.

"Um… I think so, just feels really bad about Joe and all… and now Frank… well… he thought he was doing the right thing by keeping people out, he didn't think he'd have to be interrogating flowers too." Chet's tiny attempt at humor worked and he was rewarded with a smile from Callie.

"It's just weird though, Joe and now Frank; nobody else who came near the flowers got sick?" She asked him.

Chet thought for a moment. "I know what you mean; it's got Mr. Hardy worried as well." He realized as soon as he'd said Fenton Hardy was worried that all his attempts to lift Callie's spirits had been for naught. "Oh, Callie I didn't mean…"

She closed her eyes and tried to smile a little for him. "I know what you mean… of course Mr. Hardy is beside himself with worry."

Chet nodded, relieved at her fortitude. "They took Frank and Joe's blood away too – for analysis. The hospital knows that it is poison, but they don't know what kind really. They said it might be a combination of more than one. Either way, they've managed to combat all the symptoms and keep them both stable so that's the main thing." Chet stretched his neck, grimacing at the crick that had started to form. It had been some time that he'd been sitting in the one place and right about now his stomach was starting to make itself be known and demand food. "Say, now that you're here I might just slip to the canteen and grab something to eat… if you don't mind that is?"

Callie Shaw was familiar with Chet's appetite but suppressed her desire to smile. "No, I'll be fine, you go though… I'll be right here waiting for news." Callie unwrapped herself from his warm embrace and prodded him to go.

"Thanks Cal, I won't be long." With a quick look towards the emergency room doors he headed off on his quest.

Callie sat with her arms wrapped around herself. It'd been a long day and now with evening approaching she felt weary. She couldn't remember a time she didn't know Frank and Joe and Chet. Their circle included other close friends too but Callie had always been drawn to the Hardy brothers; in particular Frank. She thought about his deep brown eyes and ready smile. He had an infectious laugh, not more apparent than when he was teasing Joe. She thought back to the last time she and Frank had been out on a date together and for a moment lost herself in her memories.

The whoosh of the door opening broke her reverie and she looked up expectantly. Chet was back with two steaming cups and a bag with sandwiches.

"I got you a hot chocolate just in case… and a sandwich too." He said setting the cups down on the table beside her.

"Who's with Joe?" Callie asked sipping her drink as Chet un-wrapped a sandwich.

"He's sleeping; the doctors have said no visitors for the moment. Mr. Hardy has police protection guarding the door and the nurse told me she'd come find one of us as soon as Joe woke and could have visitors.

"I haven't seen him since I left this morning; I thought he was on the mend." Callie mulled.

"Hmm... I think everyone did until the whole poison thing. Still, I can't understand how it was only Joe then Frank? There were heaps of other people in the room, even Mr. Hardy, so why are they the only two?"

"Hopefully their blood samples will give the police the answer…" the two friends sat and sipped their drinks in silence.

-00-

Hours later, Callie and Chet were jolted by the sound of the emergency room door opening.

Fenton Hardy smiled at the two friends and before either one could speak raised his hands to silence them.

"He's going to be fine; he's over the worst of it and woke up a little while ago."

Chet slumped back in his chair his eyes closed. "Oh thank goodness!" he exclaimed.

Callie was on her feet and grabbing for Fenton's hands, her face searching his trying to reassure herself that he'd really said what she'd hoped for. "He's going to be fine Callie, really fine." He could see the tears welling in her eyes and reached out to draw her into a hug.

"He's sleeping now, they're going to keep him down here for a while longer where they can monitor him and if all goes well he might even come home tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? That soon?" Chet squeaked. "But he was poisoned…?"

"I know, but as far they can tell Frank wasn't exposed to as much as Joe was; he's improving better than they'd hoped." Fenton reassured him.

Callie shook her head in disbelief. "I really thought I'd be visiting two of them in intensive care."

"Well thank goodness that's not the case." Chet told her. "Mr. Hardy have you had any news from the police?"

"Chief Collig has left me a message so I'm heading off to telephone him now. Why don't you two head home too, I really appreciate you coming but you need some sleep too; Frank and Joe both are." Fenton told the pair. He expected they'd planned on camping out like they always did when one of them was in the hospital but he could see the toll that the last few days had taken on them. There was nothing to be gained by staying.

Chet wasn't going to be put off that easily. "Yes, but what about if …" his voice trailed off as two more people entered the waiting room and sat down. He lowered his voice. "What about if you-know-who tries something?" he hissed.

Fenton nodded gravely and lowered his own voice. "I agree, but that's what those two gentlemen are here for." Chet's eyes opened wide; he couldn't help but look over at the two men sitting very close, he realized now, to the emergency room door. They nodded to him, having already recognized Fenton Hardy and turned their attention back to their magazines.

"They're in good hands, c'mon, you two need to get some rest. I'll call you the minute I hear anything." Fenton told the pair as he started to usher them out.

-00-

By most standards Fenton Hardy was a practical man and not one prone to bouts of paranoia without good reason. That night however he couldn't get rid of the feeling he was being watched. As he drove along the nearly deserted streets of Bayport he was constantly scanning for anyone that might be following him. A couple of times he was sure he was being followed but at the last minute the vehicle in question would turn off at an intersection leaving the mature detective feeling annoyed with himself for being so jumpy.

The trip home was uneventful but the feeling persisted until he was safely locked inside his family's home.

Gertrude had stayed up and this time Fenton was glad of the company, not to mention the fine supper she'd prepared. To her nephews, Gertrude might just be their aging Aunt with strong views and an even stronger grip on their collars when she needed to but to Fenton this was his older sister. What his sons didn't really get was that Fenton and Gertrude had been good friends just as Frank and Joe were. The only difference was Gertrude hadn't followed Fenton in his calling. She was however always there when he needed her, and given some of the hair-raising cases he'd been involved with it was testament to her strength of character that she was always completely in control no matter what was thrown at her.

Before sitting down to eat Fenton called the station and was immediately put through to Chief Collig.

"Fenton! How're the boys doing?" the Chief asked quickly.

"Better thanks, they're going to be fine. We're grateful too for the officers at the hospital. It means I can leave without worrying about that part of it." Fenton told him.

Ezra Collig assured him no thanks were required. He like many of the officers at the Bayport Police Station had taken a shine to the two young detectives and was more than happy to help when needed.

"I've got to tell you though Fenton, you and your boys have got to watch your step. This isn't good news."

"What have you found out?" Fenton gripped the receiver tightly.

"Firstly, you can rule out the flowers. It wasn't them. The card however that came with them was laced with something pretty nasty. There's no question how they were poisoned; it was through contact with that card. The envelope itself is fine though."

Fenton had been standing beside his desk but moved now to sit down. "That's why none of the hospital staff have been affected."

Fenton thought back to the staff statements that had been taken; when the flowers had been delivered an unsuspecting Nurse had un-pinned the card from the display to let Joe read it. She'd thought it might cheer him up.

"We've told the hospital, they're checking on the nurse that handled Frank's clothes to get the card. Apparently she went off shift not long after." Ezra continued.

"What about the notes?" Fenton asked.

"Nothing, no prints, and before you ask the typewriter that's been used fits the most common brand there is; just about every office in Bayport has one."

Fenton was silent for a moment. Then he remembered Frank's conundrum. Can you re-check that roll of film from Joe's camera; Joe told Frank he had definitely taken a full roll. It doesn't make sense that your people say it was a new roll."

"Already done Fenton, it was new alright; I'd say he's forgotten to wind on the new roll before he started taking photos." Ezra Collig told him apologetically.

Fenton shook his head but didn't push the point. He wasn't even sure if it was a point to push. "This guy's good at covering his tracks I'll give him that."

"He's also someone I wish your boys had never met. Fenton, we've seen this sort of note before. Problem is up until now the note has always been attached to a dead body."

Fenton's stomach lurched. The two men discussed the clues, or rather the lack of clues a little longer before ending their call. Gertrude had come to the door to lift an eyebrow at her younger brother. Fenton plastered on the best amiable face he could and followed her to the table. Suddenly he really wasn't that hungry anymore.

Gertrude poked and prodded through supper resulting in Fenton finally deciding to tell her the complete truth. He'd half expected her to be as frantic as she was when Joe was first found but it was not the case. In stark contrast she sat silently, absorbing the disturbing information before asking calm questions. The two discussed the recent events until neither could keep their eyes open any longer. With supper cleared away Fenton gave his sister a kiss on the forehead and headed for his bedroom.

On opening the door he smiled at the neatly turned down blankets and made a mental note to tell Gertrude she shouldn't wear herself out spoiling him. His smile fell though when he saw the small white card lying on his pillow. He stood frozen to the spot, the sound of his thumping heart crashing in his ears. He forced himself forward to read the neatly typed lines.

"And to all a good night…"

All of a sudden his paranoia didn't seem so far fetched.

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To be continued.