Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the canon book characters, and am making no monies from this story. Any Original Characters belong to the author(s).
This story was originally written in the early 2000s. There are many technological differences from today's world. Co-written with RokiaHDA, who wrote back then under the name of Aspen.
Many thanks to Cherylann, BMSH and Max2013 for the support and feedback.
September Reprise
By EvergreenDreamweaver and RokiaHDA
Chapter 4
"Wonder how Frank's getting along?" Joe opened the front door to his home and ushered Vanessa inside. The two carried their books and bags into the family room, where Vanessa dropped hers on the floor near the couch, while Joe tossed his on one of the recliners. "Hey, Mom? "
There was no answer; evidently Laura was out. Joe walked into the kitchen, just to make sure, but found no one there. Joe glanced around; there didn't seem to be any dinner preparations underway, so he rummaged in the refrigerator for something to eat for himself and Vanessa. As he emerged clutching apples and a plastic sack of grapes, his girlfriend entered the room.
"I hope half of that stash is for me; I'm starving!" Vanessa exclaimed, taking the grapes. "Mom went to New York for a meeting this morning, and she won't be back until late tonight, if then. I'm on my own for dinner; this will tide me over, I hope."
"I'd offer to have you eat here, but I'm not sure there's any dinner to be had!" Joe said, gesturing at the empty stove and countertops. "I don't know where Mom went, but…"
"Don't be silly, I wasn't trying to wangle a dinner invitation!" Vanessa laughed. "And in any case, we could always grab a pizza. What time was Frank supposed to be back?"
"Not sure." Joe crunched his apple, and spoke with his mouth full. "'pends on what all Jack wants 'm to try doing, I guess." He swallowed, and took another huge bite, then reached for the grapes. "Hey, you – share!"
They had just finished off the fruit, and Joe had resumed his foraging, when the telephone rang.
"Maybe that's Mom – or Frank," Joe commented, and reached for the phone. "Hardy residence…"
Vanessa, watching him, saw Joe's face suddenly sober. "No, he's not here – this is his brother; can I take a message?….WHAT? When? Is she badly hurt…?"
Vanessa stared at him in fright. Laura? Had something happened to Laura? Frantically, she tapped Joe's arm, and mouthed Your mom? He shook his head, still listening intently to the voice on the telephone.
"Okay – yes, I'll leave him a message, but tell her that Joe and Vanessa are coming, okay? Will you do that? Thanks!" Joe punched buttons to end the call and start another. After a few seconds, he began speaking, obviously leaving a voicemail message. "Frank, it's Joe. Call me on my cell ASAP. Thanks."
"What is it? What's happened?" Vanessa demanded, as Joe hung up again.
"Come on, we need to get to the emergency room," Joe commanded her tersely, hastily scribbling a note for Laura. "Megan's been in a car accident."
#####
Fifteen minutes later, Joe and Vanessa hurried through the automatic sliding glass doors of the emergency entrance to Bayport General Hospital, clutching each other's hands. They strode up to the information desk, and anxiously demanded to know about Megan Wright.
"She's being treated right now," they were told. "Are you the one I talked to a little while ago?" the information clerk asked Joe, who nodded. "I gave your message to one of the nurses; she said she'd tell her."
"What are her injuries? Will she have to be admitted to the hospital?" Vanessa demanded.
"No, I don't believe so," came the reply. "She was conscious when the ambulance got here, and her injuries didn't look too severe. But the doctor can tell you more than I can. Just have a seat, and I'm sure he'll be out as soon as he can."
Still holding onto each other for mutual reassurance, Joe and Vanessa sat down to wait. It seemed like hours, but in reality, only about 15 minutes passed before a slim, brown-haired man in light green scrubs came into the waiting area and asked if anyone was there for Megan Wright.
"Here!" Joe raised his hand, and then stood up.
"I'm Doctor Schaffer," the physician said, shaking Joe's hand. "And you are…?"
"Joe Hardy," Joe replied. "Megan is my brother's girlfriend. How is she?"
"Was she badly hurt?" Vanessa chimed in anxiously.
"Not really," the physician assured them. "Bruised and banged around some – most of the damage was to her face."
"Her face…." Vanessa breathed, and Joe felt a cold chill traverse his backbone.
"Facial lacerations, broken nose, some neck strain from the impact, part of a front tooth broken off, her mouth was cut…" Dr. Schaffer enumerated, then added hastily: "all very mendable, they'll heal as good as new – however, she's going to be uncomfortable for awhile. In fact—" he broke off, looking somewhat uncomfortable himself. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Miss Wright can be released – but she said her mother isn't home. The next number she gave us to contact was yours, Mr. Hardy."
"Yes – that's fine; that makes sense." Joe was confused. "What's the problem?"
"Miss Wright now seems to be reluctant to see anyone…" The doctor frowned, hesitating. "She was all right when she was first admitted, but after we patched her up, she took a look in the mirror….She became quite upset," he concluded. "I'm not quite sure she's ready to leave."
Vanessa and Joe exchanged troubled glances. "Uh-oh," Vanessa murmured. "Joe, let me go see her. Is that all right?" she inquired of Dr. Schaffer.
He nodded, and turned towards the swinging doors leading to the treatment areas. "Come along."
Vanessa followed him down the hallway lined with curtained cubicles, some open and empty; others with the curtains drawn, apparently occupied. Dr. Schaffer paused before one, and silently drew the drape back enough for Vanessa to enter. He let it fall behind her, and departed.
Megan was sitting on an examining table, her back to the entrance. Vanessa could see the slumped shoulders quivering, and hear soft, shuddering sobs as the little redhead huddled there in forlorn misery.
"Megan—" Vanessa moved swiftly towards her friend.
Megan jerked upright, and turned towards the sound, startled. Vanessa took in the sight of her face, and drew in a sharp breath. Oh, Megan, sweetie….!
Wide strips of adhesive tape crossed the tip-tilted nose. A gauze bandage encircled Megan's head, holding a square patch of gauze which evidently covered sutures in the center of her forehead. The soft lips which usually curved into such sweet smiles were now swollen and bloodied with cuts and tooth punctures. And when Megan gasped "NO!", Vanessa could see the jagged edge of a broken front incisor. Tears slid down her cheeks in a constant stream, and her exquisite turquoise eyes were already beginning to swell.
"Vanessa…g-go away…" The words came thick and slurred through the abraded lips. Megan raised her hands, trying to cover her face. "D-don't look…."
"Oh, honey!" Vanessa wrapped her arms about the smaller girl and held her tightly. "Megan, it's all right – it's all right," she crooned, hugging hard, rocking her gently. "It's okay…."
"No – not okay," Megan whimpered brokenly. "H-horrible."
"We're trying to get hold of Frank, he'll be here soon," Vanessa said, hoping to comfort her friend. She was startled when Megan stiffened in her embrace.
"NO! NO! C-Can't see Frank!" she cried. "He can't – see m-me!" The silently streaming tears were now interspersed with sobs.
"Honey, why ever not? He'll want to be here for you—"
"No…n-not…p-pretty…anymore," Megan shuddered. "H-he won't…l-like me anymore." Giving way to her despair, she put her head on Vanessa's shoulder and sobbed helplessly…hopelessly. "G-guys like – p-pretty girls," she wailed. "N-not…f-freaks!"
Oh no….. Vanessa thought frantically while continuing to rock and croon comforting words. She can't really believe that, can she? Can she? Thinking about it, Vanessa could see the logic in Megan's words. But not Frank – he wouldn't be like that – surely not!
"Megan, Frank loves you; that's not going to change because you got hurt – and all this is temporary, honey; you'll be back to normal in no time….Don't cry, you'll make your nose stuffy, and it will be harder to breathe…."
"N-never…b-be the s-same….I – I…l-look l-like a…a WITCH!" came the miserable reply. "He'd – he'd take one l-look…and – and—" The sobs increased in intensity.
The drape was drawn back, and Dr. Schaffer entered the cubicle, holding what appeared to be prescription papers. His eyes were concerned as he beheld the distraught Megan, and he spoke to Vanessa over her head.
"I've prescribed some pain medication, and something to help her sleep tonight. You'll make sure the prescriptions are filled, and she takes them?"
The blonde girl nodded, and accepted the slips of paper. "Yes."
"Megan…" The physician waited until the little redhead lifted her head and looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "You can go, whenever you feel like it. Take the pills as prescribed, and keep ice packs on anything that hurts. Don't blow your nose, if you can help it. I suggest you contact your dentist tomorrow to see about having that tooth repaired. The stitches in your forehead should come out in a week – you can either come back here, or go to your regular doctor to have that done. Understand?"
She nodded mutely, then managed a choked "thank you."
"That's what I'm here for." Dr. Schaffer smiled at her, and patted her shoulder gently. "Just take it easy for a few days, and let people take care of you. You're probably going to be extremely stiff and sore tomorrow – well, for the next several days, actually. If your neck starts bothering you too much, beyond what can be controlled by the medication, have someone check you over again." He included Vanessa in his smile, and then departed. Megan dropped her head back to Vanessa's shoulder.
"Don't want…to be a bother…." The desolate murmur tore at Vanessa's heart.
"Don't be silly!" She shook Megan slightly. "You're not a bother; Joe and I love you, and want to take care of you. And so will Frank. Now, I'm going to run to the pharmacy here in the hospital and get these filled, and then we'll go – would you rather go home to my house, or have me go home with you, and stay?"
A slight shrug was all the answer she received.
"Darling, please – things will be all right, you'll see!" Vanessa hugged her friend again. "I'll be back in just a little bit."
Vanessa hurried back to the waiting area, where she found Joe in intense conversation on his cell phone, evidently talking to someone about Megan's car, from what she could gather. When he spotted his girlfriend, he quickly concluded the conversation.
"Well?" he demanded. "How's Megan?"
"Upset." Vanessa stared at him, troubled. She wasn't sure exactly how to explain this. "She – her face got banged up. Airbag, maybe? Her nose was broken, anyway."
Joe nodded impatiently, waiting for details.
"Joe, she's crying so hard – she doesn't want to let anyone see her – and she thinks Frank won't like her any more because she – because she's not pretty now," Vanessa finished in a rush.
Joe stared at her incredulously. "Van, that's crazy!" he expostulated. "Frank's gonna go out of his mind when he hears about this, and he'll want to be with her night and day! And he's not going to care if her face is banged up!"
"I know that – but think about it, Joe, Megan's got a point." Vanessa stared at him challengingly. "Guys like pretty girls – and right now, she doesn't look very pretty. Answer me this: would you have been attracted to me, when we first met, if I'd been short and chunky, with stringy hair and an overbite? Would Frank have been attracted to Megan?"
"Van, that's unfair." Joe flushed, and didn't answer the question.
"Unfair or not, it's true." Vanessa scowled. "I'm going to get these prescriptions filled, and then I'll be back, and we can take Megan home. I'd thought about taking her to my house, but she'll feel better at her own home. I'll just plan on staying there with her." She turned to go.
Joe's hand shot out to catch her arm. "Do you think it might help if I talked to her?" he asked.
"I don't know, Joe – maybe. Maybe not."
Left alone, Joe didn't hesitate more than a few seconds. He walked into the treatment area, and began hunting for his brother's girlfriend. When he found the right cubicle, he paused briefly, surveying the scene.
Megan was still sitting on the examination table, turned partially away from the doorway. She was huddled in on herself, apparently studying the clasped hands lying in her lap, and Joe could hear her quivering breaths and sniffles; he couldn't recall ever seeing warm, loving, effervescent Megan in such abject misery. He stepped into the cubicle and pulled the drape shut behind him.
"Red…"
She jumped violently, and gasped in horror. Her hands flew to cover her face. "Go away, Joe!" she cried. "Go away—I don't want—"
Joe didn't give her time to complete the protest. He simply walked over to the table and gathered her close in his arms, hugging her gently. "You poor kid," he murmured, rubbing her back soothingly. "It's okay, Red, it's okay…."
"Never be – okay," she whispered, and began to cry again. "I look – look awful. Frank will be…will be horri-horrified. And…I'm…you can't call me 'kid.' I'm…older than you are…." For a moment, she sounded a little more normal; then her tears increased again, one sharp sob following another in rapid succession.
"Easy, Red – easy," Joe soothed. "Don't cry so hard, please? It'll make you feel worse, getting so upset…." He felt her shudder, and tightened his grip a little. After a moment or two, he spoke again. "Megan, let me see. Please?" Very gently, Joe touched the girl's face, lifting it into view. She tried to resist, but Joe, although gentle, was inexorable; she finally gave in and faced him, closing her tear-filled eyes so she didn't have to see his reaction.
Surveying Megan carefully, Joe winced in sympathy for her. Broken nose…ouch, that'll give her two black eyes in a day or two…cuts…broken tooth. But essentially she was all right, he knew that much. He pulled her head against his shoulder again, and resumed his comforting pats.
"You see…?" She gulped, hard. "Men want…beautiful girls – not something like this!" Another tremor shook her.
"Baby—" Joe paused. Although the endearment came naturally, it was Frank's pet name for Megan. Joe didn't feel he could encroach quite that much. "Red," he began again, "listen to me, okay? Are you listening?"
After a long moment, she nodded slowly against his chest.
"When Frank was hurt in Nevada, his face was banged up, wasn't it? He had cuts, and bruises and was all scraped up? And so was I, right?" Joe waited for the response. Finally it came, another slow nod. "Did that make you stop loving him? Did it make Van stop loving me?"
"No." The word was barely audible.
"But you think Frank would stop loving you because of this? Do you really think he's that shallow? That doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?"
After a long silence, she whispered, "You forget, Joe…"
He frowned in puzzlement. "Forget what?"
"I'm…the one…who caught him on…the rebound," she choked out. "He'd never have started dating me otherwise."
"On the—" Joe sighed and shook his head in despair. "What's that have to do with it?" he demanded.
"It makes…a difference."
"You didn't 'catch him on the rebound,' Red; you saved him from a broken heart. And I say again, you think he's so shallow that he'd stop loving you because of this?"
Another long silence. And then she muttered, "Double standard for men and women, Joe."
He winced again at the inescapable logic of her words. "It won't matter to Frank. All he's going to want to do is hold you, and comfort you, and make things all right again."
She shivered. "I can't let him see me, Joe. I don't…don't want to look at his eyes…and see pity – and revulsion." The words came slowly, slurring through the battered lips.
"You won't see anything like that, and if you use your head – or better yet, use your heart – you'll know it. The guy loves you, Megan. He'd love you if you'd been chopped into little chunks." He waited, but she remained silent. "All this is going to heal, you know," Joe reminded her. "Once the swelling goes down, and you get that tooth fixed, you'll be as good as new. As pretty as ever."
"Weeks…" she murmured drearily.
"Well—" Joe lightened his tone. "You've got to see Frank before then. If he can't see you all the time, he goes nutso – and I have to live with the guy! Take pity on me, huh?"
Megan attempted to laugh in the middle of a sob, and hiccupped. Joe chuckled, heartened by this, and kept up his persuasions, automatically smoothing the silky auburn swirls of her newly-shortened hair as he talked. "Believe me, I'm right about this. Nothing is going to make him stop being head-over-heels in love with you. However, when he hears you've been in a car wreck, he may have a coronary himself. You don't want that, do you?"
She shook her head, mutely, and Joe continued.
"Right. Neither do I – there's only so much stress I can take! So what do you say we get you home, so you can rest…and then maybe you can talk to him on the phone, and reassure him that you're all right...huh? How does that sound?" he coaxed.
"I guess so." Megan sighed, then started to slide off the table, and hissed at the motion. "Ouch!" She completed the move more carefully, her movements stiff. She looked around the little cubicle, and bent to pick up her purse from where it sat on the floor in the corner. "Ouch," she muttered again, at the action.
"Bruises hurting?" Joe guided her towards the hall.
"Uh-huh…" Still keeping her head lowered, trying to hide her face, Megan docilely allowed him to take her to the waiting room, where Vanessa waited.
"Let's go," Joe murmured, as Vanessa stood up at their approach.
"I've called Mom," she nodded. "I left a message on her cell phone. I told her what happened, and that I'd be staying over at Megan's tonight."
"Now we just have one more hurdle," Joe commented, after he helped Megan into the rear seat of his Aztek, and he and Vanessa were walking to the front of the vehicle. "We've got to tell Frank what happened, and keep him from going into orbit!"