(A/N: Sorry that it's been so long. Hope it's worth the wait.)
Fenton sat staring into oblivion
Fenton sat staring into oblivion. To his right was a window looking in at Eric Rose, to his left was a window looking in at Sam Whelms. They were two ordinary looking kids, clean cut, healthy, all American kids. Eric was a little shorter then Frank, buzzed cut blond hair, blue eyed sturdy built farm kid. Sam was a wispy, brown haired pretty girl, a little taller then most girls her age. They didn't look like the cruel sadistic monsters Fenton had imagined. They didn't have horns or fangs; they didn't look capable of torture. In fact they looked like two scared kids. He almost felt sorry for them.
Almost. Then he remembered finding Joe on the floor reaching across blood and vomit to try and touch Frank. Then he remembered Frank's lifeless body and trying to force air into his failing lungs. He remembered Joe's mouth being wired shut and Frank lying in isolation. He didn't feel so sorry for them after all.
The others had left to go meet with Sharon. The parents had arrived and so had the warrants, they were gathered in Ezra's office fighting, crying, protesting and whatever else parents do. Fenton had opted to stay in the witness room fearing that his emotions would get the better of him. Of course, now his thoughts were getting the better of him as he sat there alone.
He decided that a cup of strong, 'going to kill you', coffee would be in order to make it through the night. Maybe even a pot. So he decided to leave to go make some, but standing in his way when he opened the door, were the others.
"We're going to start questioning them. Their parents are going to sit in. Carry I want you in with the boy and Con you're with the girl. Larry's on his way to take the… Oh, Fenton, what's up?" Sharon said in one fluid speech as she nearly walked into the detective.
She was leading Sam, Con, and Carrie into the witness room. They all looked tired but satisfied, like things were going their way for a change. It was a good sign.
"I was on my way to get some coffee. You have the parent's permission to pursue questions?" Fenton replied.
"Seems like it. The parents want to sit in and they don't have lawyers, they're holding in to the fact that their kids are good kids," Con answered.
Fenton ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "When are you going to start?"
"Soon as you come back with the coffee," Sam answered, "Nobody makes it better then you Fen."
"And when the Chief's done with the parents. He wants to sit in," Carrie added.
"Which will take him about as long as it does you to make coffee," Sam joked, hoping to get a smile from his partner.
It worked, if only for the briefs of seconds.
Half an hour later, and several cups of coffee, Fenton, Ezra, and Sam watched the events unfolding in interview room two. The group had decided on questioning Sam Whelms first, hoping that she was the weakest link. In interview one, Carry and Larry went over the warrant with Eric. But all eyes were on Sam.
She sat very timid and still next to her father as Sharon and Con explained to her, her situation.
line
"We have a witness who saw you're truck on the Hardy's block. We have Frank Hardy's descriptions of four attackers, one who matches you to a T. And when Larry gets done with the testing, I'm pretty sure we'll have your DNA," Sharon said coldly, laying it all out to the scared girl.
"That ain't nothing. It can all be explained away. Besides Josh drives that damn truck too," barked Mr. Whelms. Sam, for her part, just focused on her hands.
"Yes, but we've already talked to Josh, and his story checked out. Besides, Frank Hardy saw you," Con said, looking directly at Sam. His voice was calm and deep, soothing. He was offering her a way out, and he wanted her to know it.
"Josh is a stupid piece of shit, and as for Frank Hardy, last I heard he was lying in the hospital dieing. How the hell could he tell you a damn thing? Besides, how the hell could he remember anything?" barked Mr. Whelms again.
"Frank Hardy is quite aware of things Mr. Whelms, and as for his memory, Frank Hardy is a trained detective that has worked hundreds of cases with his father. His memory, even under sever stress, has been proven reliable. Now if you would please shut up and let me talk to Sam?" Con said, his voice changing to the cop voice he had mastered. The trick worked and Mr. Whelms backed off grudgingly.
With the father silenced Con then focused his attention back on Sam, "Sam, there's DNA. We'll match it to someone, and it's very likely that it'll be you."
Con paused, leaving Sharon the chance to step in. "You're a smart girl Sam, you know the possible out comes, you know we're not lying. You also know the first one who talks walks? There is away out, but you have to get it for yourself. The DNA…"
"Won't match me," Sam said softly, her eyes starting to water.
"Samantha, don't say anything," Whelms hissed, but was silenced by a look from Con.
"Sam, why won't it match you?" Con asked.
"I want immunity," Sam said, looking both detective and lawyer in the eye.
"I can't promise, it depends on your involvement…" Sharon began but was cut off by Sam.
"Not for me, for Eric. He was forced to help. He didn't want to but he didn't want to hurt me…." Sam said a bit rush as she started to cry.
Con took her hand in his and gave it a soft squeeze. "I'll tell you what, you do two things for me and I'll things right."
"Really?" Sam asked, her eyes reflecting the small child that was deep inside her. The one that still believed grownups when they said everything was fine.
"Really. But first you have to tell me what you know and then convince Eric to do the same. You two did a horrible, horrible thing, but I believe you didn't want to. I believe it wasn't your choice and things got out of control before you knew what to do. And now you're trapped. You don't have a ways out. But I'm giving you your way out. I can't promise to make it all better, but I can promise to make things easier. Do you trust me?"
Sam sat stone still for several heartbeats before giving the slightest of nodes, "Carry is my best friend, and her boyfriend is Bobby Rose. Eric is Bobby's cousin and I met him through Bobby. Both Bobby and Eric go to Bayport High, Carry and I go to East Bayport, and until this year Josh did too. But he got sent to Bayport and that's when all this started. Bobby's always been controlling and sometimes scary, but he makes Carry happy and he and Eric are close so I…"
"Put up with him?' Sharon prompted.
"Yeah. Well, Bobby has issues, and don't know why, but he hated the Hardy brothers, and he really hated Frank. He came up with this plan on how to get them. At first it was just suppose to be a break in to scare them. But everything got so out of control…when he got a hold of Frank Bobby didn't want to scare him anymore he wanted to hurt him."
"Bobby was the leader? Bobby was calling the shots?" Con asked.
"Yeah, it was all him. Carry went along because she loves him, and he wanted to use my truck cause nobody would recognize it. But I didn't want to have a part of anything so he threatened Josh."
"What do you mean?" Sharon asked.
"Going to Bayport High was Josh's last chance. He had been kicked out of our school and we couldn't afford private. Besides, the program they have there, students helping students, it was working. Josh was doing better then he had in years. But Bobby rigged it so that it looked like Josh was cheating. He told me if I didn't help then he would turn Josh over to the principal as a cheater. And because Eric loves me he agreed to help. We never wanted to have any part of this."
"Why didn't you try to stop him? Why did you go along with it?" Con asked.
"Because I was scared! Carry was brainwashed, he had my brother on a chokehold, and Eric was scared! I had my back against the wall. I didn't know what to do," Sam said breaking down into tears.
"All them smarts and you didn't know what to do?!" bellowed Whelms, " You ain't better then your damn brothers."
"I think that's enough out of you Mr. Whelms," Sharon snapped at the disgusting man before her, "Samantha, it's going to be okay. But you haven't answered why your DNA won't be in the house? Where you there when Frank and Joe were being hurt?"
"No, no, I tried to stop him…Bobby was…he was...he was trying to rape Frank and I stopped him….I left the house…."
"So you didn't hurt them?" Sharon asked.
"No, I never wanted to hurt them. I didn't know what Bobby wanted to do, Eric didn't know…."
"Did Eric leave with you?" Con asked.
"No, he stayed. I don't know why, but he stayed," Sam said her tears slowing.
"Is that all you know? There's nothing else you can tell us?" Con asked.
"No, nothing I can't think of…."
"Alright Sam, then I'll give you a few minuets to clean up and we can go talk to Eric, alright?"
"Alright…Detective Con, will Eric be alright? Will Frank and Joe be alright?" She asked softly.
"Eric stayed behind in the house, so he might have helped to hurt Frank and Joe. He may have to go to jail, but if he helps us catch Bobby and if what he says agree with what you said then we can work something out. As for Frank and Joe, Joe is going to be fine. It's going to take time, but he'll make it. Frank is still touch and go…."
line
Callie made her way down the isolation hall. She had worked in the hospital as a volunteer all four years of high school and this had always been her least favorite ward. It was always so depressing to see, all these people who were sick or hurt and only allowed to see their loved ones through glass. No one was allowed to touch them or to be with them. It was a very lonely place to be in. So why was she walking down this hallway at eleven o'clock at night? Frank was there.
She made her way quietly, trying not to be noticed. For even though she was a normal sight in the hospital, it was not normal hours and they could tell her to leave. But she had to see him, she had to see Frank. The last few days she had been building up her courage to and at ten o'clock that courage had hit her. Now she was here and there was no turning back.
Find out what room Frank was in had been the easy part, the nurses long was no mystery to her, but finding the room was harder then she thought. The isolation ward was a long and winding and Callie found that avoiding it for so long has left her with no idea where she was. She was wondering aimlessly when she walked into Mrs. Hardy.
"Callie! Jeez child what are you doing here this time of night?" Laura exclaimed with a tired smile.
Callie blushed and smiled shyly, "I'm looking for Frank, but I'm all turned around."
"How'd you know he was in the isolation ward?" Laura asked as she guided the girl towards her son's room.
"I looked it up, Gladys at the nurses station let me…I work here once a week so all I had to do was ask."
"That's a little nerve racking, but I'm glad that you came," Laura said.
"Why has Frank been moved here? Is e getting worse?" Callie asked timidly.
"He's not doing well…he's sick, but he's also in pain. The drugs aren't helping and they can't increase his dose because of the other medications he's on. They hope that the isolation will help his body get stronger," Laura answered.
"Not good at all," Callie said, a catch in her voice. But Laura said nothing in response, the two women had reached Franks room.
Callie was shocked by what she saw. Tubes and machines running circles around her boyfriend, his pale skin peeking out through the bandages and the burns, made him look like a rag doll. It was clear that Frank was sick, it was clear that he was in pain, and it was also clear that he was awake.
"He was asleep when I left, the pain must be getting worse," Laura said to herself.
Callie ignored her, instead she moved closer to the glass and tapped on it lightly. It attracted Frank's attention and he moved his head carefully to look out. A smile spread on his face when he saw Callie standing there and tears filled his eyes. Callie could feel her own tears forming and she mouthed the words "I love you," to him.
That was all she had to tell him and all he needed to hear.
