I know, I know. I'm the worst! I'm so sorry for not updating for so long! But here is the chapter...

FRANK

"Help!" "Help!" Someone yelled.

"Biff, do you hear that?" I asked, trying to place where the yells were coming from.

"We're in the shed!" It sounded like Chet!

"Biff, stay here and watch him. I'm going to go to the shed."

"Don't worry, he's not going anywhere." I smiled softly and made my way closer to the Morton's shed.

"Chet? Is that you?" I yelled, nearly reaching the door.

"Frank! Oh thank god! We… we need help. Call an ambulance!" Chet sounded frantic.

"Chet, are you okay?" I finally reached the door and pulled it open. There was a lawn mower, bikes and random objects in the way, but I could see Chet, "Chet. What are you…" I stopped my sentence as I moved things out of my way and really saw Chet. My heart stopped in my chest.

"J...Joe!" I gasped out, panic filled my body at the scene before me. My brother was lying on the shed floor, pale as a ghost, eyes closed. Chet was holding a bloody sweater to his abdomen, he was also really pale, "Chet...what...what happened?"

"T...Tom, he…" My best friend tried to get the words out, "Joe was… shot in the chest… he's losing a lot of blood… he was conscious until a second ago… That's when I started yelling." I fell down towards my brother and softly touched his face with my one good arm. It was clammy with sweat. I swallowed slowly, taking Joe's features in. My brother looked terrible, really terrible. His face was bruised and bloody. Chet's bloody sweater was covering the gunshot wound and my brother's leg was still in the cast from the hospital. He was taking short, quick breaths, but you could tell it was getting harder for him to breathe.

"He...Help is coming. Callie called the police and an ambulance." I whispered softly, as my heart started beating faster, "Joe… I'm...I'm right here. You're… you're going to be okay. You have to be okay." I whispered out the last part and the tears started to fall. Chet looked at me with tears in his eyes, still holding the sweater, hands covered in blood.

"He's strong Frank. He… he'll be okay." Chet mumbled to me. I nodded, not really sure if I could believe it. My brother looked so frail.

"Jo...Joe, can you...you hear me?" I got no reply, his eyes remained closed. I felt for his heartbeat and got a quick rapid one, "What did he do to you?" I could feel myself shaking, "I'm right here Joey. I'm right here and he's never going to hurt you again". The sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance now, "Just hold on...Help is almost here."

One hour later, I was sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. Callie was on my left, holding my hand, Vanessa on my right and my parents were sitting in front of us. Biff had called them and Vanessa when the police and ambulance arrived at Chet's house. The cops took Tom into custody and the paramedics allowed me to travel to the hospital with Joe. Biff and Callie drove Chet to meet me there and now all anyone could do was wait. I swallowed slowly, as I tried to fight off the tears. I didn't want to leave his side, not knowing if that would be the last time I would see my brother alive. The doctor had come in once to give us an update that Joe was in surgery. He didn't tell us much else than that. We were all in our own thoughts, silenting praying for a miracle.

"Frank, honey… Will you stop grinding your teeth?" Mom asked quietly.

"So...Sorry Mom. Didn't notice I was doing that." I sighed. Callie looked at me and rubbed my hand softly.

"I'm going to the vending machine… Does anyone want anything?" My dad stood up.

"I'll come with you Mr. Hardy." Biff said, "Chet, what do you want?"

"Oh… nothing… Thanks…" Chet mumbled out.

"You? Not hungry?" Biff wondered in surprise, trying to bring out a smile. Chet just shrugged it off and looked away.

"Chet… are you alright?" Callie asked, concerned.

"This...this is my fault.."

"What? No it isn't" Biff spoke up.

"I...I thought it would be a good idea to hide in the shed. I thought he would be safe…"

"You didn't shoot him, Chet. This isn't your fault." My dad sat down next to my friend, "Could you tell us what happened? How did Joe end up at your house?" Chet nodded through the tears and told us his past 24 hours.

8 hours later, I was sitting in the ICU, holding my little brother's hand. Joe was on a ventilator and it's a sight that I never wanted to see again. The bullet had pierced his lung and he needed it to breathe. There was a long list of injuries to follow: concussion, bruises everywhere, black left eye, sprained right wrist, multiple cracked ribs, collapsed lung and a broken leg. The doctors say it's a miracle my brother was still alive. My friends had left for the night, Vanessa really not wanting to go, but Callie was going to spend the night with her. I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I hadn't seen my parents enter the room.

"Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?" I asked. There were only 2 people allowed in this room at the same time.

"The doctor told us to come in, he needs to talk to us." My dad said softly, as the doctor walked into the ICU room.

"Please sit down." He motioned for my parents to sit,"I'm allowing all 3 of you to spend the night with Joe. I…" The doctor took a minute to regroup, "There was extensive damage to your son's internal organs. He is stable for now, but I...I don't think he will make it through the night." My eyes widened with this news. No...this couldn't be right.

"No… no…" I tried to get the words out, "Joe…". The tears started to fall as the news sunk in.

"I'm so sorry, we will make him as comfortable as we can." My parents looked at me with horrified expressions, "I'll come back soon." The doctor got up to leave.

"Joe…" My mom gasped out, getting closer to my brother, my dad had his arm around her. I couldn't move, my body was shaking. The doctor had to be wrong, my brother couldn't die, not like this. He was supposed to grow old, get married, have kids, we were going to start a detective business together. I started to sob. My parents came close and we all hugged each other, trying to seek comfort in this impossible time.

"Joe… I know the doctors don't think you will make it through the night. But they don't know you like I do. You're going to prove them wrong, you have to prove them wrong." I started to sob, "Please don't go… I can't lose you Joe. You're my best friend, my partner, my little brother. I...I love you so much…" I broke down then as tears flooded my eyes. I stared at my brother's broken body, willing him to wake up right now and say this was all just a terrible nightmare.

I woke up to a loud beeping noise. I shot up from the chair as I realized what the noise was. It was Joe's breathing machine. His heart was failing.

"No… Joe… don't do this… don't…go..." I took one last look at my brother as doctors rushed my parents and I out of the room.