Author's Note:
Yay! Another update from yours truly! I had some time this morning (down one kid) so I wanted to get this one out. This is the last chapter of the year but I will get another one in before I return to work later this week (hopefully). Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and especially to those who left a review! Rose12, Nancy is having ONE baby, just so you know but they decided on not finding out. Novembershowers, there are so many possible ways to see each one of these characters however I always felt that Frank is closer to a young Hugh Jackman (HUGE fan of his!) while Joe is maybe more like a young John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard days though with shorter hair). Nancy, on the other hand, is harder to imagine. She could be anyone from Scarlett Johansen (Black Widow-esque fighter) to the current Nancy Drew, Kennedy McMann. Everyone has their own opinion of them but that is how I do envision them at times. Smithy, I hate regular black licorice but love the strawberry and cherry flavors. Nobody beats the Twizzlers either. I just didn't want to get chocolate this time around since I already had a bag of dark chocolate Kisses left over from my cookie baking. Maybe I should have gotten the Special Dark...hmm. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and if you have the chance, please leave your mark so that I know you were here! Until next year, have a wonderful week and God bless!
Chapter Thirteen
"What are you two eating?" Laura cried the moment she walked into Nancy's hospital room. Hannah stood behind her, her arms folded across her chest. Neither woman looked happy while Fenton and Nancy both looked guilty. "Fenton Hardy, you know you're not supposed to be eating donuts anymore! And now you've got Nancy in on your scheme! She shouldn't be eating them either!"
The two were speechless, not knowing what to say. They were caught red-handed, donut residue all over their hands and faces.
"Well?" Hannah piped up stepping forward. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
Fenton and Nancy exchanged glances and shrugged. He pulled out another donut and showed it to the women. "Want one?" he asked.
Nancy snickered and took another bite of her donut. Fenton laughed as well though he stopped the moment he saw the look on his wife's face.
"I think the jig is up, Nancy," he muttered putting the donut back in the box. Nancy shook her head. The others watched as she stuffed her donut into her mouth, her cheeks bulging from the cake. She washed it down with the milk from her breakfast then wiped her mouth.
"Ah, that hit the spot," Nancy smiled.
"You are incorrigible!" Hannah threw her hands in the air.
"Both of you!" Laura nodded.
"We try," Fenton grinned. He glanced behind his wife's shoulder. "Where are the boys?"
"Back at the house," Hannah stated. She confiscated the box of donuts giving him the evil eye. "Joe was just getting ready while Frank was still asleep."
"Frank is still asleep?" Nancy asked surprised. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was after ten in the morning. "How did you even get him to sleep?"
Hannah looked at Laura who smirked. Fenton arched an eyebrow, knowing the look.
"You did it, didn't you?"
"I did." Laura continued to smile proudly.
"Am I missing something?" Nancy looked from one Hardy to the other, waiting for the explanation. Then the realization hit her and she laughed. "How did you pull that off?"
"I asked the doctor for a sedative before I left last night," she explained, "and Hannah helped with the distribution. Knocked him out in three minutes. I don't think Joe was happy with me though. He had to carry Frank upstairs. Should have given it to him right before bed but I think he would have been more suspicious. Didn't even know it either. Serves him right too. Frank should have been more careful in taking care of himself."
"I'm glad I'm not going to be in the house when he wakes up," Nancy laughed.
"That's why I'm not going to be there," Laura smirked looking at her husband gleefully. "He'll just take it out on the ones who are there."
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Fenton asked cautiously. "It wasn't my idea. You're the one who did it! Besides, I'm happy right where I'm at."
Laura eyed her husband intently until he relented and sighed. "Okay, I'm going." Fenton gave Nancy a hug and kiss before he headed to the door. He tried grabbing the donut box as he passed Hannah but she shifted it out of his reach. "Oh, come on! I need something to appease him!"
"Go!" cried Laura, pushing her husband toward the door. "Joe will eat them long before Frank gets up so it's pointless now. If you'll excuse us, I'm going to go yell at Fenton a little while longer while we head to the car. I'll be back in a few minutes."
The moment they were gone, Hannah turned back to Nancy, the sternness gone. "How are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly, looking away. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"Because we care, dear," Hannah smiled softly. "What would you think if no one asked?"
Nancy looked at her friend and sighed. "I'd be wondering if anyone cared."
"Exactly. Now are you up for some visitors?"
"Oh?"
"Joanna and Nelly would like to see you," the older woman said grimly. "They came over right after a meeting with the rest of the board of regents."
"Oh, no," Nancy sighed. "The board is serious this time, aren't they?"
"I'll let them tell you." Hannah walked over to the door. "I just wanted to make sure you were up to hearing the news."
"I'm good, Hannah," she said matter-of-factly. "I can handle this."
Hannah nodded and left the room. Moments later, she returned with Joanna and Nelly both of whom looked like they had been crying. After the two women hugged Nancy, wishing her well, the four settled in to talk.
"What's going on?" Nancy asked, her heart pounding.
The board has ordered the production to be shut down," Joanna sniffled. "After Jared's betrayal and arrest, they feel that it's not worth continuing the show without a lead. They're voting tomorrow for the sale of the theater.
"What!" she cried, sitting up. Nancy looked from one woman to the other in the hopes that what she heard was false. "They…they can't do that! You told me they couldn't, Joanna! Not without my permission!"
"Nancy, calm down," Hannah replied softly, patting her shoulder.
"How can I, Hannah?" she answered, her eyes filling with tears. "This is my family's legacy! It was their whole world and I can't just sit here and do nothing while someone destroys that! It's not right!" Nancy looked back at Joanna. "What if we get someone to replace Jared? Will they let you resume production?"
"I…I don't know," the woman stammered. "There's no one else that I know of who can do it. Matt is capable but he won't be able to practice the dance moves until his cast is off and who knows when that will be."
"Plus they've already started taking things down," Nelly replied sadly. "I got a phone call from one of my girls right after the meeting and they were in tears because a few men came by to get the new fabrics."
"The board also told us that they're going to start dismantling the new lighting and sound systems this afternoon," Joanna continued. "They are planning on selling everything at auction for closing costs once a deal is made."
"But those items aren't theirs to take and sell," Nancy huffed angrily. "Technically they're on loan until the end of May. We were going to pay for them when the show was over because I thought it would bring in ample money which I still believe it will. That was the deal I made with David."
"Then we need to contact Keller Holliday and Martin Shannon before it's too late," the woman said urgently. "I'm sure Martin's client is salivating at the news and Holliday is the biggest supporter for the sale. I honestly don't understand how he got onto the board in the first place either. His spot was supposed to go to you, Nancy."
"Me? But I've never expressed interest in it," Nancy shook her head confused. "And how is this even possible? I thought they needed my permission since the theater was a part of my family."
"They do," the woman stated, "but Martin Shannon got a judge to overlook the stipulations due to your current state. They're accusing you of not seeing the whole picture because of all the emotions you have. If you were on the board like you were supposed to be, this wouldn't be happening. I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound mean but it's the truth."
Nancy thought for a moment. She knew she needed to make things right. Then a thought popped into her head. "Make the calls," she ordered. "Request a meeting at the theater tomorrow afternoon. Have everyone there including all of the board members and Martin Shannon but don't let anyone know that I'll be there."
"No, you're not," Hannah protested folding her arms in front of her. "Let us take care of this. You need to go home and rest."
"Hannah, I've been neglecting the theater since Dad died," Nancy stated firmly. "I'm the one who let it get to where it's at now and it's my responsibility to make sure that it is preserved. No offense to any of you but I need to handle this myself. I'll make sure that it's only Frank and I who will be there though. We don't need to bring the rest of the family in on this. Hannah, it'll be your job to keep them home for the afternoon."
"I can't promise anything with Laura around," she said. "But I'll try."
"Good."
"What about the lead?" Nelly raised her hand. "We can't put on the show without one and they won't let us even continue the production unless we have proof we have someone."
"You leave that to me," Nancy smirked, her blue eyes sparkling. Hannah made a noise, hiding her own smile. Nancy looked at her. "And don't you dare tell anyone, Hannah! Any of you!"
"Oh, my lips are sealed." Hannah made the gesture of zippering her mouth shut. Joanna and Nelly exchanged confused looks.
"I should be discharged and over at the theater by three tomorrow," Nancy reiterated. "Make sure they're all there and that they bring everything that they took. That's the most important thing."
Joanna and Nelly nodded before getting up to leave.
"Thank you, Nancy," Joanna whispered when she went to hug her.
"No, thank you for bringing this to my attention," she smiled. "Let me know when everything is set."
Joanna nodded again and followed Nelly out of the room. Hannah turned back to Nancy the moment the door closed.
"Are you sure this is a good idea for you to be so active with the theater?" she asked concerned. "We could easily deal with it just as much as you could."
"But it would be better coming from me," Nancy replied. "I'll be fine, Hannah. Don't worry. I just hope Frank won't get mad at me over it."
Frank could hear the doorbell ring but his body didn't want to move. It rang again and he grumbled, his arm finally willing itself to move.
"Go away!" he yelled when the doorbell rang a third time. His eye popped open and the alarm clock next to the bed slowly came into view. He cursed loudly when he saw that the time was nearly two in the afternoon. Frank shot out of bed a little too quickly and he felt a queasy, swaying just a bit. When he finally got his bearings, he waited for the doorbell to ring again but he only heard silence. Shrugging, Frank walked slowly to the bathroom, grabbing some clothes along the way. He thought a shower would help wake him up from the long slumber.
He took a good ten minute shower, letting the water fall on him, waking his senses. Thinking about the doorbell ringing, Frank shut the water off and listened. Although he couldn't hear anything, he felt there was still something off. He wondered if maybe his brother was playing a joke on him.
After dressing, Frank stepped out of the bathroom drying his hair with his towel before hanging it up. He felt refreshed, his thoughts returning to how he slept for so long. Then he sighed. "Damn you, Mom," he muttered remembering the smug look on his mother's face when he ate dinner the night before. At least he hoped it was the night before. He stared at himself in the mirror for a few seconds. The dark bags under his eyes diminished though still there. That was when he heard a creak in the floorboard outside the bedroom. He looked at the closed door and waited, his heart pounding. He heard someone hiss at another and he knew it wasn't his family out in the hall.
Quickly moving over to the bed, Frank grabbed the gun he kept in the night stand drawer and sneaked over to the door just as it slowly opened. His heart pounded in his chest as a man walked in though he seemed to be unarmed. Frank took a chance and rammed his body into the door, knocking the intruder into the dresser, stunning him. He aimed his gun at the man but someone grabbed him from behind. Frank pushed back into the wall, squishing his assailant behind him. A female voice cried out taking him by surprise. Intruder number one was about to get to his knee when Frank and the woman fell on top of him. The gun skittered across the floor before stopping just outside the bedroom. The three continued to wrestle on the ground until the woman broke free. She crawled toward the gun but Frank was able to get a hold of her ankle and brought her down hard, knocking her head on the corner of the door.
With the woman out, Frank thought he could concentrate on the man. Unfortunately, the intruder took advantage of the distraction and grabbed a hold of Frank's hair. He knocked him to the floor and flipped Frank over. The man knelt on top of him, his knee cutting off Frank's airway. Frank struggled, trying to get the man off of him before he lost consciousness but he was losing the battle. He pounded on the man's leg but he could feel his strength leaving him and before long Frank completely blacked out just as the pressure let up.
The intruder fell to the ground, a bullet hole in his chest. The woman groaned and tried to get up but another shot rang out and she went limp. A third person knelt next to Frank and felt for a pulse, sighing with relief when he found it. He placed the gun next to Frank after wiping it down then walked out while making a phone call to the police.
"So, where's Frank?" Bess asked. She and George had just arrived in Nancy's room and Laura and Hannah left to get lunch. The two friends sat on either side of the bed, watching their friend intently. "I thought he would be here by now."
"Me too," Nancy replied. She took a bite of her sandwich and cringed. "God, I can't wait to go home. Hospital food is so nasty…I'm getting a little concerned about him. I hope Laura didn't give him too much sedative."
"Mrs. Hardy roofied her own son?" George laughed. "Man, I wish I was a part of that family!"
"She didn't exactly roofie him, George," she stated. "She got a sedative from the doctor and they put it in his food last night. He's been out ever since. I'm sure he's fine but it still concerns me that he hasn't come by yet. Maybe Laura will find out while she and Hannah are getting lunch. How are you feeling, Bess?"
"Good," her friend shrugged. "Doctor says that the baby is fine. I'm not so sure about Marshall though. He about had a heart attack after hearing the news. Good thing everything turned out okay. He'll be fine again once the baby comes though. He's coming to get us in about a half hour since he had to go into work today but it's all good. We wanted to see you before we left the hospital anyway. How are you, Nancy?"
"Ready to go home," Nancy answered glumly. "I don't want to be stuck here any longer than I have to be but I know it's pretty much just a precaution. I think Dr. Morris is overreacting though. Oh, well. I get to go home tomorrow and deal with the theater issues."
"Are you sure you should be doing that?" George asked.
"Of course I'm sure! Like I told Hannah, I need to do this." Nancy looked at her hands and shook her head. "I just hope it's not too late to save it. It was Mom's favorite thing to do. At least, that's what Dad always told me. It kept her busy while Dad had long days at work. I vaguely remember finding all the best hiding places in the lower levels. Dad said I scared Mom so many times, she stopped taking me there. When Mom died, he took over and told me that one day I would be there though I always told him I had no interest. I just don't want to be the one who allows the theater to die."
"It's not your fault, you know," Bess said encouragingly. She placed a hand on Nancy's and smiled. "You've been busy with your own life and your dad knew that. After he died, you were lost and that's understandable. Mr. Drew's death was a blow to everyone…except maybe Martin Shannon but that's beside the point. If you want, we can be there for you tomorrow and I'm sure that the Hardys would love to help as well."
"Thanks, Bess," Nancy smiled, "but I think I need to do this on my own. Frank will be there with me. That's what matters to me most right now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. This is my fight. Not yours or theirs." She got quiet and yawned. The day seemed the drag, the rain coming down in sheets outside.
"Okay." Bess and George swapped glances, each one knowing their friend was stubborn to take the support she needed.
A knock came at the door and the three looked over to see Dr. Morris standing just inside the room. He had a kind smile on his face though they knew he was there on business.
"Hello, ladies," he said cheerfully. He switched to Bess and George. "I was wondering if you two could excuse us for a moment. I need to speak with Nancy."
"Sure," George said though she looked nervously towards Nancy who nodded.
Once the two were gone and the door closed, Dr. Morris turned his gaze to Nancy. "Have you rested at all today, Nancy?" he asked. "I noticed that you have had a lot of visitors this morning and it's nearly the middle of the afternoon. I need you to take it easy or I might have to keep you longer to make sure you're taking care of yourself."
"I know," she said, her shoulders drooping. "I was just waiting for my husband. I haven't seen him all day and I'm getting worried."
"I'm sure he's fine, Nancy," Dr. Morris stated walking over to her bed. "How about this: I give you a little something that will help you sleep and then maybe when you wake up, he'll be here. Does that sound okay?"
"I…I don't know," Nancy looked away.
"You need to rest," the doctor said firmly. "I can guarantee that you will feel better when you wake up."
Nancy looked back at him and saw the concern in his eyes. The doctor was only trying to help her and she knew that if she didn't sleep, she would be staying longer than she wanted to. Nancy nodded and he patted her arm comfortingly.
"I'll have the nurse come in and give it to you," he smiled. "Then I'll let your family and friends know what's going on. Okay?"
"Okay."
Within minutes, Nancy closed her eyes though she didn't want to sleep. Her thoughts returned to Frank, wondering what had become of him. As she slipped into oblivion, Nancy felt that the worst had yet to come.
