Highway from Hell
Chapter Two
Joe got up and went back inside. The light outside was too bright for his dilated eyes even with the sunglasses. As he entered the recreation room Ken came over to meet him. "Your brother's here again," he told Joe. Joe nodded and left for the common room which held several tables with assorted chairs scattered around. All contact with the outside world had to take place in the common room and all visitors were searched before being allowed to enter.
Joe sank into a seat opposite Frank. "Hi, Baby Brother," Frank said, using the same gentle voice he had since Joe had opened his eyes in the hospital. "How you doing?"
"I'm not puking my brains out anymore," Joe replied, looking at his brother's worried face through his dark glasses.
"Mom and Dad are coming later today," Frank told him. "They won't let more than two in at a time," he explained. Joe nodded. "Need anything?" Frank asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Joe shook his head. "Dad's been trying to find out where they got the junk to shoot you up but he doesn't have any leads yet," Frank informed Joe.
"What about those DEA guys Dad was working with?" Joe asked. "Don't they know anything?"
"Agent Mason was shot in the back early yesterday morning," Frank told Joe. "The other two agents can't be found."
"What about Agent Milekeal in Chicago?" Joe inquired. "If it wasn't for him, none of this would have happened."
"No good," Frank told him. " Once Davenport and his men were busted, Mikeal's case was finished." Joe raised his eyebrows at this. "Dad did check on the matter but there were no leads. This case has hit a dead end."
"So what happens now?" Joe asked.
"Now you get better and come home," Frank said.. "The counselor has talked to us. It's not going to be easy," he continued. "But there's this medicine that will help control the cravings and you only have to take it once a day."
"For how long?" Joe demanded.
"Around three months," was the reply. Frank stared at his little brother, wishing he would take the glasses off so he could see his eyes. He could always tell what Joe was thinking by looking into his eyes.
"Frank," Joe said, hating himself for what he was about to say but knowing he had to or else nothing would get done. "Do me a favor?"
"Anything," Frank said at once, smiling for the first time in days.
"Don't come back to visit me again." Joe hardened himself as he saw Frank's smile vanish and hurt fill his sad brown eyes. "Tell Mom and Dad I don't want to see them either."
Not giving Frank a chance to say anthing which might weaken his reslove, Joe got up and left the room. He slipped down the hallway and back to the one room he knew he could be alone in, the dormitory where he selpt. He hurried inside before anyone saw him and closed the door, putting a chair beneath the knob so no one could enter. He leaned back against the wall and slid to the floor. Pulling off his shades, he let the tears which had been threatening since he had spoken to Frank, fall freely. Of all the the things he had ever done or been through, hurting Frank had been the hardest.
The knob twisted and someone pushed against the door. "Open up!" shouted a voice Joe recognized as belonging to Ken. Joe hurriedly wiped his eyes and sniffed up. There was a silence on the other side as Joe rose to his feet and put his glasses back on. He reached for the chair just as Ken shoved at the door again. Joe pulled the chair away and Ken crashed through the door and into Joe. They both fell to the floor, Ken on top and Joe on the bottom, the wind knocked out of him.
Ken got up and looked down at Joe with a thoughtful frown. "Your brother left in a hurry," he said.
"So?" Joe demanded beligerently, sitting up.
"I guess he's coming back later," Ken asked.
"If he does, it won't be to see me," Joe practically snarled, knocking Ken's arm out of the way as he offered to help Joe to stand. "I don't need his help and I don't need yours!" Joe shouted angrily.
"What were you doing in here?" Ken asked, watching Joe slowly get to his feet.
"Reading," Joe told him, obviously lying.
"Where's your book?" Ken asked.
"A gremlin must have taken it," Joe answered, staring at Ken through his dark glasses.
Unable to see Joe's eyes but easily reading Joe's body language, Ken hazzarded a guess. "You just had a G-shot," he accused Joe, his eyes narrowed.
"No," Joe replied honestly but making it sound like he was lying.
"You can't lie to me," Ken told Joe. "I've been there. Your brother give it to you?" he demanded.
"Yeah, right," Joe sneered, which for some reason made Ken smile.
"Get out of here," Ken ordered him. Joe started past him but Ken grabbed Joe's arm and pulled him to a stop. "A word of advise kid," Ken breathed in Joe's ear. "Don't ever say you don't need my help."
Joe shrugged off Ken's arm and looked at the six foot two man who weighed in at one hundred and eighty pounds with short, straight brown hair. For the first time Joe noticed Ken's green eyes. Not understanding, but hard and watchful. Joe had no doubt he had just received a threat.
Chapter Two
Joe got up and went back inside. The light outside was too bright for his dilated eyes even with the sunglasses. As he entered the recreation room Ken came over to meet him. "Your brother's here again," he told Joe. Joe nodded and left for the common room which held several tables with assorted chairs scattered around. All contact with the outside world had to take place in the common room and all visitors were searched before being allowed to enter.
Joe sank into a seat opposite Frank. "Hi, Baby Brother," Frank said, using the same gentle voice he had since Joe had opened his eyes in the hospital. "How you doing?"
"I'm not puking my brains out anymore," Joe replied, looking at his brother's worried face through his dark glasses.
"Mom and Dad are coming later today," Frank told him. "They won't let more than two in at a time," he explained. Joe nodded. "Need anything?" Frank asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Joe shook his head. "Dad's been trying to find out where they got the junk to shoot you up but he doesn't have any leads yet," Frank informed Joe.
"What about those DEA guys Dad was working with?" Joe asked. "Don't they know anything?"
"Agent Mason was shot in the back early yesterday morning," Frank told Joe. "The other two agents can't be found."
"What about Agent Milekeal in Chicago?" Joe inquired. "If it wasn't for him, none of this would have happened."
"No good," Frank told him. " Once Davenport and his men were busted, Mikeal's case was finished." Joe raised his eyebrows at this. "Dad did check on the matter but there were no leads. This case has hit a dead end."
"So what happens now?" Joe asked.
"Now you get better and come home," Frank said.. "The counselor has talked to us. It's not going to be easy," he continued. "But there's this medicine that will help control the cravings and you only have to take it once a day."
"For how long?" Joe demanded.
"Around three months," was the reply. Frank stared at his little brother, wishing he would take the glasses off so he could see his eyes. He could always tell what Joe was thinking by looking into his eyes.
"Frank," Joe said, hating himself for what he was about to say but knowing he had to or else nothing would get done. "Do me a favor?"
"Anything," Frank said at once, smiling for the first time in days.
"Don't come back to visit me again." Joe hardened himself as he saw Frank's smile vanish and hurt fill his sad brown eyes. "Tell Mom and Dad I don't want to see them either."
Not giving Frank a chance to say anthing which might weaken his reslove, Joe got up and left the room. He slipped down the hallway and back to the one room he knew he could be alone in, the dormitory where he selpt. He hurried inside before anyone saw him and closed the door, putting a chair beneath the knob so no one could enter. He leaned back against the wall and slid to the floor. Pulling off his shades, he let the tears which had been threatening since he had spoken to Frank, fall freely. Of all the the things he had ever done or been through, hurting Frank had been the hardest.
The knob twisted and someone pushed against the door. "Open up!" shouted a voice Joe recognized as belonging to Ken. Joe hurriedly wiped his eyes and sniffed up. There was a silence on the other side as Joe rose to his feet and put his glasses back on. He reached for the chair just as Ken shoved at the door again. Joe pulled the chair away and Ken crashed through the door and into Joe. They both fell to the floor, Ken on top and Joe on the bottom, the wind knocked out of him.
Ken got up and looked down at Joe with a thoughtful frown. "Your brother left in a hurry," he said.
"So?" Joe demanded beligerently, sitting up.
"I guess he's coming back later," Ken asked.
"If he does, it won't be to see me," Joe practically snarled, knocking Ken's arm out of the way as he offered to help Joe to stand. "I don't need his help and I don't need yours!" Joe shouted angrily.
"What were you doing in here?" Ken asked, watching Joe slowly get to his feet.
"Reading," Joe told him, obviously lying.
"Where's your book?" Ken asked.
"A gremlin must have taken it," Joe answered, staring at Ken through his dark glasses.
Unable to see Joe's eyes but easily reading Joe's body language, Ken hazzarded a guess. "You just had a G-shot," he accused Joe, his eyes narrowed.
"No," Joe replied honestly but making it sound like he was lying.
"You can't lie to me," Ken told Joe. "I've been there. Your brother give it to you?" he demanded.
"Yeah, right," Joe sneered, which for some reason made Ken smile.
"Get out of here," Ken ordered him. Joe started past him but Ken grabbed Joe's arm and pulled him to a stop. "A word of advise kid," Ken breathed in Joe's ear. "Don't ever say you don't need my help."
Joe shrugged off Ken's arm and looked at the six foot two man who weighed in at one hundred and eighty pounds with short, straight brown hair. For the first time Joe noticed Ken's green eyes. Not understanding, but hard and watchful. Joe had no doubt he had just received a threat.