Amaroq's notes: Yeah, last chapter kinda bit the dust, and I have this sad feeling not much is gonna come of this one. (Blah) But its a transistional faze so bear with me. Also, don't kill me I'm haveing trouble with Jeff being in the hospitale..so the fic will jump at one point from Jeff and Shannon being in the hospital to about two weeks later.
Disclaimer: I own nothing! So Peace,
Dedication: To My Three b's and to all my Reveiwers.
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Dr. Johnathen Pratchett leaned over his patient studying the blank eyes. The father had called him in insisting that his son had been talking. He sighed and rubbed his eyes and looked at the father who looked so hopeful.
"Mr. Hardy." He said calmly.
Gil stood up and came over. "Is he waking up?" He asked looking hopeful beyond hopeful almost pleeding.
"There's no change Mr. Hardy I'm sorry." He shook his head.
"You said a day or two Dr." Gil responded anger clouding his eyes. "Its been nearly a week."
Dr. Pratchett nodded and sighed. "Mr. Hardy yesterday's cat scan's and MRI did show the swelling has gone down. But, his brain has been through a horrible shock. There is no damage that we can see it just takes time for these things to heal."
Gil sighed and slowly sat down rubbing his face. "Thank you Docter."
"Mr. Hardy?" Pratchett asked soothingly. "You said he was talking, what did he say?"
Gil sighed and shook his head. "He was telling his Mom it hurt." He responded looking almost heart broken and scared.
"Ah, well if he's talking its a good sign Mr. Hardy." Dr. Pratchett said soothingly.
"Even if the person he's talking to is dead?" Gil responded. "Has been dead since he was 9"
Dr. Pratchett blinked and then nodded and moved to quickly explain it. "He's taking comfort in his mother." He responded. "Which in itself is a good sign."
Gil nodded taking these comforting words to heart. He nodded slowly and smiled. "Thats good."
"Very good." Dr. Pratchett responded.
Gil sighed with relief then went back to his seat took up his son's hand and went back to talking to him softly calling to him, calling him back to the land of the living.
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Jeanna Bishop shifted her gaze across the tree's of the back property of the Hardy home. She had a bad feeling about those woods and had come up here to see if she could find what was bugging her. She had searched the entire trailer and had found nothing. She didn't know where else to look, Mr. Hardy had given her permission to look in the house after she had explained what she thought Matt was up to. He had seemed confused but permission had been given.
She walked slowly into the house looking around silently. Something came at her out of the shadows and jumped at her. She laughed at the huge dog Liger and petted him. "Hello, doggy." she smiled.
The dog wagged his tail then wandered off again. On a whim Jeanna followed the dog. She ended up standing at the bottom of a flight of steps vannishing upstairs. She started up them listening to the ominous creeking. She allowed her mind to form monsters waiting at the top of the dark stairway to rip her to pieces she climbed to the top and stepped into the hallway. So, since she let her mind wander and think of scary things waiting for her. So, when the clock at the top of the stairs bonged the hour she jumped and let out a squeek, then giggeled at her own stupidity. She moved down the hallway and paused at the first door. She stepped in and looked around the room.
The walls were plastered with poster's of rock bands, a fake ivy plant and one wall was painted in a array of colors. She had an inkling that this was Jeff's room. She slowly walked around the room looking at the quilt laid maticuilously across the bed. Obviously Jeff didn't sleep here often. She looked around feeling bad but she needed to find out what had happened. She slowly sat on the edge of the bed and opened the bed side table top draw.
Sitting there as if Jeff had left it there for her to find was a large leather bound book. She slowly picked it up and looked at it. Imbossed across the cover were the words, Journel And below that, Jeffrey Nero Hardy. She felt bad but prehaps the journal would lead to some insight to what had happened to Jeff, and Shannon. She fingered the leather cover and slowly opened to a random page.
August 17th 1985,
Hello, I don't know how to describe what happened today, I was outside playing with Matt. We were supposed to be picking up branches on the lawn from the big storm that happened last night. And I was doing that. But, I accidently poked Matt with one of the branches, swear to god it was an accident. But, Matt he got all Mad and came after me with a big old branch. He hit me in the back and legs. I ran in the house and told Mommy, she yelled at Matt and sent him to his room till he could apologise. When Daddy got home he took the belt down and went and talked with Matt, I know its my fault I got Matt whipped tonight, and I'm sure he's gonna blame me. He already blames me for Mommy being sick. I didn't make Mommy sick did I? Oh, I don't know what to do I wish you could talk to me and tell me what to do. Jeff.
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I think its about 3:30 am, Matt just woke me up and he punched me in the stomach, it hurts I feel like I'm gonna puke, He told me if I tattled on him again, that mommy would die, cause I'm making her sick by being so bad. I don't know what to do, I'll just tell you from now on, maybe Mommy will get better.
Jeff~
August 22 1985,
Mommy keeps getting sicker, I don't know if I'm doing the right thing anymore, it seems like no matter how hard I try Mommy just keeps getting sicker. Matt says it my fault and if she dies God will hate me and I won't go to Heaven. I don't want Mommy to die..so I'm not gonna talk to you anymore. I can't talk to you anymore cause Mommy might die. So this is the last time I'll talk to you...
Jeff~
August 28 1986,
Its been a long time since I talked to you, Mommy Died today I guess stop talking to you didn't help. Mommy's dead and Now Matt says I won't go to heaven cause I killed her. I'm so scared I don't wanna go to hell but I don't know what to do anymore. I gotta go to the funaral next week, and this weekend is my birthday, I don't think I'll say anything about it...
August 31 1986,
Happy Birthday to me...
September 22 1986,
Well, we are now offically with out a mommy and Matt keeps getting worse and worse. Don't know what to do.
Jeanna paused in reading and sighed. Matt was such an ass just those few entries should be enough evidence. But, something drew her on and she flipped ahead a few pages.
Januray 8th 1988,
I miss Momma sometimes, I just can't over her dying, we were all there in the hospital that night. Watching the moniter as her heart slowly slowed down. We watched it slowly fade off and then just go flat. Each little blip on the moniter just got further and further apart till there was nothing. Daddy broke down crying sobbing loudly, I was so scared and I could see Matt staring at me, this dark acussing look in his eyes and I just couldn't cry. I went over to one of the chairs that a nurse probably brought in and just curled up there not crying. I couldn't cry I didn't have the right to cry. Matt told me it was my fault and it is..I was a bad kid I'm still a bad kid cause Matt's always yelling at me. He showed me something the other day, he has a gun and he said that if I didn't behave he would take me out to the woods and use it on me. He said he would teach me to behave, and he would hide my body up in the cave and no one would ever find me. I don't wanna die..so I think I'm not gonna do anything but go to school and hide in my room from now on.
December 25th 1989,
Daddy has to work today, on all days but christmas. Matt's down in the kitchen right now working on dinner. He's gotten real good at cooking and such, but, he still yells at me he says I'm a useless retard. That I should of died instead of Momma. Maybe he's right. Maybe I should die. I don't wanna have Daddy hating me anymore. Daddy hasn't hugged me in a week, he told me I've become as cold as a Snake, and Matt said I'm twice and twisted. I don't mean to be so cold but Matt told me the other week that Daddy dosn't really love me. That Daddy told him that I'm not even really his son. And how could I be? I look nothing like Daddy or Matt, Matt's so much taller and he's got Dark hair and dark eyes. I've got blonde hair and green eyes, Matt's all muscular already and me I'm just skinny and boney. I really am starting to belive him. I don't know what to do..well I better go Matt's yelling at me to come down and help him.
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Its about 12:30 I think, my arm is killing me. It was an accident I suppose cause thats what Matt said. But, I fell down the stairs. My Head aches and Daddy won't let me go to sleep, so I'm writing this on a piece of paper in the hospital room so I can add it to you later. I left my room to go downstairs and Matt grabbed me he yelled at me that he didn't have time to be looking for me, He shoved me away from him and I tripped and fell down the stairs. When I woke up I was in the hospital and Matt told me that it had been an accident. I guess thats true I don't know for sure anymore. Nothing is for sure anymore. I don't know if I'm gonna go home either Daddy says he wants me to see a docter who will talk to me. There's nothing to talk about I'm just accident prone I guess.
Jeanna sighed and rubbed her forehead, she was starting to suspect Matt's phsycological abuse had been going on for years. But, she had an inkling of an idea to where Shannon might be now. She slowly started to close the journal when a piece of paper fell out and drifted to the floor. She picked it up and looked at it. The edges were dark and fragil, with looked like dried blood. He bit his lip and slowly unfolded the piece of paper. She was possitive it was blood on the paper. The hand writing was scrawling and weak. She studied the weak and faded writing.
If I dissapear Daddy, with out reason, check the caves in the back acers. There in the stand of pine tree's......about five feet in, then straight up the hill. Thats where I'll be I'm sure.
Jeanna folded the piece of paper wondering where the blood had come from, whose blood it was, if it was Jeffs. The handwriting blended close to Jeff's so she was pretty sure it was his. She looked out the bedroom window and stared at the driveway. She put the journal back in the draw shutting it, she stepped from the room and across the hall right into the second Bedroom. This one was definittly Matts. Her eyes though were drawn to something on the wall. She looked at it, The thing on the wall looked like it had held something, as she studied the object she could almost see the faint fadeing given by the sun.
"A baseball bat." She froze feeling a sick feeling in her stomach. The baseball bat the police had taken as evidence had come from this spot on the wall.
She turned and looked around the room and stared out the window. She could see Jeff's trailer and the woods vannishing up behind it. She turned and hurried downstairs and out into the backyard. She frowned nervously and set out for the woods.
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Shannon slowly woke up to feel hands working on him. He was so cold and everything was so bright. He heard someone call his name and he jerked his head to the left.
"Mr. Moore?" It was a man's voice. "This is Dr. Pratchett." The man said. "Can you hear me Mr. Moore?"
Shannon groaned and blinked trying to clear his vision. He felt something prick his skin and he thrashed slightly trying to break away. "No.." he whined.
"Its alright Mr. Moore, your safe now." The voice said soothingly smoothing his hair away from his face.
He blinked again things came into sharp focus and pain snapped across his ribs as the docter prodded at the bruise on them. He looked around slowly and winced. His neck hurt to. "Where am I?" he whispered.
"County general." The voice responded. "Mr. Moore do you remember what happened to you?"
Shannon blinked thinking back, thinking about Jeff. "Jeff?" He whispered.
The docter came into veiw he nodded. "Yes, what about him?"
"I..I don't remember." he whispered he felt like everything was drifting around him painfully coldly. He wanted to curl up and die again.
"Its alright Mr. Moore, were going to have someone your comfortable with to talk to you." The doctor said.
Shannon slowly blinked confused and scared. He remembered seeing Jeff laying on the floor. His eyes wide and empty. Swirling downwards into the emptyness of a dying mind. He whimpered and curled up on the bed shivering like he were cold. He heard people talking but he didn't wanna open his eyes and look or see who it was.
"Shannon?" A soft voice filtered into his mind.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked up into the grey-green eyes of Jeanna Bishop. "Hi." he whispered.
She smiled softly. "How are you?" She asked.
"Is Jeff okay?" He asked softly.
She smiled slowly almost sadly. "He's doing better." Something in her eyes shifted and he knew she was lying.
"He's dead isn't he?" He cried.
She shook her head rapidly. "No, no he's not dead." She smoothed his hair. "They have him drugged to keep him from hurting himself while his injuries heal."
He relaxed slowly and closed his eyes. " I don't think I did it Jeanna." He whispered. " I can barley remember that night."
She sat down slowly and looked at him. "Shannon, I need to know what Matt did to you?" she said. "I got him arressted, but it won't keep him in jail long."
Shannon looked at her slowly, his blue eyes sparkleing with held back tears, and memories of pain and tourture. "I'm not sure I can." He whispered softly.
She sighed and slowly took his hand. "Shannon please if you want to stop Matt from hurting you or Jeff ever again, you need to tell me."
He sighed and shifted on the bed wincing at his broken ribs. "Alright, I'll try."
He closed his eyes slowly pulling on the memories he had kept so long buried with-in his own mind.
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Jeff slowly lifted his head from the mattress, the world swam and he felt sick to his stomach. He lowered his head and groaned softly. He heard movement in the darkness around him and turned his head slowly.
"Jeff?" His Dad called softly. "Are you awake?"
"I think so.." He whispered. "Why's it Dark?"
"Its night time Jeff I turned the lights off so as not to disturb you." Gil responded. "Do you want me to turn something on?"
Jeff nodded then remember his Dad coudln't see him. "Yeah, could ya Daddy?"
He heard a soft chuckel then yellow light came on slowly. Jeff blinked adjusting his eyes to the light. He looked around the hospitale room silently. Everything was that sick patient, overly Cheerful, trying to make someone feel better, Yellowy Green. "Why do the people who paint hospitals think the color of Puke will make people feel better?" He asked finally looking at his Dad seriously.
Gil smiled in the dim light and shook his head. "I don't know son." He laughed. "I don't know."
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Two long weeks had passed Jeff was doing better as a matter of Fact he and Shannon were both doing better. Jeff was sitting on one of the lounge chairs on the back porch. Shannon came out and sat down next to him looking silly in the bluky sweatshirt he was wearing. When Jeff had asked him why he was wearing, Shannon had responded that he always felt cold.
Jeff nodded and closed his eyes enjoying the sun on his skin. He hated hospitals and had taken three showers just they day he had come home. The doorbell rang loudly from inside the house and Jeff knew his dad wasn't home so he thought about ignoring it. He kept his eyes closed and sighed when the doorbell rang again loudly insistently. He got up and slowly made his way to the front door.
"Who is it?" He called loudly.
"Its me!" Jeanna called from outside.
Jeff paused she sounded nervouse and upset about something. "Hold on!" He called and unlocked the door. Right before he opened it he looked over his shoulder at Shannon who had followed him into the hallway. He would later wish Shannon had remained outside on the porch. He slowly opened the door. "Hey, Jeanna." He said smiling. "Whats up?"
She smiled nervously. "Matt' got out of Prison."
Jeff paled and took a step back from the door as the barrel of a gun came around the corner and pointed at his face. "In the house little brother." Matt said coldly snidly. "We need to talk."
Jeff backed up even more looking over his shoulder hopeing Shannon had run.
"Don't even think about it you little Shit!" Matt Snapped shoveing Jeanna into the house and leveling the gun at Shannon. "In the liveing room all three of you!"
Jeff knew there was no argueing now. He sighed and went into then sat down on the couch looking at his brother silently. Matt shoved Jeanna and Shannon onto the couch next to him then looked at Jeff. "You weren't supposed to survive!"
He moved around behind the couch and crouched down pressing the gun against the back of Jeff's head. "No, you weren't supposed to survive..because your' not an Angel...oh no Jeff..your far from it." The cold click of the hammer being drawn back sent shivers down the younger Hardy's spine. "Why don't you tell them what we used to do Jeffy.." Matt whispered in his ear his tongue brushing his ear.
Jeff tensed and shivered again closeing his eyes tightly. The gun was shoved against the soft underside of his skull. "Tell them Jeff do it or your Brains will be decorating the ceiling!"
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TBC~
A/N: DAMN! I didn't think I would ever finnish this chapter. (Sighs and wipes the sweat from her brow) Okay, question time, What is Matt thinking? What did him and Jeff used to do? Will Jeff Survive this accounter with his brother? Or will someone else feel the brunt of Matt's insane wrath.