"I just called the hospital," Nancy informed Frank as she ran a brush
through her shoulder length blonde hair.
"And?" he prompted. Frank stepped out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.
"He woke up about an hour ago." She checked her image in the mirror and satisfied with what she saw, she turned back to look at Frank. "So, as soon as you're ready, we can head on over there," Nancy replied.
"Give me just another minute, then we can go."
"Sure," she replied, stifling a yawn. The alarm had gone off twice during the night, and each time Nancy asked Frank the mandatory questions of "who are you? where are you? and who am I?" in order to make sure that there were no complications from Frank's concussion.
A few seconds later, Frank emerged from the bathroom and grabbed his jacket off of the desk chair. "Let's go."
As the two walked out of the hotel room, Nancy asked, "How's your head?"
"I have a headache," he admitted. "But, I just popped some aspirin, so I'll be fine."
Nancy paused in the middle of the hallway. "Maybe you should just stay here and get some more rest," she offered. "I can talk to Ned by myself."
"Not gonna happen," Frank countered, as he turned to face her. "We don't know how deep this whole mess is, and I'm not leaving you alone to figure it out."
"I'm a big girl, Frank," she chided him. "I can handle myself, you know."
"I know that," he said calmly. "But we don't know who we're dealing with yet. Nan, I had my sidearm strapped on yesterday, and looked what happened." Frank gingerly touched the top of his head for emphasis.
Nancy sighed. "Point taken. But if your headache doesn't subside soon, you're coming back here to rest, agreed?"
"Agreed." He threw an arm around Nancy's shoulders and they continued towards the elevator. "Now let's go find out just what in the hell is going on around here."
During the ride to the hospital, Frank's cell phone rang. He pulled the phone from the pocket of his leather jacket and grinned when he saw the number displayed on the LCD screen. Frank glanced over at Nancy and smiled. Flipping open the phone he greeted the person on the other end, "Hey, baby brother!"
Nancy laughed as she heard him speak to his brother. Joe Hardy, a year younger than Frank, was also a dear friend of Nancy's. The two brothers were very close to one another and each loved to tease the other. They put up with each other's good natured ribbing on an almost continual basis.
"Frank, it's only a year," Joe laughed. "When are you going to get over it already?"
"Never," Frank laughed right back. "So, what's going on?"
Joe sighed on the other end of the phone. "Frank, you've got to get me out of here."
"What's wrong?" Frank asked, suddenly concerned.
"Vanessa's about to drive me right over the edge," Joe began. "I swear to God, I just want us to get on a plane to Vegas tonight and elope. She's turning into a basket case, Frank!"
Nancy glanced at Frank and she saw the tension subside from his face. She raised her eyebrows in question and Frank mouthed 'Vanessa'.
"Well Joe, it is a pretty big day for her. She's got a lot to be worried about," he reminded his brother.
"That's just it," Joe replied. "She worries too much! It's like she's turned into some sort of monster over this whole damn thing. It's like she morphs into Bridezilla when wedding plans come up in conversation."
Frank chuckled at Joe's explanation. "It can't be that bad."
"Oh brother, you have no idea. She went absolutely livid when the invitations arrived the other day. She sent them back to the printer just because the dark blue ink wasn't the right shade of dark blue. How many damn kinds of dark blue ink are there anyway?" Joe sighed once more as he explained Vanessa's behavior.
"Hey, Nan," Frank asked with a grin on his face. "How many colors of dark blue are there?"
Knowing this had to have something to do with the wedding plans, Nancy decided to take Vanessa's side in the argument. "Well, let's see. There's royal blue, midnight blue, and navy blue for starters."
"See Joe," Frank laughed at his younger brother's situation. "Nancy can name at least three kinds off the top of her head."
"Nancy?" Joe asked. "Nancy Drew?"
"The one and only," Frank responded.
"What are you... oh that's right!" Joe said as recognition dawned. "I forgot that meeting was in Chicago. Tell her I said hello."
Frank turned to Nancy, "Joe says hi."
"Hi, Joe!" Nancy sweetly chirped as loud as she could.
Turning his attention back to the phone Frank asked, "So what would you say if I had an excuse to get you out of wedding plan hell and over to Chicago?"
Joe snorted. "Are you kidding me? I'd be on the first plane out in the morning! Of course I might not be engaged when I get back..."
"Trust me, I think Van would understand. Let me explain what's going on over here." Frank quickly filled his brother in on what had transpired the last two days.
"Damn," Joe whistled when Frank finished telling him the story.
"So what do you say? Feel like having a Hardy Brothers-Nancy Drew reunion?" Frank asked.
"Count me in. I've got a few days off due to me. I'll let Van know what's going on and then I'll call you back as soon as I get a flight," Joe promised his brother.
"Thanks, Joe. Nancy and I appreciate it," Frank said sincerely.
"Is there something else going on I should know about?" Joe teased.
"Call me back with your flight information," Frank replied, ignoring Joe's comments. He didn't want to discuss the details of whatever was happening between himself and Nancy in front of her. "Bye."
He clicked the off button before Joe could reply and turned to Nancy. "The calvary will be arriving in the morning," he said with a laugh.
"And?" he prompted. Frank stepped out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.
"He woke up about an hour ago." She checked her image in the mirror and satisfied with what she saw, she turned back to look at Frank. "So, as soon as you're ready, we can head on over there," Nancy replied.
"Give me just another minute, then we can go."
"Sure," she replied, stifling a yawn. The alarm had gone off twice during the night, and each time Nancy asked Frank the mandatory questions of "who are you? where are you? and who am I?" in order to make sure that there were no complications from Frank's concussion.
A few seconds later, Frank emerged from the bathroom and grabbed his jacket off of the desk chair. "Let's go."
As the two walked out of the hotel room, Nancy asked, "How's your head?"
"I have a headache," he admitted. "But, I just popped some aspirin, so I'll be fine."
Nancy paused in the middle of the hallway. "Maybe you should just stay here and get some more rest," she offered. "I can talk to Ned by myself."
"Not gonna happen," Frank countered, as he turned to face her. "We don't know how deep this whole mess is, and I'm not leaving you alone to figure it out."
"I'm a big girl, Frank," she chided him. "I can handle myself, you know."
"I know that," he said calmly. "But we don't know who we're dealing with yet. Nan, I had my sidearm strapped on yesterday, and looked what happened." Frank gingerly touched the top of his head for emphasis.
Nancy sighed. "Point taken. But if your headache doesn't subside soon, you're coming back here to rest, agreed?"
"Agreed." He threw an arm around Nancy's shoulders and they continued towards the elevator. "Now let's go find out just what in the hell is going on around here."
During the ride to the hospital, Frank's cell phone rang. He pulled the phone from the pocket of his leather jacket and grinned when he saw the number displayed on the LCD screen. Frank glanced over at Nancy and smiled. Flipping open the phone he greeted the person on the other end, "Hey, baby brother!"
Nancy laughed as she heard him speak to his brother. Joe Hardy, a year younger than Frank, was also a dear friend of Nancy's. The two brothers were very close to one another and each loved to tease the other. They put up with each other's good natured ribbing on an almost continual basis.
"Frank, it's only a year," Joe laughed. "When are you going to get over it already?"
"Never," Frank laughed right back. "So, what's going on?"
Joe sighed on the other end of the phone. "Frank, you've got to get me out of here."
"What's wrong?" Frank asked, suddenly concerned.
"Vanessa's about to drive me right over the edge," Joe began. "I swear to God, I just want us to get on a plane to Vegas tonight and elope. She's turning into a basket case, Frank!"
Nancy glanced at Frank and she saw the tension subside from his face. She raised her eyebrows in question and Frank mouthed 'Vanessa'.
"Well Joe, it is a pretty big day for her. She's got a lot to be worried about," he reminded his brother.
"That's just it," Joe replied. "She worries too much! It's like she's turned into some sort of monster over this whole damn thing. It's like she morphs into Bridezilla when wedding plans come up in conversation."
Frank chuckled at Joe's explanation. "It can't be that bad."
"Oh brother, you have no idea. She went absolutely livid when the invitations arrived the other day. She sent them back to the printer just because the dark blue ink wasn't the right shade of dark blue. How many damn kinds of dark blue ink are there anyway?" Joe sighed once more as he explained Vanessa's behavior.
"Hey, Nan," Frank asked with a grin on his face. "How many colors of dark blue are there?"
Knowing this had to have something to do with the wedding plans, Nancy decided to take Vanessa's side in the argument. "Well, let's see. There's royal blue, midnight blue, and navy blue for starters."
"See Joe," Frank laughed at his younger brother's situation. "Nancy can name at least three kinds off the top of her head."
"Nancy?" Joe asked. "Nancy Drew?"
"The one and only," Frank responded.
"What are you... oh that's right!" Joe said as recognition dawned. "I forgot that meeting was in Chicago. Tell her I said hello."
Frank turned to Nancy, "Joe says hi."
"Hi, Joe!" Nancy sweetly chirped as loud as she could.
Turning his attention back to the phone Frank asked, "So what would you say if I had an excuse to get you out of wedding plan hell and over to Chicago?"
Joe snorted. "Are you kidding me? I'd be on the first plane out in the morning! Of course I might not be engaged when I get back..."
"Trust me, I think Van would understand. Let me explain what's going on over here." Frank quickly filled his brother in on what had transpired the last two days.
"Damn," Joe whistled when Frank finished telling him the story.
"So what do you say? Feel like having a Hardy Brothers-Nancy Drew reunion?" Frank asked.
"Count me in. I've got a few days off due to me. I'll let Van know what's going on and then I'll call you back as soon as I get a flight," Joe promised his brother.
"Thanks, Joe. Nancy and I appreciate it," Frank said sincerely.
"Is there something else going on I should know about?" Joe teased.
"Call me back with your flight information," Frank replied, ignoring Joe's comments. He didn't want to discuss the details of whatever was happening between himself and Nancy in front of her. "Bye."
He clicked the off button before Joe could reply and turned to Nancy. "The calvary will be arriving in the morning," he said with a laugh.