Chapter 15
The desire to scratch his itching wrists was getting irresistible, but Joe Hardy still felt too weak to struggle with invisible grips that wouldn't let him move and do something about his tickly problem. He had woken up a few minutes ago to the mix of strange, yet very familiar smells, the pleasurable coolness of the surroundings, distant and muffled sounds – and horrible heaviness in his whole body that he could do nothing about.
Joe sighed inwardly, hating to be unable to do anything. But the itchy feeling became so unendurable that he did his utmost to collect his strengths and try to rub his wrists against something he felt he was lying on when suddenly-
He suddenly froze. Something had moved on his stomach, and he daren't breathe. The movement stopped a moment later and Joe lay still for a few moments, when nothing happened he peeped his eyes open. Everything was swimming out of focus and it took him some time to adjust his vision and distinguish something dark lying still on his abdomen. He peered at it and then a weak smile touched his lips.
"Frank?" Joe couldn't recognize his own voice which was barely a whisper. Rasping, it left a sore feeling in his throat.
Frank didn't stir to the scarcely audible voice calling him. Joe looked around the room – white walls, soft light, a bed he was lying on under a bluish blanket, an IV stand to his left – and frowned. Hospital. He was in hospital. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what had happened that lead him to being on a hospital bed again and then his eyes suddenly flew open.
"Frank!" he called anxiously a bit louder this time, oblivious to the pain in his vocal chords. "Frank!..."
He saw his brother's eyelids flutter and then a pair of tired eyes looked at him. Confused at first, the look in them was replaced by happiness the next second. "Joe, you aw-..."
"Chet?" Joe asked hoarsely, interrupting him in mid-sentence.
"What?" Frank knitted his eyebrows in confusion.
"Did they find him? Did they find Chet?"
"Find Chet?... Oh, yeah, yes, sure. He's going to make it, don't worry," Frank assured him. At Joe's sigh of relief, he rubbed his eyes and smiled, "I must have fallen asleep again. When did you wake up? I mean- how are you feeling?"
"Dead beat," Joe made a grimace. "How long have I been here?"
"Since today's morning, so it's seven hours or so ," Frank replied and raised from his seat. "Your doctor asked to call him when you'd wake up. You stay awake and I'll be back in no time."
"Stay a few more days under observation," Joe mimicked the doctor, causing his brother to sneer, and sighed. "I wanna go home."
Frank smiled sympathetically at him, "You will in a few days. After all it's done for your own good. I know," he raised a hand before Joe had a chance to object, "I know that you feel alright, but doctors orders should be followed."
"Talk about free will in our times of freedom of action," Joe muttered under his breathe in reply.
The brothers were left alone after Dr. Farmington had finished examining Joe and his verdict seemed too bleak to the patient – three or four more days in hospital under observation and then bed rest at home.
"Do you feel comfortable?" Frank asked, changing the subject.
"My bed at home is better," Joe replied, shifting on the bed when feeling a wrinkle under his back. "But yes, I feel fine, especially after...." He paused awkwardly and bit his lower lip. "Especially after everything," he finished quietly. "You know, I actually think any position except sitting on a chair will seem fine for a long time now."
Frank said nothing to that, having a feeling his brother wanted to let his emotions out.
"Gosh, Frank, he was such a psycho," Joe said quietly and shook his head, looking aside. "It's a miracle I'm here, safe and sound, and Chet is alive."
Silence fell between them while Joe was lost in his sad thoughts and Frank was waiting for him to say something. When he didn't, he gently took his left hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "He's in the past," he said softly. "And you and Chet are going to be alright and that's the most important thing."
"Where's he now?" Joe asked. "Newman, I mean."
"Dad said he was in hospital – not this hospital, of course," Frank quickly added, seeing horror cross his brother's face. "And when he gets better he's going back to prison."
"Good. Because that's where he belongs....How is Chet doing? Is he really going to be alright?" Joe looked pleadingly at his brother.
"Doctors don't rule out any possible complications, but so far he's been stable, so they're quite optimistic about him."
Joe let out a heavy sigh, "This is so unfair, isn't it? That's what I was thinking about back then when we were there and it was driving me mad. When you or I get kidnapped or threatened or worse - hurt, it's one thing, but our friends – what for?"
"You know what for. Because it's the easiest way to hurt someone. Especially when that someone is there to see it all."
"Chet said the same thing, but I still can't accept it. I mean if you're having trouble with me, sort it out with me, but don't attract my friends to it."
"Joe, people like that don't care what is right, fair, decent and what is not," Frank said. "So you can as well stop asking questions like 'why?' and demanding decency. There's no way to persuade them, to explain that what they're doing is wrong and immoral – they won't understand because they don't want to listen."
"But it's not right!"
"It's not. But that's why there are people like Dad, like you and I, like Chief Collig and many others, right?" Frank said with a smile. "And when things like this happen they should only encourage us to work faster and more effective to save those we care about."
Joe eyed him for a few moments, then looked down at his hands, "But sometimes we fail to save someone," he said quietly, swallowing.
"No one is omnipotent, Joe. I'm not, you're not, Dad's not – no one is. Sometimes we fail and it happens against our will. There are limits to what we can do. And there's no point in blaming yourself for that."
"I know all that, but.... Frank, there was one moment when I woke up and heard him tell Chet that he would be the first to experience all he had planned for us. And then he left and I prayed he wouldn't do it to Chet when he returned. Because I knew I wouldn't be able save him. And it...it was a horrible feeling of complete helplessness, of dependence on someone who might be too late to come and save him...." Joe's voice quieted down to a trembling whisper. "And I feel so bad about it now, truth be told..."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to be a detective, I'm supposed to be bold and brave and strong-"
"Hardy, in one word," Frank said with a smile.
Joe forced a weak smile for him which vanished as quickly as it had come, "Hardy, in one word. And when I get into a really hazardous situation I.... Newman had me freakened out just by walking into the room, so when I heard him say that.... I tried to free myself, I tried so damn hard, but I couldn't," his looked at the bandaged around his wrists and he instinctively scratched them, "and then I knew I could only wait, because there was nothing I could personally do. And I was mad about it... And it's bad."
"Is it really?" Frank raised his eyebrows questioningly. "I'd say it's natural. Everyone hates to be unable to do anything to get them out of danger. And to fail to protect their friends or relatives. The most important thing in times like that is to trust and rely on people who are looking for you and keep your head cool."
"That's the worst thing, Frank," Joe said sadly, not looking at his brother. "Not only did I fail to protect him-"
"Sorry to interrupt, but it wasn't your fault, you didn't ask for such a thing to happen with you and Chet, so don't upbraid yourself for that."
Joe sighed heavily, "He was so calm, Frank, as if we were staying for a night in some motel and there was no danger.... And you know the worst thing? He had to calm me down, because I was so afraid I was losing my mind – and I was furious because I couldn't help it... Well, let's just say it was a difficult night for Chet who had to tolerate my- my breakdown under those circumstances. I won't be surprised if he'll be dashing off from a coward like me upon seeing me from now on."
"No, he won't. Because he's a smart guy and he knows that you weren't furious at him, but at the whole situation you could do nothing about. And it's not cowardice. All this night I was going crazy at home, waiting for the news, but doing nothing, because as much as I detested to admit it but there was nothing I could do, to help the situation," Frank said with a hint of sadness to his voice. "But you won't ignore me and consider me a coward, will you?"
"No, of course, no."
"See? And anyway - "None but a coward dares to boast he has never known fear"," Frank said solemnly. Catching his brother's stunned glance, he reddened, "It's not my words. I don't remember who said that."
Joe's lips curved into a smile, "Geez, Frank, I was so afraid that I won't be there to see you again, to hear your abstruse things....and that even if I do see and hear you I'll be in such a state that I'd be a burden upon everyone...."
"Don't talk rubbish, you could never become a burden. It's your disappearance from our lives that would be a burden," Frank replied softly. "You know, I'm so happy you're going to be okay," he leaned down and put his arms around his brother and held him tightly.
"And I am happy to make you happy that I'm going to be okay, too," Joe said with a chuckle. "Ouch, don't squeeze me like this, you'll break my ribs. Besides I'm your brother, not a lover."
"What a boor you are!" Frank let him go and shook his head. "Wait till Mom gets here before you call it 'squeeze like this'. Dad's gone to pick her up from the airport, so they should be here any moment now."
The next second both of them turned to look at the door, hearing approaching steps and muffled, but familiar voices at the door.
"You're a harbinger, did you know?" Joe said and the next moment smiled at his overjoyed parents who had entered the room and rushed to hug him.
The desire to scratch his itching wrists was getting irresistible, but Joe Hardy still felt too weak to struggle with invisible grips that wouldn't let him move and do something about his tickly problem. He had woken up a few minutes ago to the mix of strange, yet very familiar smells, the pleasurable coolness of the surroundings, distant and muffled sounds – and horrible heaviness in his whole body that he could do nothing about.
Joe sighed inwardly, hating to be unable to do anything. But the itchy feeling became so unendurable that he did his utmost to collect his strengths and try to rub his wrists against something he felt he was lying on when suddenly-
He suddenly froze. Something had moved on his stomach, and he daren't breathe. The movement stopped a moment later and Joe lay still for a few moments, when nothing happened he peeped his eyes open. Everything was swimming out of focus and it took him some time to adjust his vision and distinguish something dark lying still on his abdomen. He peered at it and then a weak smile touched his lips.
"Frank?" Joe couldn't recognize his own voice which was barely a whisper. Rasping, it left a sore feeling in his throat.
Frank didn't stir to the scarcely audible voice calling him. Joe looked around the room – white walls, soft light, a bed he was lying on under a bluish blanket, an IV stand to his left – and frowned. Hospital. He was in hospital. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what had happened that lead him to being on a hospital bed again and then his eyes suddenly flew open.
"Frank!" he called anxiously a bit louder this time, oblivious to the pain in his vocal chords. "Frank!..."
He saw his brother's eyelids flutter and then a pair of tired eyes looked at him. Confused at first, the look in them was replaced by happiness the next second. "Joe, you aw-..."
"Chet?" Joe asked hoarsely, interrupting him in mid-sentence.
"What?" Frank knitted his eyebrows in confusion.
"Did they find him? Did they find Chet?"
"Find Chet?... Oh, yeah, yes, sure. He's going to make it, don't worry," Frank assured him. At Joe's sigh of relief, he rubbed his eyes and smiled, "I must have fallen asleep again. When did you wake up? I mean- how are you feeling?"
"Dead beat," Joe made a grimace. "How long have I been here?"
"Since today's morning, so it's seven hours or so ," Frank replied and raised from his seat. "Your doctor asked to call him when you'd wake up. You stay awake and I'll be back in no time."
"Stay a few more days under observation," Joe mimicked the doctor, causing his brother to sneer, and sighed. "I wanna go home."
Frank smiled sympathetically at him, "You will in a few days. After all it's done for your own good. I know," he raised a hand before Joe had a chance to object, "I know that you feel alright, but doctors orders should be followed."
"Talk about free will in our times of freedom of action," Joe muttered under his breathe in reply.
The brothers were left alone after Dr. Farmington had finished examining Joe and his verdict seemed too bleak to the patient – three or four more days in hospital under observation and then bed rest at home.
"Do you feel comfortable?" Frank asked, changing the subject.
"My bed at home is better," Joe replied, shifting on the bed when feeling a wrinkle under his back. "But yes, I feel fine, especially after...." He paused awkwardly and bit his lower lip. "Especially after everything," he finished quietly. "You know, I actually think any position except sitting on a chair will seem fine for a long time now."
Frank said nothing to that, having a feeling his brother wanted to let his emotions out.
"Gosh, Frank, he was such a psycho," Joe said quietly and shook his head, looking aside. "It's a miracle I'm here, safe and sound, and Chet is alive."
Silence fell between them while Joe was lost in his sad thoughts and Frank was waiting for him to say something. When he didn't, he gently took his left hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "He's in the past," he said softly. "And you and Chet are going to be alright and that's the most important thing."
"Where's he now?" Joe asked. "Newman, I mean."
"Dad said he was in hospital – not this hospital, of course," Frank quickly added, seeing horror cross his brother's face. "And when he gets better he's going back to prison."
"Good. Because that's where he belongs....How is Chet doing? Is he really going to be alright?" Joe looked pleadingly at his brother.
"Doctors don't rule out any possible complications, but so far he's been stable, so they're quite optimistic about him."
Joe let out a heavy sigh, "This is so unfair, isn't it? That's what I was thinking about back then when we were there and it was driving me mad. When you or I get kidnapped or threatened or worse - hurt, it's one thing, but our friends – what for?"
"You know what for. Because it's the easiest way to hurt someone. Especially when that someone is there to see it all."
"Chet said the same thing, but I still can't accept it. I mean if you're having trouble with me, sort it out with me, but don't attract my friends to it."
"Joe, people like that don't care what is right, fair, decent and what is not," Frank said. "So you can as well stop asking questions like 'why?' and demanding decency. There's no way to persuade them, to explain that what they're doing is wrong and immoral – they won't understand because they don't want to listen."
"But it's not right!"
"It's not. But that's why there are people like Dad, like you and I, like Chief Collig and many others, right?" Frank said with a smile. "And when things like this happen they should only encourage us to work faster and more effective to save those we care about."
Joe eyed him for a few moments, then looked down at his hands, "But sometimes we fail to save someone," he said quietly, swallowing.
"No one is omnipotent, Joe. I'm not, you're not, Dad's not – no one is. Sometimes we fail and it happens against our will. There are limits to what we can do. And there's no point in blaming yourself for that."
"I know all that, but.... Frank, there was one moment when I woke up and heard him tell Chet that he would be the first to experience all he had planned for us. And then he left and I prayed he wouldn't do it to Chet when he returned. Because I knew I wouldn't be able save him. And it...it was a horrible feeling of complete helplessness, of dependence on someone who might be too late to come and save him...." Joe's voice quieted down to a trembling whisper. "And I feel so bad about it now, truth be told..."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to be a detective, I'm supposed to be bold and brave and strong-"
"Hardy, in one word," Frank said with a smile.
Joe forced a weak smile for him which vanished as quickly as it had come, "Hardy, in one word. And when I get into a really hazardous situation I.... Newman had me freakened out just by walking into the room, so when I heard him say that.... I tried to free myself, I tried so damn hard, but I couldn't," his looked at the bandaged around his wrists and he instinctively scratched them, "and then I knew I could only wait, because there was nothing I could personally do. And I was mad about it... And it's bad."
"Is it really?" Frank raised his eyebrows questioningly. "I'd say it's natural. Everyone hates to be unable to do anything to get them out of danger. And to fail to protect their friends or relatives. The most important thing in times like that is to trust and rely on people who are looking for you and keep your head cool."
"That's the worst thing, Frank," Joe said sadly, not looking at his brother. "Not only did I fail to protect him-"
"Sorry to interrupt, but it wasn't your fault, you didn't ask for such a thing to happen with you and Chet, so don't upbraid yourself for that."
Joe sighed heavily, "He was so calm, Frank, as if we were staying for a night in some motel and there was no danger.... And you know the worst thing? He had to calm me down, because I was so afraid I was losing my mind – and I was furious because I couldn't help it... Well, let's just say it was a difficult night for Chet who had to tolerate my- my breakdown under those circumstances. I won't be surprised if he'll be dashing off from a coward like me upon seeing me from now on."
"No, he won't. Because he's a smart guy and he knows that you weren't furious at him, but at the whole situation you could do nothing about. And it's not cowardice. All this night I was going crazy at home, waiting for the news, but doing nothing, because as much as I detested to admit it but there was nothing I could do, to help the situation," Frank said with a hint of sadness to his voice. "But you won't ignore me and consider me a coward, will you?"
"No, of course, no."
"See? And anyway - "None but a coward dares to boast he has never known fear"," Frank said solemnly. Catching his brother's stunned glance, he reddened, "It's not my words. I don't remember who said that."
Joe's lips curved into a smile, "Geez, Frank, I was so afraid that I won't be there to see you again, to hear your abstruse things....and that even if I do see and hear you I'll be in such a state that I'd be a burden upon everyone...."
"Don't talk rubbish, you could never become a burden. It's your disappearance from our lives that would be a burden," Frank replied softly. "You know, I'm so happy you're going to be okay," he leaned down and put his arms around his brother and held him tightly.
"And I am happy to make you happy that I'm going to be okay, too," Joe said with a chuckle. "Ouch, don't squeeze me like this, you'll break my ribs. Besides I'm your brother, not a lover."
"What a boor you are!" Frank let him go and shook his head. "Wait till Mom gets here before you call it 'squeeze like this'. Dad's gone to pick her up from the airport, so they should be here any moment now."
The next second both of them turned to look at the door, hearing approaching steps and muffled, but familiar voices at the door.
"You're a harbinger, did you know?" Joe said and the next moment smiled at his overjoyed parents who had entered the room and rushed to hug him.