Terrified, Frank disconnected then hit the preprogrammed key for 911. He told the operator about his call and he was assured an ambulance was on its way. He stepped on the gas and pushed the limit as he headed home, unaware he had picked up a tail.
As he screeched to a halt in his driveway a red jeep came to a stop behind him and out jumped Tony and Phil. "What's wrong?" demanded Phil, running to catch up with Frank.
Phil and Tony had been on their way home after escorting Nick safely to his when they had seen Frank speed by them, his face white and mouth grim.
Frank grabbed the knob of the front door and turned it, not taking the time to answer his friend. Scared to death about Joe, Frank didn't waste time with his key when he discovered it was locked. He stepped back and kicked out. The door splintered open and Frank hurried inside with his friends close on his heels.
"Joe!" shouted Frank, rushing toward the kitchen where strangled sounds could be heard above the wail of sirens which were drawing closer.
Frank pushed on the kitchen door but felt resistance. He pushed a little harder but not too hard in case the block happened to be Joe. It was! Joe was on the floor, writhing with salvia falling from the side of his mouth. His blue eyes were glassy and he was having a difficult time breathing.
The phone cord had become wrapped around Joe's ankles preventing him from kicking but his arms were flailing wildly about. As they watched, Joe fell silent. Tony and Frank hurried forward to remove the phone cord as Phil raced outside to greet the ambulance and police that had pulled to a stop beside the ambulance.
Joe was strapped down to a stretcher with an oxygen mask placed over his nose and mouth. Frank rode in the ambulance with Joe while Phil and Tony followed in the jeep. The police remained to see what had created Joe's violent reaction.
As the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Joe slipped into a coma. He was whisked back to the doctor and Frank was made to wait. Phil and Tony arrived a few minutes later. While Tony kept Frank company, Phil called Vanessa and Callie and then the Hardy home to leave a message for Mr. and Mrs. Hardy on their answering machine in case the police left before they returned.
Two hours passed with Frank pacing the waiting room floor. Vanessa and Callie had arrived to wait and while Callie, Phil and Tony sat silently watching Frank prowl the floor in frustration, Vanessa sat by the window with tear stained cheeks.
"This is all my fault," Frank muttered as he paced. "I knew he was a target but what do I do? I leave town," he answered his own question in absolute disgust.
"Stop it," ordered Phil. "It isn't your fault. If anyone is to blame, it's me. Tony could have watched Nick by himself while I kept an eye on Joe."
"Hold it," Callie stepped in. "We don't even know what's wrong with Joe," she pointed out. "It may have nothing to do with the case."
"She's right," Tony concurred. "Weren't all of the other contestants injured in accidents?"
Frank nodded and started pacing again. The waiting was always torture. He glanced at his watch. Where were his parents?
Another hour passed before Fenton and Laura arrived. "How is he?" demanded Laura, running ahead of her husband and coming to a stop in front of Frank who was now sitting beside Callie.
"I don't know," Frank said, not looking up.
"What happened?" asked Fenton, putting an arm around his wife's shoulders and looking down at Frank.
"He ingested some poisonous mushrooms," came an authoritative voice from behind them. The Hardys turned to look at the tall, balding man who walked toward them. "I'm Dr. Marvin," he introduced himself. "He will be okay. Provided he stays on the high complex carbohydrate diet I have given him," he added.
"He doesn't need to be on a diet," protested Frank.
"This diet is designed to flush out the poisons that his body has absorbed. He needs to stay on it for two weeks and then he must have a blood work-up to ensure his system is clean at that time."
"But he is all right now?" Vanessa asked.
"He's conscious and doing well," Dr. Marvin confirmed. "You can see him whenever you like and he can go home tomorrow afternoon."
"Why not now?" inquired Mr. Hardy, his forehead creased in worry.
"He has had at least two seizures that we know of and I think a period of observation would be prudent under the circumstances."
"Thank you," Fenton said, holding out his hand and grasping the doctor's in a firm handshake.
"He's in room 412," Dr. Marvin said when his hand had been released. "I'll check on him again later tonight and tomorrow his regular doctor will be here for a final examination before Joe is released. Good night," he added, returning the way he had come.
The group entered the elevator and got off on the fourth floor. Frank was the first one to reach Joe's room and he stopped in the doorway and emitted a relieved sigh when he saw his younger brother propped up and waiting for them to arrive.
"How are you feeling?" asked Frank entering the room and going to stand at Joe's bedside.
"Like I ate a bag of cotton balls," Joe replied, his nose wrinkling in distaste.
"What happened?" Vanessa asked, she and the others had made their way inside and had encircled Joe's bed.
Joe shook his head and gave a slight shrug. "I just ate some of the pizza," he said.
"What pizza?" asked Frank, his forehead wrinkling in puzzlement.
"The one mom and dad left in the fridge from Mr. Pizza," answered Joe.
"The mushrooms were from our place?" Tony exclaimed in shock. Mr. Pizza was owned and operated by Tony's family.
"I don't believe so," Fenton commented. "We didn't leave a pizza in the refrigerator."
"But there was a note on the bulletin board," Joe objected and told them what it said. "It was a pepperoni and mushroom pizza but I picked most of the mushrooms off," he ended.
"Thank God you did," Laura said with immense relief. "If you had ingested any more of those mushrooms you would probably be dead."
"So someone forged the note and left the pizza for Joe," Phil summarized. "But who knew you two wouldn't be home when Joe got there?" he asked the elderly Hardys.
"We went shopping," Fenton informed the teens. "When we left the mall, we had a flat tire."
"Fenton finally got that changed and we started home but the car started making a funny noise and it stalled out on the interstate," Laura picked up. "We waited at the garage for the car to be repaired until just a little bit ago. We checked the answering machine as soon as we got home and came straight here when we heard Phil's message."
"Someone is going to more trouble to get at Joe then they did with the other contestants," Fenton observed, realizing that their car had been tampered with.
"But why?" Callie demanded reasonably. "Why would this person perceive Joe as more of a threat?"
"Maybe because Principal Dylan inadvertently told someone besides me about Joe," Frank theorized.
"What did he say about me?" asked Joe curiously.
"He said Nick and Emily were good but you were a natural," Frank repeated the compliment.
"And if he said that in front of the wrong person then Joe moved to the front of the line as a threat," Vanessa said, holding Joe's hand.
"I hate to interrupt but visiting hours are over," said a middle-aged nurse.
"Should Joe be left alone?" Frank asked his dad.
"I'll be fine," Joe said before his dad could answer. "I doubt this guy will try anything in such a public place."
"I still think I should stay," Frank said.
"You have to go to East Bridge and continue the investigation," Joe pointed out.
"Speaking of which, did you get in?" asked Phil.
"Yes," Frank acknowledged. "Chet is there now. He's the night janitor."
"Then you have to go home and get some rest," Joe insisted. "And Dad will have to go to the police station and file a report about someone leaving a poisoned pizza at our place." He took on a thoughtful look. "Tony, the box was from Mr. Pizza. Is there any way to find out who all ordered pepperoni or pepperoni and mushroom pizzas today? It was a large," he added.
"Everything is on computer," Tony replied. "Pick up orders are kept for three days before being deleted and deliveries for a month."
"Is it too late to check it out tonight?" Vanessa inquired.
"It's Friday," Tony answered. "We're open until two a.m. I'll stop by after I drop Phil off and get a list. You can pick it up on your way back from the police station, Mr. Hardy."
"Thank you, Tony," Fenton acknowledged gratefully.
The nurse cleared her throat. "We're going," Vanessa said, leaning down and kissing Joe's lips. Everyone bid Joe goodbye and Laura promised she would call Principal Dylan about Joe missing practice and would be back to pick him up the next day.
At home, Frank got ready for bed and set his alarm clock. He lay down and fell into a fitful sleep. Less than an hour later he sat up in bed breathing heavily. He had just dreamed that Joe had fallen off a balance beam fifty feet in the air! He knew it was only a nightmare but he was too worried to go back to sleep. He got dressed and left a note on his pillow for his parents and returned to the hospital.
Careful not to get caught, he made his way to the fourth floor. Seeing no one at the nurse's station, he hurried to Joe's room. Opening the door, he felt as if someone had rammed a tree trunk into his stomach. A man in a surgeon's mask was standing over Joe ready to pierce his upper arm with a hypodermic needle!
As he screeched to a halt in his driveway a red jeep came to a stop behind him and out jumped Tony and Phil. "What's wrong?" demanded Phil, running to catch up with Frank.
Phil and Tony had been on their way home after escorting Nick safely to his when they had seen Frank speed by them, his face white and mouth grim.
Frank grabbed the knob of the front door and turned it, not taking the time to answer his friend. Scared to death about Joe, Frank didn't waste time with his key when he discovered it was locked. He stepped back and kicked out. The door splintered open and Frank hurried inside with his friends close on his heels.
"Joe!" shouted Frank, rushing toward the kitchen where strangled sounds could be heard above the wail of sirens which were drawing closer.
Frank pushed on the kitchen door but felt resistance. He pushed a little harder but not too hard in case the block happened to be Joe. It was! Joe was on the floor, writhing with salvia falling from the side of his mouth. His blue eyes were glassy and he was having a difficult time breathing.
The phone cord had become wrapped around Joe's ankles preventing him from kicking but his arms were flailing wildly about. As they watched, Joe fell silent. Tony and Frank hurried forward to remove the phone cord as Phil raced outside to greet the ambulance and police that had pulled to a stop beside the ambulance.
Joe was strapped down to a stretcher with an oxygen mask placed over his nose and mouth. Frank rode in the ambulance with Joe while Phil and Tony followed in the jeep. The police remained to see what had created Joe's violent reaction.
As the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Joe slipped into a coma. He was whisked back to the doctor and Frank was made to wait. Phil and Tony arrived a few minutes later. While Tony kept Frank company, Phil called Vanessa and Callie and then the Hardy home to leave a message for Mr. and Mrs. Hardy on their answering machine in case the police left before they returned.
Two hours passed with Frank pacing the waiting room floor. Vanessa and Callie had arrived to wait and while Callie, Phil and Tony sat silently watching Frank prowl the floor in frustration, Vanessa sat by the window with tear stained cheeks.
"This is all my fault," Frank muttered as he paced. "I knew he was a target but what do I do? I leave town," he answered his own question in absolute disgust.
"Stop it," ordered Phil. "It isn't your fault. If anyone is to blame, it's me. Tony could have watched Nick by himself while I kept an eye on Joe."
"Hold it," Callie stepped in. "We don't even know what's wrong with Joe," she pointed out. "It may have nothing to do with the case."
"She's right," Tony concurred. "Weren't all of the other contestants injured in accidents?"
Frank nodded and started pacing again. The waiting was always torture. He glanced at his watch. Where were his parents?
Another hour passed before Fenton and Laura arrived. "How is he?" demanded Laura, running ahead of her husband and coming to a stop in front of Frank who was now sitting beside Callie.
"I don't know," Frank said, not looking up.
"What happened?" asked Fenton, putting an arm around his wife's shoulders and looking down at Frank.
"He ingested some poisonous mushrooms," came an authoritative voice from behind them. The Hardys turned to look at the tall, balding man who walked toward them. "I'm Dr. Marvin," he introduced himself. "He will be okay. Provided he stays on the high complex carbohydrate diet I have given him," he added.
"He doesn't need to be on a diet," protested Frank.
"This diet is designed to flush out the poisons that his body has absorbed. He needs to stay on it for two weeks and then he must have a blood work-up to ensure his system is clean at that time."
"But he is all right now?" Vanessa asked.
"He's conscious and doing well," Dr. Marvin confirmed. "You can see him whenever you like and he can go home tomorrow afternoon."
"Why not now?" inquired Mr. Hardy, his forehead creased in worry.
"He has had at least two seizures that we know of and I think a period of observation would be prudent under the circumstances."
"Thank you," Fenton said, holding out his hand and grasping the doctor's in a firm handshake.
"He's in room 412," Dr. Marvin said when his hand had been released. "I'll check on him again later tonight and tomorrow his regular doctor will be here for a final examination before Joe is released. Good night," he added, returning the way he had come.
The group entered the elevator and got off on the fourth floor. Frank was the first one to reach Joe's room and he stopped in the doorway and emitted a relieved sigh when he saw his younger brother propped up and waiting for them to arrive.
"How are you feeling?" asked Frank entering the room and going to stand at Joe's bedside.
"Like I ate a bag of cotton balls," Joe replied, his nose wrinkling in distaste.
"What happened?" Vanessa asked, she and the others had made their way inside and had encircled Joe's bed.
Joe shook his head and gave a slight shrug. "I just ate some of the pizza," he said.
"What pizza?" asked Frank, his forehead wrinkling in puzzlement.
"The one mom and dad left in the fridge from Mr. Pizza," answered Joe.
"The mushrooms were from our place?" Tony exclaimed in shock. Mr. Pizza was owned and operated by Tony's family.
"I don't believe so," Fenton commented. "We didn't leave a pizza in the refrigerator."
"But there was a note on the bulletin board," Joe objected and told them what it said. "It was a pepperoni and mushroom pizza but I picked most of the mushrooms off," he ended.
"Thank God you did," Laura said with immense relief. "If you had ingested any more of those mushrooms you would probably be dead."
"So someone forged the note and left the pizza for Joe," Phil summarized. "But who knew you two wouldn't be home when Joe got there?" he asked the elderly Hardys.
"We went shopping," Fenton informed the teens. "When we left the mall, we had a flat tire."
"Fenton finally got that changed and we started home but the car started making a funny noise and it stalled out on the interstate," Laura picked up. "We waited at the garage for the car to be repaired until just a little bit ago. We checked the answering machine as soon as we got home and came straight here when we heard Phil's message."
"Someone is going to more trouble to get at Joe then they did with the other contestants," Fenton observed, realizing that their car had been tampered with.
"But why?" Callie demanded reasonably. "Why would this person perceive Joe as more of a threat?"
"Maybe because Principal Dylan inadvertently told someone besides me about Joe," Frank theorized.
"What did he say about me?" asked Joe curiously.
"He said Nick and Emily were good but you were a natural," Frank repeated the compliment.
"And if he said that in front of the wrong person then Joe moved to the front of the line as a threat," Vanessa said, holding Joe's hand.
"I hate to interrupt but visiting hours are over," said a middle-aged nurse.
"Should Joe be left alone?" Frank asked his dad.
"I'll be fine," Joe said before his dad could answer. "I doubt this guy will try anything in such a public place."
"I still think I should stay," Frank said.
"You have to go to East Bridge and continue the investigation," Joe pointed out.
"Speaking of which, did you get in?" asked Phil.
"Yes," Frank acknowledged. "Chet is there now. He's the night janitor."
"Then you have to go home and get some rest," Joe insisted. "And Dad will have to go to the police station and file a report about someone leaving a poisoned pizza at our place." He took on a thoughtful look. "Tony, the box was from Mr. Pizza. Is there any way to find out who all ordered pepperoni or pepperoni and mushroom pizzas today? It was a large," he added.
"Everything is on computer," Tony replied. "Pick up orders are kept for three days before being deleted and deliveries for a month."
"Is it too late to check it out tonight?" Vanessa inquired.
"It's Friday," Tony answered. "We're open until two a.m. I'll stop by after I drop Phil off and get a list. You can pick it up on your way back from the police station, Mr. Hardy."
"Thank you, Tony," Fenton acknowledged gratefully.
The nurse cleared her throat. "We're going," Vanessa said, leaning down and kissing Joe's lips. Everyone bid Joe goodbye and Laura promised she would call Principal Dylan about Joe missing practice and would be back to pick him up the next day.
At home, Frank got ready for bed and set his alarm clock. He lay down and fell into a fitful sleep. Less than an hour later he sat up in bed breathing heavily. He had just dreamed that Joe had fallen off a balance beam fifty feet in the air! He knew it was only a nightmare but he was too worried to go back to sleep. He got dressed and left a note on his pillow for his parents and returned to the hospital.
Careful not to get caught, he made his way to the fourth floor. Seeing no one at the nurse's station, he hurried to Joe's room. Opening the door, he felt as if someone had rammed a tree trunk into his stomach. A man in a surgeon's mask was standing over Joe ready to pierce his upper arm with a hypodermic needle!
