Fenton dove for the cord, catching it and yanking it from the wall before the dryer hit the water. The jerk to the wire caused the appliance to bounce off the edge of the tub before falling in with a splash milder than the one Fenton made when he hit the water filled floor.

Fenton got to his knees and looked at the tub where Joe sat fully clothed with his hands tied behind his back. His ankles were bound and his feet propped on the edge of the tub. Fenton gave Joe a reassuring smile as he got to his feet. Dripping wet, he reached behind Joe's head and shut off the water and pulled the gag from his son's mouth.

"Check on mom," Joe rasped instead of thanking his father.

Fenton's eyes once again went wide. He spun around and took off at a run, splashing Joe as he hurried out of the bathroom and down the stairs. Through the deserted living room he ran and straight into the kitchen where he found Laura lying unconscious on the floor by the open kitchen door.

"Laura," Fenton breathed, rushing to her and falling to his knees. "Babe," he said, touching the carotid artery at her neck. It wasn't a strong pulse but it was there. "Thank you, God," he whispered leaning down and quickly kissing her forehead before getting to his feet and grabbing the phone.

Fenton pushed in the numbers nine-one-one and gave the operator the information she needed. Hanging up, he knelt by Laura and stayed there until the ambulance arrived. Fenton stood and backed up as two paramedics entered the kitchen and began working on Laura.

"Fenton?" queried Chief Collig, arriving at the backdoor of the Hardy household.

Fenton looked at Ezra. "Joe!" he gasped, unable to believe he had forgotten about his son for even a second. "He's still upstairs in the tub. Take care of him," he begged his friend as Laura was lifted and placed on the stretcher. "He can tell you what happened. Tell him about Laura but tell him not to come to the hospital until Frank gets here. It shouldn't be long," he added. "Don't leave him alone?" he pleaded, grasping Ezra's arm tightly.

"I won't," Collig promised. "Do you need a lift to the hospital?" he asked, not believing Fenton was in any shape to drive.

Fenton shook his head. "I'm riding with her," he stated, glaring at the young male paramedic who opened his mouth to protest only to close it when Fenton glared at him defiantly.

As Fenton left, Collig and Sergeant Lacey of Forensics headed upstairs while two more members of the Forensics team remained in the kitchen to do their thing. Collig took in the scene in the bathroom and shuddered, realizing how close Joe must have come, yet again, to being killed within a seventy-two hour time span.

Trying to disturb the scene as little as possible, Collig began releasing Joe. "How's mom?" asked Joe, his face both white from fear and from having sat in the cold water for so long.

"She's unconscious," Collig informed him. "She's on her way to Bayport General. Your dad went with her."

"Hur..hurry up," demanded Joe as Collig worked on the ropes that bound him.

"You aren't going anywhere," Collig told him. "Your dad left explicit instructions. You are to stay here and wait for Frank and then you can both go to the hospital."

"B...bb...but..." Joe started to object but broke off as he began shivering uncontrollably.

"Blast it!" snarled Collig. "Lacey, get over here," he ordered the man who had started gathering evidence.

Together the men lifted Joe out of the water and carried him into the bedroom. Collig used the radio on his shoulder to request another ambulance as he and Lacey finished untying Joe and then began disrobing Joe who was shivering so badly he could no longer form coherent words.

Lacey pulled the cover from the bed and wrapped it around the boy as Collig pulled the soaking socks from Joe's feet. Joe still had not quit shivering when the paramedics arrived.

"I'm riding with him," Collig announced. "Lacey, you're in charge. When Frank gets here, send him to Bayport General."

Fenton was sitting in the emergency waiting room staring at the wall when Collig came in. Fenton leapt to his feet as soon as he saw the chief and ran to meet him.

Collig put a comforting hand on Fenton's shoulder. "Joe has hypothermia," he informed the already distraught man.

"How bad?" croaked Fenton. I never should have left him in that cold water! he thought. I had too, he reminded himself. Laura!

Collig shook his head. "He was coherent when we got upstairs but then he started stuttering and shivering. He lost consciousness in the ambulance."