Frank looked down at his younger brother. Although an inch shorter his build was larger and as such he could only call Joe his little brother because of the age difference. Until now, thought Frank sadly. In this antiseptic white room Joe looked pale, scared and small. "Don't worry bro," Frank said, squeezing the hand he hadn't relinquished his entire visit. "We will be here bright and early to see you before it starts."
"I know," Joe replied, smiling bravely. He let his mom kiss his cheek and hug him gently and then his father ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his forehead.
"If you need anything have one of the nurse's call us," Frank said, his worried brown eyes looking down into Joe's blue ones.
"I will," promised Joe. "G'night," he added, pretending to be sleepy once again so Frank wouldn't feel so bad about leaving him alone.
"Wow, the machine is full," Frank said in surprise upon checking the answering machine when he and his parents got home.
"Don't sound so surprised," Laura admonished him. "Naturally your friends are going to want to know how Joe is doing."
"But we worked out a plan so that if anyone wants to find out about either of us when something happens they just call Callie or Vanessa because we'll always call them first," Frank said, frowning.
"Play the messages," Fenton instructed. "Then we will find out who they are from."
Frank grimaced and started the machine. The first message was from Sam Peterson, Fenton's old partner when he worked as an officer with the New York City Police Department and the current NYPD Chief of Police. "Fenton, this is Sam Peterson. Call me."
The second message was almost the same. "Fenton, it's been over an hour now. Call me."
The third message was again from Sam. "Fenton. It's urgent. Call me."
The machine finished playing the taped messages and all of them were cryptic, non-informational messages from Sam Peterson. "I had better call him," Fenton said, frowning.
"You are not going anywhere!" Laura snapped, eyeing him angrily. "Joe is having his catheterization in the morning."
"No, I'm not," Fenton assured her. "But if there is something I can do here, tonight, then I will." He kissed her cheek then ran up the steps to his office leaving Frank and Laura alone.
"You had better call the girls," Laura instructed Frank. "They will want to know."
"And Vanessa will want to be there tomorrow," added Frank as he started upstairs to his room.
"Are you sure?" Fenton demanded in a strangled voice causing Frank to pause in the doorway of his dad's office on the second floor just two doors away from his room. "Yes, yes," Fenton continued. "I'm leaving now."
"You promised!" snarled Frank entering the room as his dad hung up the phone. "You..."
"I'm going to the hospital," Fenton interrupted him. "Call Chief Collig and tell him Roland Deerborne has escaped from the state pen. He probably already knows," Fenton added. "But he won't know I'm the one who sent him there. Deerborne swore revenge and Sam just let me know the warden told him that Deerborne had a collection of newspaper clippings of Joe hidden in his mattress."
"I'm going with you," decreed Frank. "I'll call the chief from my cell."
"Stay with your mother," snapped Fenton in exasperation. He didn't have time for an argument. "Deerborne could decide she would be an easier target."
Frank followed his dad downstairs. "Where are you...." Laura began angrily as Fenton rushed past her and opened the front door.
"Hurry," Frank told him, putting a hand on his mom's shoulder. Fenton nodded, knowing Frank would fill Laura in, and left the house.
Frank snatched up the handset from the table by the door and called the Bayport Police Department. Laura listened as Frank passed his father's message to the chief.
"Let's go," Laura said after Frank had hung up. "If your father can stay with Joe then we can too."
Frank grinned. That was his belief exactly and since his mom was going too then his dad couldn't complain about her being left alone. But before they could leave, the phone rang. Frank didn't want to answer it but he hadn't turned the answering machine back on. With a frustrated sigh, he lifted the receiver. "Hardy residence."
"Frank, how is Joe?" demanded Vanessa in a worried tone.
"Not good," answered Frank. "He's scheduled for a catheterization first thing in the morning."
"What's wrong with him?" asked Vanessa with a distinctive sniffle that let Frank know she was crying.
"The doctor wouldn't say," replied Frank. "But he did say that after the cath they should know for sure."
"Is Joe there?"
"He's in the hospital," Frank informed her. "He is in a special ward where he is being constantly monitored," Frank continued. "You won't be able to see him until after the cath."
"Tell him I love him," Vanessa instructed Frank.
"I will," promised Frank. "Don't worry," he added. "Joe's a survivor. He'll pull through this."
"He had better," Vanessa stated emphatically. "Goodnight, Frank."
"Goodnight, Vanessa," Frank said. "Oh!" he shouted before she could ring off. "Would you call Callie and let her know?" he requested. "We're on our way back to the hospital."
"Of course," she agreed before hanging up.
Frank moved the earpiece away bur froze when he heard another click. "Wait here," he ordered his mother, dropping the receiver and racing up the stairs. He saw a shadow move through the doorway of Joe's open bedroom door and ran in, realizing too late how stupid the move was.
He squeezed his eyes shut as one of Joe's trophies came crashing down on the back of his head. Without uttering a sound, he fell to the floor unconscious.