Frank paused, momentarily stunned at the fire. Then he knew in his gut that Joe was in there, in danger. He slid through the doorway and stayed close to the cinderblock wall until he could see the center of the stage. At that moment, he managed to see his brother through the smoke fighting with someone, though he wasn't sure who. He moved closer to the pair and was able to identify the person as Alan by the flickering light of the blaze.

Before Frank could get close enough to intervene, Alan lunged towards Joe and then followed up with a hit to the chest with a board. Just as Joe was falling towards the flames, Frank bolted forward and yanked him back towards the wall, temporarily safe from the flames. Joe was gasping for breath and sagging against the wall as Frank turned back to face Alan placing himself between them.

Frank called out to Joe, "Get out of here if you can." He knew though there was little chance that Joe could walk out under his own power. Then he looked at Alan through the smoke and said, "No one hurts my brother and gets away with it Alan," Frank said his voice calm but menacing. He could see that Alan was getting more frantic as the seconds passed and the auditorium filled with flames and smoke.

"I will – not – get – caught," Alan said frantically grabbing another large board and charging Frank. Though his eyes were streaming and his lungs were burning, he saw the opening that he needed. His leg kicked out and cracked the board, causing Alan to stumble. Before Alan could get his balance, Frank pulled him closer and knocked him out with a right hook that would make Joe proud.

Alan collapsed unconscious on the floor. As Frank turned back to Joe, he was relieved to see firemen enter the stage door. He rushed to his brother who was conscious but coughing and gasping. "Be careful with…his right shoulder. Injured..." Frank said punctuated with coughs. The two firemen closest helped the brothers out through the door where medics were waiting.

Frank turned to the fireman that had just carried out Alan and said in a husky smoke-filled voice, "He's…arsonist." He would have to give more information later he knew, but at that moment it was all he could get out.

Joe was supported by the medic until they got him out of the auditorium and down on a stretcher. His mouth and nose were quickly covered with an oxygen mask. Frank had moved with Joe's stretcher towards the ambulance anxious to see how he was doing. As he got closer and tried to ask some questions though, he started what seemed like an endless coughing fit. He was quickly pushed onto a stretcher beside Joe and fitted with an oxygen mask as well.

Things were swimming in and out of focus for Joe and it was making him nauseous. The smoke and fumes from the gasoline were making him lightheaded and confused. He just couldn't figure out what those blue and red lights were that were going around and around, other than an annoyance. Joe just wanted to sleep, but he had to know if Frank was okay. Joe was sure he had seen his face above him just a minute ago, but he couldn't find him now. He reached his hand out and finally found Frank's hand. When he felt a squeeze back he relaxed against the stretcher and let the darkness take him.

Joe woke up much later when he heard soft talking but didn't even bother trying to open his eyes. He tried to talk but couldn't understand his own voice, that's when he realized he was in the hospital with an oxygen mask still covering his face. He cracked an eye and saw his parents hovering over his bed.

"Oh Joe," Laura exclaimed quietly. "Are you okay honey?"

Joe reached up slowly and pulled off the mask, "Frank?"

"Right here, Joe," came a hoarse voice from the next bed.

After a check from his doctor and a lesson in correctly using an inhaler, Joe explained to everyone Alan's motive.

"You mean that he did all this because he didn't get cast in the supporting role of the play?" Frank asked incredulously.

"It's amazing what people will do isn't it," Joe said. "But I can't believe that a teacher would be so prejudice towards Alan."

Fenton broke in then, "I don't condone in the slightest what Alan did, but I will be speaking with the principle regarding this teacher. That should not be going on in the school system…or anywhere for that matter."

"I agree, Dad," Joe said as he lay back on the pillow and closed his eyes.