The Bayport County Hospital was more like a doctor's office and not really ready for 'big city' crimes. It was slow place, even relaxed, and highly doubtful it saw anything more serous then a broken leg often. It had been three hours since Fenton had arrived, three long, worrisome hours with no word of Frank's condition.

Fenton sat in a privet waiting room with Ezra and Sam, ignoring everything around him to, caught up in his own thoughts. The FBI guys had come by a few times, asking if there was any news on Frank, and Fenton was expecting Laura, Joe and the others any minuet. But there was no doctor, no nurse, not even a consoler or priest to tell him anything about his son. Sam and Ezra had long given up on consoling their friend, knowing not what to do or say. The best they could do was sit here and wait with him, help him see this through.

"Fenton…" A soft voice called from the doorway, and for the first time in three hours Fenton showed a sign of life. He looked up at his wife, his son, and the three friends who had tugged along.

"We know nothing. He had been buried again, this time under six feet of dirt. The box he was in had started to fold in around him. He was basically dead when they pulled him up…his face was so bruised and he was bleeding from everywhere it seemed…" Fenton said his voice a mixture of bitterness and pain.

Laura took a deep breath and let it out slowly, squeezing her eyes tight. "And they've said nothing…three hours with out a word?" she asked.

"Yes," came the short reply.

Again Laura sighed, then walked into the room and took a seat next to Fenton, leaning against him in a half hug. Her eyes looked up to the blond young man who stood frozen, his face blank and eyes wide. Stealthily she locked eyes with Biff, silently telling him to take care of Joe. It took a moment for him to catch on, but he got the message.

"Hey guys," he said, while draping his arms around Joe and Phil, "why don't we go scrounge up something to eat for every one and a round of coffee."

"Good thinking Biff," Chet agreed, and not just because he was hungry. Slowly he and Phil started to head towards where they suspected the cafeteria was. Joe however was harder to move.

"Was he a wake?" Joe asked his father softly.

"Yes, until they put him in the ambulance…" Fenton's words drifted off as his mind replayed Frank's last waking moments.

"Da…da…ad," Frank's voice was weak and painful sounding.

"I'm right ere son," Fenton said, jogging to catch up with the EMT's, right outside the ambulance.

"Don't…coffin…please…" Frank begged as they loaded him in the back. Fenton soon followed.

"It's alright son, you're safe now," Fenton reassured as he gently brushed back stray locks of hair from Frank's face.

"No…coffin…don't…burry…me…" Frank said, starting to get more worked up.

"It's alright son. You're in an ambulance. You're safe son."

"Na…na…no…No…No…No…" Frank started to hyperventilate and twisting on the gurney.

"Damn it, he's going to tare out the IVs," one of the EMTs said as she tried to restrain Frank.

"Frank, it's alright, calm down son. It's alright, you're safe now, I got you," Fenton said, restraining his son.

"No…I don't want to die…please…I don't want to…" Frank started to cry, his panic stricken mind confusing realities.

"If you can keep him down, I can sedate him," The EMT said pulling out a syringe.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Fenton asked, as he continued to restrain Frank, trying to sooth him.

"This is baby stuff, he'll be find," the EMT said as she injected Frank with the sedative.

With in seconds Frank had stopped his thrashing and was drifting off into a drugged sleep.

"He was scared, wasn't he? He freaked," Joe stated.

Fenton nodded.

Joe shut his eyes and shuddered inwardly. 'I let him down, I let them take him and they fucked with him…god, please forgive me Frank…I'm so sorry….'

"Joe, come on," Biff said softly as he guided Joe down the hall.

Joe sat in the cafeteria drinking his coffee slowly, a mixture of panic, anger, and grief ragging inside him. Biff sat in front of him, silently drinking his coke. They had sent Phil and Chet back to the waiting room with some snakes for the others and now they sat in silence.

Biff was at a lost to help his friend. There had been times when Joe had be upset, angry, hurt, or even depressed, and Biff knew how to handle that. He knew what to say, what to do, not as well as Frank or Joe's parents, but he could always help. But this was something way out of Biff's scope. He didn't have a clue. He studied his silent friend over his mug and was shocked at what he saw.

The normally bright, outgoing, smart ass of a guy wasn't there. Over the course of one day Joe had done a complete 180 in mood. He seemed to have aged a hundred years. He was still, quiet, not quite moody but just dark, he looked like a soulless shell of a human. 'I don't understand,' Biff though as he took another drink. 'Frank and he have been in so many scrapes, had so many close calls, why is this one so different? I mean he's safe now, he's here at the hospital, the doctors are looking him over, they've got the bad guy. Joe knows that he's alive, he would know if something's wrong, if Frank's gotten worse. He would know if Frank...' It hit Biff like a ton of bricks at that moment. The reason why Joe had been pushing so hard all day, the reason why he'd aged a hundred years.

"You know something we don't, don't you? Something about Frank, that's what's got you so out of shape," Biff asked softly, afraid of the answer.

Joe looked at Biff, studied him for a moment then sighed and took a drink of his coffee. He replaced the mug on the table and sighed again, trying to think of what to say. "I can't explain it," he finally stated. "Ever since Frank and I were little, since like when we were born…he's always been there, I can always feel him. It sounds wired, but I think we've got that twin thing, you know the connection?"

Biff nodded, sort of understanding as Joe went on. "And all day, since we got that damn call, I've just known that Frank wasn't going to come back in one piece. I mean, we found him and he wasn't breathing, then we got him back and then he was taken again, and now…." Joe drifted off looking at the clock. "Four hours…."

"Have you ever guessed wrong?" Biff asked his stomach flipping.

"A few times, but it's been the same feeling all day. 'Frank's not going to be alright.' I can't shake it Biff, I just can't help feeling like I'm going to lose him," Joe said, hopelessly. He was silent for a few seconds while he drank the rest of his coffee then slammed the mug down startling Biff. "If I had been there! If I had resisted Kolplay…."

"You'd be dead and Frank would be sitting here blaming himself. Joe listen to me, this is not your fault. You had no idea what was going to happen. If you had I know there would be no way you'd let Frank out of your sight. Hell, none of us would let ether of you out of our sight if there had been a clue. But there wasn't; there was no hint. I know you will, but Joe don't blame yourself," Biff said, trying to force Joe to believe him. After a moment, it looked like he had finally gotten through to his hard headed friend. "Besides, would you have wanted to go on Frank and Callie's date?"

Joe broke into laughter.

It had been another hour and everyone was gathered in the waiting room. There had still been no word on Frank and needless to say the mood was tense. The boys, after their event filled day, were starting to drift off into uneasy sleep, a long with Sam and Ezra. Laura and Fenton however, were ever more the worried parents. Fenton was pacing in the center of the room while Laura sat, with Joe's head in her lap stroking his hair.

"This isn't good Laura, they should have told us something by now," Fenton mumbled.

"It's a small hospital Fenton. Probably understaffed."

"Something's wrong."

"By all accounts he was hurt badly Fenton, they're probably just being careful," Laura said.

Fenton stopped pacing and looked at his wife, "Do you really believe that?"

"Yes Fenton, I do. I have too, it's the only thing keeping me from going nuts," Laura snapped.

Fenton was about to say something back when finally a doctor appeared.