Chapter 17
Just over an hour after the dramatic rescue, Fenton was impatiently pacing the floor in the hospital waiting room. Frank sat quietly on a chair in the corner.
Laura had been whisked away by the doctors seconds after they had entered the hospital, as had the injured kidnapper. The man was now in surgery, and even though Fenton was quite ready to smash his face in for what he had done to his family, he did feel some level of gratitude to the man. After all, he had saved Frank's life.
Fenton glanced at his oldest son. Frank was pale and stared despondently at the floor as he swung his legs and kicked his chair.
Fenton thought he had heard Frank's small voice whispering, "please be okay" as Laura was loaded onto a gurney and wheeled away. Seconds later, when a sleepy Joe had also been wheeled away, Fenton was positive he had heard Frank say, "I'm sorry."
He hadn't said a word since.
The doctors had examined Frank, and found him to be tired and shocked but otherwise unharmed.
Fenton knew that wasn't true. There was something wrong, and it wasn't just the trauma of the past forty-eight hours. Something was obviously bothering Frank.
Fenton could see it when Frank refused to look him in the face.
Does he blame me? Fenton wondered.
He had made several attempts to talk to Frank, but Frank had only nodded or shook his head in answer to his father's questions. He was being unnaturally quiet, even for Frank.
"Frank, do you want something to eat?" asked Fenton, and watched as Frank shook his head and continued to kick his chair.
Fenton's heart thudded with worry. He sincerely hoped Frank's silence was due to nothing more than anger at his father. He would rather have Frank angry at him than see him suffer any after effects of his ordeal.
What Fenton didn't realise was that a war was raging in Frank's head, one that had been increasing in momentum ever since they had got into the van, and it had nothing to do with his father.
"Fenton Hardy?" a voice called, and Fenton looked up to see an elderly doctor with glasses and greying hair step into the waiting room.
"That's me," said Fenton as he hurried over to speak with the Doctor. "How are Laura and Joe?"
"Joe will be fine," the Doctor smiled. "We've stitched his hand and given him a short IV of antibiotics just in case of infection because the wound was open so long. He doesn't have a concussion, although there is some swelling and we'd like to keep him in overnight for observation, just to be sure. Aside from that, he's just exhausted."
"What about Laura?" Fenton asked anxiously.
The Doctor's smile faded. "I'm afraid I wasn't the one treating your wife. If you want, I can find out if there's any news while you go in and see Joe?"
"Thanks, Doctor, I'd appreciate that," said Fenton.
"It's Doctor Kelly," smiled the Doctor as they shook hands. "Follow me, Joe's room is right down here." The Doctor started to walk down the corridor and Fenton moved swiftly after him. Frank followed silently.
They entered Joe's room to find him awake and playing with the button that raised his bed up and down. He looked up as they walked in and his face split in a huge grin.
"Dad! Frank! You've got to see what this bed does!" Joe exclaimed, as he demonstrated for them.
"Very good, Joe," Fenton smiled a little, as Frank sat up on the bed beside Joe. "But I don't think the doctors would like you playing with the bed like that in case you break it, and you should probably sit back and rest anyway."
Joe made a face but did as his father suggested.
"How's Mom?" he asked.
"Just fine," Fenton lied, not wanting to upset either boy. Joe smiled and turned to face his brother.
"Look, Frank," he said, as he waved his right hand in front of his brother's face. "I got stitches, just like in the movies! Isn't that cool?"
Fenton was surprised that Joe didn't seem to feel any pain, but rationalised that the Doctors must have given him something for it.
His eyes drifted to the door for some sign of the Doctor who had gone to check on Laura. His stomach knotted painfully as he silently fretted about his wife.
Several seconds had passed when Fenton suddenly heard Joe exclaim behind him, "Frank, what's wrong?"
Fenton looked back at the bed and saw Joe kneeling on the bed covers trying to lift Frank's face. Frank was resolutely staring at the bed, his shoulders shaking a little.
"Frank!" cried Joe. "Look at me!"
Fenton moved over beside Frank and put his fingers under his chin and lifted his head. Huge tears were running down his face.
"Frank," said Fenton, alarmed. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I-I'm s-sorry," Frank stuttered out.
"Sorry? For what?" Fenton was baffled.
"This is all m-my f-fault!" Frank choked.
"What? No it isn't!" Joe exclaimed.
"Of course it isn't. Frank, why would you think that?" said Fenton, as he hugged Frank.
"I'm the o-one who came up w-with the idea t-to send Joe out and he hit his head," Frank sniffed. "And t-then the kidnappers g-got mad and M-mom got hurt and s-someone got s-shot! So it's all m-my fault!" Frank hiccupped as he finished.
"It most certainly is not your fault, Frank," said Fenton gently but firmly. "The blame lies solely with those men!"
And me, Fenton added silently to himself.
"B-but Mom or Joe wouldn't be hurt and that man wouldn't have gotten s-shot if it hadn't b-been for me," said Frank miserably.
"And none of you would be here safe with me now if it hadn't been for you," Fenton reminded him gently. "I'd never have found you if you hadn't come up with that plan, Frank, and I'm very proud of you for coming up with it in such a scary situation." Fenton hugged Frank tightly and turned to Joe who was watching wide-eyed as his big brother lost control. "And I'm very proud of you too, Joe. That was a very brave thing you did, going out into the woods like that."
"It was Frank's idea," said Joe proudly. "Dad, he was just like MacGyver!"
"Did you hear that, Frank?" said Fenton as Frank pulled away. "Joe thinks you were just like MacGyver!"
Frank nodded and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "S-so it's really not m-my fault?"
"Duh, silly!" said Joe, punching him on the shoulder. "You're a hero!"
"You're both heroes," smiled Fenton.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Fenton turned around to see Doctor Kelly and another doctor standing there. The other Doctor was younger, but seemed less kindly and more serious than Doctor Kelly.
"Frank, Joe, stay here. I'll be back in a minute," said Fenton. He crossed to the door and beckoned to the Doctors to step outside, before pulling the door shut behind him.
"Mr. Hardy," said Doctor Kelly. "This is Doctor Knowles. He's been treating your wife."
"How's Laura?" Fenton asked anxiously.
"She's quite ill," Doctor Knowles began. "She has a temperature of a hundred and five, and quite a severe concussion. We had to sedate her as she was rather delusional with fever and we were afraid of further head trauma. At the moment she's in the ICU, but she will be moved to a private room sometime tomorrow. We'll need to keep her in for several days for observation, but I expect her to make a full recovery."
"Can I see her?" Fenton asked.
"You may," said Doctor Knowles. "Just for a short while though. And I'm afraid your sons will have to wait until tomorrow, children aren't allowed in the ICU."
"I'm just going in to check on Joe," said Doctor Kelly. "If you want, I can tell the boys where you've gone?"
"It's okay," said Fenton. "I'll tell them. But thank you, Doctor, for everything."
Half an hour later, Fenton returned to Joe's room to find Frank and Joe asleep in Joe's bed, their arms around one another. Fenton didn't have the heart to wake them. And neither, it seemed, did the nurse who stuck her head in and smiled at the two sleeping figures.
For several minutes, Fenton sat watching his sons sleep. He had nearly lost his whole family in just a few short days, and that thought chilled Fenton to the core.
Fenton was starting to realise that if he had lost them, he would have had precious few memories to look back on.
Never again, he vowed. From now on, my family comes first!
His musings were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Fenton turned and saw Sam Radley smiling at him. Quietly Fenton joined Sam in the hall.
"Everything alright?" asked Sam.
"Fine," Fenton nodded. "Laura needs to stay in for a few days, but they'll release Joe tomorrow."
"That's good news," said Sam. "I'm glad, Fenton."
"Where's Con?"
"On the phone to Chief Collig trying to explain why he's up here and not at work," Sam grinned. "But he hasn't had much luck trying to get a full sentence out yet!"
I'm going to have to talk to Chief Collig," said Fenton. "Con was a big help in all this.
Sam nodded his agreement.
"So, what happened after we left?" asked Fenton.
Sam's smile faded. "Well, the leader turned out to be Trent Keller," he said grimly.
"What!" gasped Fenton.
Trent Keller was a Mafia hit man, and number three on the FBI's most wanted list. Fenton felt a momentary stab of terror at what could have happened to his family at the hands of this man.
"Apparently, he was hired by Alan Troy to use your family to get to Tim Hanley through you," Sam continued.
"And Keller actually told you this?" said Fenton.
"Nah," Sam grinned. "Keller's got his mouth sealed tighter than a Swiss vault. Rawston started talking as soon as he realised their plan had collapsed. He told us everything. Incidentally," Sam added, "that kidnapper who got shot is just a twenty-one year old kid!"
"Twenty-one!" said Fenton incredulously. "How'd he get mixed up in all of this?"
"His name's Scott Mason," Sam answered. "And according to Rawston he was blackmailed into pulling this job."
"Blackmailed?"
"Yeah, Rawston said it was something to do with a job he pulled once, but didn't know the details," said Sam. "And they threatened his family. Apparently he has a young wife and a baby girl."
"Nice guys," concluded Fenton in disgust.
"It explains why he conked Keller." Sam shook his head. "I feel pretty sorry for him."
"I don't," said Fenton, a little harshly.
Sam looked up in surprise.
"He still helped to kidnap my family and hold them hostage," Fenton explained softly.
"And he helped save them too," Sam reminded him.
"Which means his own family is in danger of reprisals once that little snippet of information gets out." Fenton grimaced.
"Probably."
"I'll look into getting some protection for them," sighed Fenton. "Then we're even and I don't have to feel bad about hating the guy."
Sam nodded in silent understanding.
Fenton frowned thoughtfully. "But why go through all the trouble of blackmailing someone into this. Wouldn't hired muscle have been easier?"
"Apparently, Alan Troy didn't want to use anyone connected to him in case anything went wrong," Sam answered. "And there weren't a lot of thugs who fit that criteria."
"But why go to all that trouble only to tell them anyway that Alan Troy was involved?" argued Fenton. "That makes no sense."
Sam shrugged. "According to Rawston, once they heard Tim Hanley was involved, they all put two and two together."
"What's Rawston's story?" asked Fenton. "Why'd he get caught up in all of this?"
"The dead kidnapper's name was Johnny Ward, and he was an old acquaintance of Rawston's," Sam explained. "Once Ward found out where your family were going for their vacation, he suggested using Rawston to Keller. His idea was that a local man would come in useful."
"And I suppose Rawston jumped at the chance?" said Fenton in disgust.
Sam nodded. "Yeah, they offered him a lot of money. From what I can gather, Rawston and Keller seem to have really got on."
Fenton snorted angrily. "I'll bet. Tom was right about Rawston, he's a real piece of work!"
"According to Sheriff Coombs, Rawston used to be a decent guy," said Sam. "He was a bit of a small town hero when it came to football, even had a chance at a football scholarship. But coming home from work one night he fell asleep at the wheel and caused an accident. Destroyed his right knee and ruined any chance at a scholarship. Worse, he killed the driver of the other car and put a small child in the hospital. There's been a lot of bad feelings towards Rawston in the town since and the sheriff said he's always been pretty bitter about that. I guess he saw that money as his way out."
"Well, he got his way out," said Fenton grimly. "Just not in the way he expected."
Sam nodded in agreement.
"Anything else I need to know?" asked Fenton.
"No, that's pretty much it," Sam answered. "But don't you want to question them yourself?"
"No." Fenton shook his head, surprising Sam. "I'm taking some time off. I want you to handle this case and close on the Hanley one."
"Okay," said Sam, not voicing his surprise. "I'm just going to head back down to the Sheriff's office to tie up some loose ends, but I'll drop by again later."
Fenton nodded. "Thanks, Sam. For everything."
That next morning, Fenton was sitting beside Laura when she started to wake up.
"Wher-m I?" she mumbled drowsily.
"Laura?" said Fenton as he hovered over her anxiously.
"Fenton?" Laura looked confused. "Wh-what's happening?"
You're in the hospital," said Fenton gently. "How do you feel?"
"Hospital?" Laura looked dazed. "But those men…Frank! Joe!"
Panicked, Laura tried to sit up but Fenton gently pushed her back. "Easy, Laura, the boys are fine. Sam is going to bring them up shortly to see you."
Laura lay back down, her face a mask of confusion. "Sam is here? Fenton, what happened?
In a low voice, Fenton told Laura everything that had happened.
When he was finished, Laura spoke up. "They really did all that? Fenton, are you sure they're all right?"
"Positive," Fenton assured her, as he gently took her hand. "They're dying to see you. And you still haven't answered my question, how are you feeling?"
"Not great," Laura admitted.
"I'm not surprised," said Fenton. His eyes lingered on her pale face.
Laura stared at the bed covers in silence for several minutes. Finally, she spoke. "Will the young kidnapper be alright?"
"He'll be fine," said Fenton, surprised. "But why do you want to know?"
"He stood up for me and the boys," said Laura softly. "I knew there was something different about him and now I know what it was. He didn't want to be there."
"He didn't have to be," said Fenton shortly.
"Yes he did. His family's lives were being threatened."
Fenton felt a wave of guilt at Laura's words. "Laura, I'm sorry. This is all my fault! I should have been there. You were right about me putting my work before you and the boys, but I swear that'll never happen again. You and the boys mean everything to me and when I nearly lost you…" Fenton trailed off and stared at his wife.
Laura gazed back unhappily at him. "You say that now, but what happens when another case comes along and you go rushing off?"
"Not anymore. My family will always be my first priority from now on."
Laura didn't answer.
"I'll even give up detective work if you want," said Fenton quietly.
"NO!" two little voices exclaimed suddenly from the door.
Laura and Fenton glanced over to see Frank, Joe and Sam standing there. Frank and Joe were staring, horrified, at Fenton.
"I think I'll go for a coffee," said Sam discreetly as he slipped away.
The boys ignored Sam, their gaze on their father.
"Dad, you can't give up Detective work," said Frank.
"Yeah," Joe added. "Who'll get rid of all the bad guys?"
"There are other detectives and policemen who'll catch the bad guys," said Fenton.
"None of them are as good as you," Frank replied quickly.
Fenton's heart soared a little at his son's praise. "But, Frank, if I weren't a detective then I'd be home all the time."
Frank and Joe glanced at each other then entered the room. They stopped in front of their father.
"Dad," said Frank as he gazed up at Fenton. "It's okay that you go away sometimes, just not all the time. Can't you be a detective and be at home sometimes too?"
"Besides," Joe chimed in, "no one else in school has a real live hero for a dad!"
Fenton swallowed. His heart was nearly bursting at his sons' words.
He turned to Laura and looked her straight in the eyes. "Honey, it's up to you. What would make you happy?"
Laura glanced from the tired face of her husband to the anxious faces of her sons. "What would make me happy is to see all my men happy," she smiled. "I'm with Frank and Joe, Fenton. I don't want you to give up Detective work, it's part of who you are. All I've ever wanted is for you to make time for your family as well."
Fenton stared at his wife. She smiled at him. "Don't look so surprised, Fenton. I kind of like having a hero for a husband!"
Fenton laughed, as Frank and Joe climbed onto the bed to hug their mother.
"I guess it's decided then," Fenton said.
Watching his family embrace happily, Fenton smiled and added, "Laura, don't forget that your sons are heroes too."
Frank and Joe beamed.
"They sure are," Laura agreed. "I'm the luckiest woman in the world to have so many heroes in my life."
As Fenton embraced his wife and sons, he silently thanked the powers that be for giving him a second chance with his family.
It was one he intended not to waste.
A/N: Well, that's it. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed.
classacte: Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the final chapters. My next story is already written, although it's much darker than this.
Cutiepie2191: Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the story, hope you enjoy the next one as much.
The Silent Rumble: Thanks. And don't be sad that it's over; I have another HB story (which I actually prefer to this one) so I hope you enjoy that!