He woke up after a long sleep. It was already morning again. 6.15 am. Hank felt like he could need some more rest and was drifting soon. Some voices kept him from falling asleep, though. They were outside his room. He decided it was time to get up. The hope of more sleep gone. He got out of bed and yelled at the same time. "Evan, what's wrong with you? Shut up, my head hurt!"
He realized several things at once. The voices were already gone, he was not in his own room, giving the sight outside the window he even wasn't in the Hamptons, he was in what seemed to be a hotel room and Evan wasn't there. How he had come there and why wasn't clear for him.
It hurt to think and a frustrated touch on his temple gave him more pain, but it also helped him to remember what had happened in the last two days. Evan had been kidnapped from their house. Emily had had something to do with it. His father had been part of it as well. Evan had been drugged. Then there had been a shot and his brother had been taken away.
The thought of Evan gone, hurt. Not knowing where he could find him or what was happening to him was worse. Hold on, Evan, I'm gonna find you. Please, hold on!
He remembered that he had promised to take care of Evan, that he had promised he won't let them hurt him again and he knew he had probably broken the most important promises he'd ever made. He let his baby brother down. They had taken him away, out of his arms. The image of Evan struggling and holding on to his hands with desperation will be burnt into his brain forever. The fingers of his brothers trying to hold on, even though he had already lost grip. They literally had pried Evan out of his hands. And he hadn't been able to stop them.
Evan was gone. He hoped it was a nightmare and he would wake up anytime soon. But he knew in his heart that none of this had been a dream. He was at the police department to tell them his story and what had happened to his brother. He told them all he knew and damn, that wasn't much.
He promised to himself that he would find Evan, no matter what. He was determined that he would not break this promise. Okay, Henry, think. He didn't know what to do, no matter how hard he tried to think of anything. He had looked around in his fathers house, but hadn't found anything. Well, actually he hadn't looked around, he had been looking for clothes and his brother, but not for any hints of where they had brought him. And it was too late now to go there, because he had been talking to the police and they had told him they were going to look through the house. He was frustrated with himself that he hadn't thought about it earlier.
His chances to find Evan were zeroed. There was nothing he could do. He had failed his brother twice, not been carrying enough about what had been going on with him and then...the thoughts of how horrible out the younger Lawson had been, caught in his hallucinations, made him sick.
"No, no, no I can't just sit here and wait! I've gotta do something!" He said to himself.
He needed to think, but first he had to get a coffee and some breakfast. Hank took a long hot shower and felt a lot better afterward. He took the elevator and went down to the little restaurant that was part of the hotel. He was brought to his table and ordered coffee and some ham & eggs. He ate slowly, wondering what his next step should be. The doctor ordered a second coffee and asked for the newspaper of the day.
The coffee was good, actually better than his own, not as good as Evan's though. He opened the newspaper and read through most of the news pretty fast or didn't even look at them, but then he saw one that made his heart skip a beat. It was about a car that had been found empty on a highway. The passengers were still missed and the police had found some bloodstains and and a watch in the trunk. The article didn't say the license number, but it was the same care his father had. He knew the area where the car had been found and he knew he had to drive there, but first thing after his coffee was the way to the police.
That's what he did and an hour later he sat with Detective Pierce at his desk. It was noisy in the room. Many people were talking to each other or on the phones. Phones were ringing and a group of teenager had big mouths and didn't care at least that it was the police that taken them there. They had stolen several cars and beaten up a few of the owners and were proud and stupid enough to let the whole room know. Some of the policemen silently wished that every case was this easy.
Detective Pierce was probably in Hank's age, but his black hair already had several gray shades. His soft face was totally opposite to his deep strong voice. Hank knew pretty fast that the voice was more like the man's character. He wasn't exactly friendly or understanding and Hank hoped that he was better in his job than with people. The conversation made him feel uncomfortable, but he knew it was for Evan and that gave him the strength to go through it without yelling at the detective.
"So, here are the pictures of the car and the watch we found."
Finally. Hank's hands were shaking, when he took the small evidence bag from Pierce. He had been very sure that it would be his brothers watch, but to actually see it felt so much worse.
Evan had loved this watch since the first time he had seen it, but he had never been able to afford it. So Hank had bought it one year. It was the most expensive gift he had ever given to anyone, but Evan's look and smile when he had unwrapped it was worth every dollar. His younger brother had always been very appreciative for every small gift, but this had been more. For both of them.
The watch had Evan's name on the back and says 'Love, Hank'. He couldn't speak, so he nodded to let Pierce know that it was his brothers watch. His emotions threatened to overwhelm him, but he didn't get a break. Pierce took the watch from Hank. The doctor needed all his strength to give it back. It was something that was important to his little brother and his little brother was important to him. The watch felt like a line that connected him to his brother.
He closed his eyes before looking at the pictures he held in his hands now. When he opened them again, he saw his fathers car from different viewing angles from the outside and inside of the car and then there were three more from the trunk. A blanket. It took him a few seconds to comprehend that the brownish spots on it were dried blood. There were so many different bloodstains in different sizes. A lump formed in his throat. It was much more blood than he had expected. More than just the bit from his brothers wrist and a few harmless injuries. Too much blood, oh God, please let him be okay.
"Is it Evan's blood?" Of course it is! No, it can't be!
"We don't know yet, Dr. Lawson, but it most likely is."
"Do you need a sample for the DNA test?"
"No, we took samples from the basement. You told us that he had vomited and well, we have all we need, but no results yet. The lab will need some time. They are very busy and other cases are more important..."
That was too much for him. "More important?! My brother has been drugged against his will, beaten and only God knows what else has been done to him. He is still alive and we can save a life here."
"Dr. Lawson, I understand your anger, but we have robberies and murders and other cases. The lab works as fast as possible."
"I, I know. I'm sorry. It's just... there is so much blood. What if I find a lab that can have the results earlier? I can pay for it. I have connections to labs." He was still angry at Pierce. He understood the situation, but the words the detective had chosen, didn't sit well in his stomach.
"I'm afraid, Dr. Lawson, that we need the result from our crime lab."
"Could you send some of the samples to this lab?" He picked a card from his wallet. "I'm gonna pay it and you can still wait for your own results. But I have to know it for myself. I just have to..." Hank's voice broke. He didn't care. It was Evan they were talking about. Evan.
"I don't know, if it's possible, but I will find out and give this card to our lab. They will call to let you know."
That was it. The conversation was over. Hank knew now that his brother had been in the trunk. He was sure that it was Evan's blood. He should be pissed or worried, but all he could feel was numbness.
He left the department and got a card from the city and found the area where the car had been found. His heart was racing in his chest. Not so far away from the area was a small airport. He swallowed. His brother could be thousand miles away by now.
Diaries! The word came out of nowhere, he was sure Evan had mentioned it. But he didn't know what he had said exactly. But it was a first hint and Hank drove back to the Hamptons to read the diaries. The rest of Evan's words and Eddie's words hadn't come back to him, yet. He wasted precious time following a hint that wouldn't be helpful, but he tried.
Several states away a young man was fighting demons that weren't there. He was cold. All he was wearing were dirty wet underpants. Still the same that he had worn when he had been taken from his bed. He was too drugged to notice that he didn't have control over his bladder and other bodily functions anymore. And the few times he was aware, he was tortured and in too much pain to worry about it. The shirt wasn't a shirt anymore, there wasn't much left of it.
He tried to keep the hope that someone would find him. That Henry was looking for him, but he remembered the blood that he had seen on his brothers temple.
The rare clear thoughts he had were mixed with fear, grief and hopelessness. He was afraid Hank was dead and he wasn't sure, if he could and wanted to live through this, when his brother wasn't waiting for him. That would mean he would be alone. He had been lonely for many times of his life, but he had never been alone. Hank had been there for him all his life. But he knew, that Hank would find him, if he was able to. And there were still times he had this hope.
It was dark around him, the hallucination had control over him, while his body and mind were becoming weaker with every minute.