Chapter 2
Joe awoke from his foggy world, confused as to why he hurt so badly. He bought his hand up and touched his sore face tentatively. "Where am I?" he wondered dumbly.
He opened his eyes and the world proceeded to swim, making him feel nauseous and forcing him to have to swallow down the bitter taste of bile that formed instantly in his throat. He closed his eyes again lay there for a few more seconds trying to collect his thoughts, confusing images playing out in his head – a boy's tearful face, chasing someone, Frank running, Callie screaming. With a sudden jolt, everything came flooding back. "Frank…" he whispered.
He successfully opened his eyes and found he was lying in tall grass. In the far distance he could hear police and ambulance sirens and then also detected the noise of another vehicle passing slowly by, close to where he was lying. He sat up – a little too quickly – and the world began to spin and tip again. Closing his eyes hard and opening them again, he found he was finally able to focus properly. He mentally tested his body and decided that he was not too badly hurt.
Then the pain started in his arm. "Man!" he whispered inspecting his ruined hand. Blood was running down his forearm and seeping into his shirt and he could see shards of glass imbedded in the skin. He pushed the pain to the back of his mind and concentrated on getting to his feet. "I must get to Frank," he thought urgently. He unsteadily climbed to his feet cradling his arm, took a few faltering steps, tripped, and landed on his knees. He dropped his head to catch his breath before trying again to get to his feet, this time successfully.
He realised he'd been lying in a ditch by the side of the road and had luckily landed in long, soft foliage - he thought how lucky it had been that it had not rained in the last few days, or else the ditch would have been full of water, and he would have surely drowned.
Scrambling back into the road he got his bearings and began to trudge slowly back towards the noise of the sirens. After a little while, he attempted to jog in order to save time, but this only served to make his head swim again so he was forced to satisfied himself with walking.
A little while later he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching from the rear. He stopped and looked back, seeing a squad car slowly rounding the bend. It came to a halt and, in relief; Joe slumped down to a seated position on the ground. The doors opened, and Officer Con Riley and his female partner, Officer Anderson climbed out and rushed towards him.
Officer Con Riley was Frank and Joe's closest ally in the police force and a close personal friend to their father. He often helped them out on cases – usually to his own detriment if Police Chief Colliq found out!
"Joe, were you ever a sight for sore eyes!" Con exclaimed with relief. "We've been driving up and down this road for the passed twenty minutes looking for you, we were starting to believe they'd taken you with them. How hurt are you?"
"How's Frank?" Joe asked ignoring the question.
"First things first, let's take a look at that arm," Riley insisted crouching down.
"No, tell me about Frank."
"Okay," sighed Riley. "But there's not much to tell at this stage. Frank's been taken by ambulance, and the hospital's been put on emergency standby to receive him".
"How did he look when you saw him?"
"Joe, I'm a cop not a doctor…"
Joe glared at his friend, making it pretty plain that he wanted some sort of answer.
"Okay," Con said, caving in and raising his palms placatingly. "I'm not going to lie to you, kiddo, Frank didn't look great and they rushed him away in an ambulance pretty swiftly. But they didn't tell me anything so you'll have to wait until you hear news from Bayport General – which is exactly where you should be by the looks of you."
The two police officers took Joe by an arm each to help him to his feet and then walked him to the squad car. Joe was put into the back and Con climbed in beside him. Anderson radioed ahead that they'd located him and were transporting him back to the park.
"That's quite a black eye you're developing there, Joe," said Riley with concern. He then Indicated towards Joe's arm and asked, "How did that happen?"
"Let's just say I had a little argument with a truck window!" Joe replied, gently inspecting his swollen and speedily closing eye with his fingers. "But that's the least of my worries at the moment - where are Vanessa and Callie?" he asked.
"Vanessa's back at the park waiting for you, and Callie went in the ambulance with Frank – quite the little heroine from what we've been hearing," Riley added with admiration.
"Yeah. I think she probably saved Frank's life today," nodded Joe in agreement. "What happened to the little boy?"
"He was also taken to the general for a check-up, but physically, we don't believe he was harmed."
"What's his story?"
Officer Anderson caught Joe's eye in the rear-view mirror through the dividing mesh. "His name's Luke Cummins, he was snatched from under his mother's nose whilst playing in the park. It was lucky you guys happened along when you did."
"What's the possibility that they were the same people who've been have snatching those other children?"
"A very good one—identical M.O. in each case."
Joe shook his head in disbelief. "He told me he was the kid's father!"
Riley raised an eyebrow "He lied to you."
The journey was so long that Joe was stunned by the length of time he must have clung to the truck being flung off. They finally turned the corner and entered the park where there was an ambulance waiting and a number of other squad cars. Riley got out and turned to help Joe, gesturing towards a medic.
Vanessa saw the car and ran forward. "Thank heavens, you really scared me," she said, gently kissing his injured face. She looked deathly pale. "What happened?"
"It's a long story."
"And one that we would like to hear, but later – let the paramedics through to do their job Vanessa," Riley ordered gently, pulling her to the side.
The ambulance staff came forward with a gurney, but Joe stubbornly refused to lie down, insisting instead on walking. He climbed onto the back of the ambulance and took a seat whilst a medic inspected his injuries and Vanessa joined him sucking in her breath when she saw the nasty injury to his hand and arm.
His arm was wrapped loosely with gauze dressing to protect the glass fragments from being forced any further into the skin.
"I'm afraid you're going to need that stitched," commented the medic.
Joe gazed at the large pool of blood on the ground where Frank had been attacked. It was now circled with chalk and police forensic officers were taking photographs and notes. "Vanessa, what happened to Frank…I just don't understand?" he asked.
"I probably saw about as much as you did at the time as I was too concerned with Luke to take much notice of what was going on around me. But Callie filled me in before she left for the hospital. You know, of course, what occurred up until I lifted Luke off you?" Joe nodded. "Well apparently, the guy Frank went after attempted to leap into the rear of the van, but was pretty clumsy about it and went down and Frank was then able to put him in an arm-lock. But there was a second guy, a driver, and he came to rescue his buddy – and he used a huge wrench," Vanessa eyes started to swim with tears. "Frank just didn't see him coming, and took a hit to the side of the head. If Callie hadn't reacted as fast as she did, he'd be dead now because the guy was going to hit him again!" she started to cry properly and Joe felt a lump form in his throat.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he spat, angry with himself. "With all the experience we've gained in our many cases, I didn't even stop for a second to consider that there must have been more than one guy!"
"Come on Joe, we all reacted in exactly the same way, including Frank. And you know he never reacts without thinking through all the possible consequences first! There was a child in trouble and we all just jumped into action. It's easy to be retrospective, but what is important now is that we get you to the General and find out exactly what's happening with Frank".
The ambulance doors were slammed shut and they were on their way.
Joe had no choice but to get into a wheelchair at the hospital and was wheeled into an empty cubicle. "Can you find out how my brother is?" he asked the orderly who had been pushing the chair.
The orderly looked confused. "You're brother? But you came in with a girl," he said gesturing with his thumb towards Vanessa.
"No, you don't understand," said Joe, exasperated. "He was brought in earlier, his name is Frank – Frank Hardy – with a head injury?"
"I don't know anything about that I'm afraid, but I'll find out for you," he promised.
A nurse passed him in the doorway and approached Joe with a pair of scissors and proceeded to cut through his shirt sleeve. When done she said. "A doctor will be along to see you shortly, meanwhile I really do think you should get up onto the bed and take a rest."
Joe thought about refusing, but realised how beat up he actually felt and decided maybe it would be a good idea after all. After all, there was little he could do now until the orderly returned with news on Frank.
Joe opened his eyes and realised that he must have dozed for a couple of minutes, Vanessa was sitting next to him holding his hand. "Hey, sleepy head," she smiled.
"Welcome back champ," said another voice. Joe looked over surprised to find Chet Morton, his best friend, standing by the curtain opening. "Nice shiner, man!"
Joe took in Chet's appearance; he was, unsurprisingly, chomping on a chocolate bar, his huge frame filling the curtained doorway. Looking down he realised suddenly that his arm felt constricted and found it was bandaged from his elbow down to his fingers and held in a sling, he looked enquiringly at Vanessa.
"They did that whilst you were asleep, you went out like a light, the doctor said your body needed the rest as you had taken such a beating. Loads of stitches by the way, you're like a patchwork quilt."
"Wait a sec…how long was I out for?"
"Two hours".
"What? Why did you let me sleep? What's happening with Frank?"
Vanessa looked startled and Chet embarrassed. "Keep the voice down Champ, people are looking."
Joe snorted, swung his legs off the trolley and stomped out into the corridor. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?" he demanded.
A nurse hurried forward with a 'no-nonsense' expression on her face, but Joe took a step backwards away from her reaching arms.
"I want to speak to someone in authority about my brother" he demanded.
"The doctor wants you to be admitted for 24 hours for observation—please get back onto the bed," the nurse begged.
Joe shook his head defiantly. Seeing she was not going to sway him, she compromised and agreed that if he got back into the wheelchair Vanessa and Chet could push him to the hospital wing where his brother was being treated.
"At last," Joe thought. "Some action."
"Biff is with Callie," said Chet pushing the wheelchair. "She called us just after Frank was admitted."
Biff Hooper was Frank's closest friend. Markedly taller than Frank, he was a star on Bayport High's baseball team.
They entered the waiting area to witness Biff hugging Callie who was crying. A lanky, spectacled, balding doctor was speaking to them.
"What's happening?" demanded Joe, climbing out of the wheelchair again.
"Joe, it's great to see you," Callie said between sobs.
"Are you okay Cal?" asked Joe. "Last time I saw you, you were grappling with a goon."
Callie gave him a watering smile. "I'm okay, just a stupid scrapped elbow."
The doctor addressed Joe. "Am I correct in assuming you're Frank Hardy's brother?" he enquired.
"Yes, I'm Joe."
"I'm Doctor Green, I've been treating Frank since he was admitted. Could I ask you to accompany me to a separate room so we may talk privately."
"I want my friends to come with me," said Joe, firmly and waved the other four forward.
Doctor Green led them into a small office and he gestured for Joe to take a seat. "From what your friend Callie's been telling me, she witnessed Frank receiving a hefty knock to the head with a large weapon?" Callie nodded in agreement. "Well, the impact of the wrench caused a large tear to his scalp and we had to transfuse him with several units of blood in order to stabilize him before we took him for an MRI scan. I'm happy to be able to tell you that amazingly we found no fracture."
Joe breathed a sign of relief.
Doctor Green continued. "In normal circumstances, I would have expected your brother to have regained consciousness within the first hour, but for some reason that's failed to happen. I've not yet been able to ascertain an absolute reason for this, but there is an amount of internal swelling around the brain which may account for the delay in his recovery."
Joe swallowed "How bad is it Dr Green?"
There was a considered pause before the answer. "I'd advise you to contact your immediate family urgently."
The room was silent.
Joe was horrified. "Could he die?" he asked in a small, strangled voice.
"That's always a possibility with any head injury—especially the type of violent injury your brother sustained. We'll know more if, and when, your brother regains consciousness. Again, all I can advise is that you get in touch with your family."
"Can I see him?" asked Joe.
"Yes, but family only. I must warn you that he's hooked up to various machines, so ready yourself for what you are going to see, I'll have a nurse show you the way".
"Thanks Doctor. Chet, can you give Con Riley a ring and ask him to contact my Dad, this is the hotel's number where their staying." He took a pen from the doctor's desk and scribbled down both that number and Con's cell phone number, his hand shaking.
"Sure thing, Joe." Chet gave his shoulder a squeeze and then picked up the phone.
Joe exited the room and an Italian looking nurse beckoned him to follow her and lead him into his brother's room. Despite the Doctor's words of warning, Joe was still ill prepared for the sight that met him.
Frank was stretched out on the bed, his heart was being monitored and there were two IV tubes in his arm. The whole right side of his face was bruised black and blue. "Matching black eyes – Snap," thought Joe humourlessly. He listened to the peeping of the heart monitor as he slowly approached the bed. He stopped short; noticing for the first time that Frank's wavy hair had been removed from one side of his head. There was an angry looking line of stitches reaching from his temple to behind his ear. Joe pivoted on his heels and rushed to the nearest restroom, fell into a stall, and vomited into the pan, Biff running in after him.
His friend supported him whilst he heaved. When he was spent, he sat back onto the polished floor and pulled his knees up under his chin. "You should see him Biff, that's my brother in there, my brother. He didn't deserve that!"
Biff's jaw clenched tightly. "Joe, I'll make you this promise. The guy who did this to him is gonna pay, we're gonna catch him…one way or another…we're gonna catch him and then he'll wish he'd never crossed Frank Hardy's path!"