Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

Frank slipped into the room and closed the door behind him quietly. His mother turned at the sound, slight as it was, and held a warning finger to her lips.

"Is he asleep?" Frank mouthed the words from where he stood.

His mother nodded and pointed at the door. Instantly catching on her meaning, Frank eased open the door again and stepped outside, followed closely by his mother.

"Why the pantomime?" Frank asked once they were outside in the corridor. "

"I didn't want us to wake Joe up," his mother replied.

"You'd need an alarm the size of Big Ben to wake Joe up when he's asleep," Frank grinned.

"He just got back from his first session of physio not too long ago, and it really drained him," Laura said, the lines of worry settling in between her brows. "I figure he needs a good rest right now."

"Were you there with him, at the physio, I mean?" Frank asked.

His mother shook her head. "No, another one of those hospital regulations, but I don't think Joe wanted me there anyway. So how was school today? Do you have a lot to catch up on since you missed two days of it?"

Frank shrugged. "Nothing that I can't handle. The guys gave me copies of their notes so that helped. I spoke to Joe's teachers about getting homework for Joe. They have all agreed to get something together for me to pick up at the end of the day tomorrow. But I really don't know if Joe is up to doing anything much right now."

"Well, at least it's there for him if he feels up to it. Thanks for doing that for him. I didn't think of it at all myself," Laura said, making a face.

Frank gave her a quick hug. "You had a lot on your mind these past few days."

"Isn't that the truth," Laura smiled a little tightly.

"Where's Dad?" Frank asked.

"He said he had some things to take care of and was going to drop by later." Laura glanced at her watch. "I expect him here any time now, actually. Are you going to stay for a while?"

Frank nodded. "Yeah, I'll hang around, you know, the usual routine. I think I'll go back inside though and just sit. It'll give me a chance to catch up on some of my reading. Why don't you go and grab a coffee or something? You've been sitting here all day. I'll keep a eye on him."

Laura rolled her shoulders a few times. "That sounds like a good idea. I think I'll go out and get some fresh air, as well as some decent coffee. The coffee here tastes like dishwater. Do you want me to bring one back for you?"

"Yeah, that'd be great."

"All right, I'll just slip in to grab my coat and then I'll be on my way. I shouldn't be too long. Tell your dad that if he gets here before I'm back," Laura said.

After his mother left, Frank settled down into the bedside chair and pulled a binder from his backpack.

"Frank?"

"Hey, I thought you were asleep." Frank immediately set down the binder and leaned closer to the bed.

Joe looked at him through tired eyes. "I dozed a bit but I'm aching too much to really sleep."

Frank frowned, taking in the drawn and pale features of his brother. "Want me to track down a nurse for some painkiller?"

Joe shook his head. "Nah, I'll live. Don't like the way those things make me all groggy."

Frank looked at him sympathetically. "The physio was tough, huh?"

Joe closed his eyes briefly. "Yeah, a lot tougher than I expected, and I hardly did anything. I don't know if this leg will ever be the same again."

"The doc said you should heal fine. It was only your first session. Give yourself some time. I'm sure it'll be good as new in no time."

"Sure hope so," his brother muttered sullenly. "I'm too young to retire from sports."

Frank reached out and gave his brother's hand a squeeze. "Hey, where's the Joe Hardy bravado? It's still there, isn't it?"

Joe gave his brother a small smile. "It's kind of hard to puff out the chest when the tiniest little movement sends your leg into spasms."

Frank frowned. "What did the physiotherapist say?"

"He said I was doing fine," Joe answered.

"So there you go! Don't expect miracles on the first day," Frank said. "A person's leg falls asleep after sitting for a couple of hours. You've been lying in that bed for days now. Of course your muscles will be stiff."

Joe stared at him for a long moment and finally broke into a familiar grin. "Good old Frank! My one-man cheering squad."

"Well, somebody's got to slap some sense into you," Frank smiled, glad that his brother was looking less dejected.

"Where did Mom go?" Joe suddenly asked.

"She stepped outside for some air, and to grab a coffee. She'll be back soon."

"Yeah, she's been cooped up here for too long with me," Joe nodded. "She really doesn't need to spend all her waking hours here, or her sleeping hours either. That goes for you and Dad too."

Fenton had arranged with the hospital staff to have a cot put into the room and the three of them had been taking turns spending the nights with Joe in the hospital. Though Joe had complained on and off about being babied, none of them was ready to abandon him to cope with the plaguing nightmares on his own.

Frank shrugged. "I don't know if Mom and Dad feel the same way, but the house is not the same without you sleeping in it. So I figured I'm probably better off spending the nights here with you."

Joe was staring at his own hands. "Thanks. I'm glad you guys didn't let me send you away." He let out a long shuddering breath. "The nights are still pretty hard. Sometimes I dread falling asleep."

Frank took his brother's hand into his once more. "Hey, it'll get better. Everything is still fresh."

At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Frank gave his brother's hand another squeeze before he got up to open the door.

"Oh hi, Mr. Grady. Come on in." Frank was surprised to see who it was.

"I hope you don't mind me coming here," Taylor Grady said as he stood hesitantly just inside the room. "But I had to see for my own eyes that your brother is all right."

Frank smiled, if a little tightly. "Yeah, he's getting there. See for yourself. He's right here."

"Hi, Mr. Grady," Joe said as he began to push himself up into a sitting position.

"Keep still, Joe. I'll raise the bed," Frank admonished as he quickly made his way to his brother's side.

Taylor Grady continued to stand awkwardly by the doorway, his hands twisting his hat nervously as he watched the brothers.

"Would you like to sit down?" Frank pulled forward a chair.

"No, I'm fine like this," the older man said. "How are you feeling, Joe?"

"Okay. The doctor said I can go home in a couple of days," Joe replied.

"I'm sorry. I should have come sooner to see you, but --," Taylor Grady paused with difficulty. "I've been busy with work and with Jason in jail - I have to go see him too."

"How's Jason?" Joe asked.

Before Taylor Grady could answer, the door once more opened and Fenton and Laura entered the room. Jason's father eyed the Hardys with obvious trepidation.

"Mr. Hardy," he greeted nervously.

"Mr. Grady, we didn't expect to see you here," Fenton said as he held out his hand.

Jason's father hesitated before grasping the other's outstretched hand. "Call me Taylor. I hope you don't mind my coming here."

"Fenton?" Laura tugged at her husband arm gently.

"Oh, I'm sorry. This is Jason's father, Taylor Grady. This is my wife, Laura," Fenton quickly made the introduction.

"How is Jason?" Laura asked immediately. "He is all right, isn't he?"

"He's fine, or as fine as he can be in his situation," Taylor Grady answered quickly. "Like I said, I hope you don't mind me being here. I wanted to see how Joe is and to thank him personally for all that he's done for my Jason."

"Why don't we all sit down first, instead of standing like this?" Fenton suggested. "Laura, you and Taylor take the chairs. Frank and I will sit on the cot."

"I really don't want to take up too much of your time," Taylor Grady said as he eyed the offered chair. "Don't want to keep Joe from his rest."

"I'm fine, Mr. Grady," Joe said quickly. "Please tell us more about Jason."

The man at last sat down, his hands dangling nervously between his long legs. "Well, you know Jason's in jail, place where they keep kids like him. They got a lawyer for him and the lawyer's told me that because of Jason's age, and this being his first time in trouble, he'll probably get a couple of years in a detention center for kids, maybe less. I guess that's the same as jail."

"Your son will be getting relatively more freedom at a detention center than if he's at a regular prison," Fenton explained. "It's probably for the best, Taylor . Jason will be able to continue school there and hopefully, when he gets out, this will all be put behind him."

"I sure hope so, Mr. Hardy," Jason's dad said. "But it still hurts to see him locked up. He's just a kid, you know. He's never been in trouble like this before. I still can't believe this all happened." He looked at the Hardys with misery. "I'm so sorry that he involved all of you, and Joe getting hurt." His looked at the youngest Hardy. "You saved my boy's life. I don't know how I'll ever thank you, but you saved his life by risking your own."

"If your son had gone directly for help instead of running away like he did, then my brother wouldn't have nearly gotten killed," Frank suddenly cut in, his voice uncharacteristically hard. "Your son basically left my brother to die."

"Frank --" Joe protested.

Frank looked at his brother. "It's the truth, Joe. He knew those two guys would not hesitate to kill, and yet he ran to save his own life, and just left you there with them. I find that hard to forgive and I am certainly not going to apologize for feeling the way I do."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Taylor Grady said miserably. "You are right. I know what Jason did was wrong. I don't want to make excuses for him, but he was scared to death, but you're right. He should have gone for help. There was no excuse. It's not right to abandon someone who's just risked his own neck to save yours. Jason knows that now and he's sorry." He turned to Joe again and said in an almost pleading voice. "He really is sorry, and if he weren't behind bars, he'd be here himself to apologize to you."

"Tell him I accept his apology," Joe said firmly. "I know he was scared. Tell him I'll go and visit him as soon as I'm able."

"Thank you, thank you," Taylor Grady stammered and tears shimmered in his eyes. "He'll be glad to know that." He stood up. "I better go now. Don't want to take up any more of your time. Just want to thank you all once more. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have a son right now." He stared down at his tortured and twisted hat. "He's not really a bad kid, you know. I just haven't been a very good father, that's all."

Laura grasped him gently by the arm. "Mr. Grady, you sound like you care about your son very much, and to me, that's the first sign of a good father. Just continue to love him. Your son will come back to you."

Taylor Grady looked at the petite woman before him, furiously blinking back the threatening tears. "Thank you, ma'am, thank you. I hope you're right. Looks like you and husband have done a good job being parents. You have two fine sons."

Laura gave him a beaming smile. "We are proud of them. Very proud."

You've got every right to be," Taylor Grady said. "Hope someday my Jason will be like them." He gave them a final nod. "Thanks again, for everything."

After Jason's father left, an awkward silence fell in the room. Laura glanced at her two sons and gave her husband's arm a gentle tug. "Come Fenton, I think you need a coffee."

Fenton's lips curled briefly. "Okay, boys, we'll be back shortly. Your mother has given me her order."

Left alone, the two brothers stared at each wordlessly. In the end, it was Frank who at last broke the silence.

"Don't expect me to retract what I said about Jason," he said, looking at his brother defiantly. "I am a very unforgiving person when it comes to certain things in life."

Joe continued to gaze at his brother and his lips twitched, uncontrollably. "I thought I was the temperamental one of the two, but you don't do badly either, big brother."

Frank frowned. "I don't think this is something to joke about."

Joe's smile disappeared, but the twinkle remained in his eyes. "Sorry, Frank. Didn't mean to make light of your feelings. You just surprised me, that's all."

"Well, you're pretty dense if, after more than seventeen years of living with me, you still don't know how strongly I feel about keeping you in one piece," Frank muttered.

"Hey, the suspicion has always been there," Joe said. "Now I just got it confirmed unequivocally." Joe suddenly cocked his head and grinned at his brother, "Have I ever told you that I have a hell of a brother? Sure wish you were as lucky as me."

A slow, reluctant smile spread across Frank's face and he reached out to tousle his brother's already disheveled hair. "Hey, kiddo, I think we've both hit the jackpot as far as brothers go."

Joe's smile widened. "Can't remember if I've told you before, but thanks, big brother. Thanks for all the things that you have done, and thanks for all the things that you might do yet."

"You're welcome, I guess, though I might be jinxing myself by saying that," Frank said slowly.

Joe laughed. "Now you're sounding like the old cautious Frank again."

Frank looked at his brother and smiled. It was good to see Joe laughing again. Perhaps the nightmares would not come back that night. And if they did, he was going to be there, right beside his brother.

THE END

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.