Joe awoke confused as to why he hurt so badly. He bought his hand up and touched his sore face tentatively. "Where am I?" he wondered. He opened his eyes and the world proceeded to swim, making him feel nauseous, he swallowed down the bitter taste of bile that formed in his throat. He lay there for a few more seconds trying to collect his thoughts. Confusing images played 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 himself lying in tall grass. In the far distance he could hear police and ambulance sirens. He also heard a vehicle passing close to where he was lying. He sat up - a little too quickly - the world began to spin again. Closing his eyes and opening them again, he found he was finally able to focus properly. He mentally tested his body and decided that he was not to 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. Catching his breath, he gave it another try, this time he was successful.

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 onto the road, he began to trudge slowly back towards the noise of the sirens and tried to jog to save time. However, this only served to make his head swim again - he was forced to satisfied himself with walking.

A little while later he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching the rear. He stopped and looked back, seeing a squad car slowly rounding the bend. It came to a halt and Joe slumped down to a seated position on the ground. The door 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 they often helped each other out on cases. "Joe, were you ever a sight for sore eyes!" he 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 my brother?" 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?"

"That’s not a fair question, Joe - I’m a cop not a doctor! But I’m not going to lie to you, he didn’t look great, but let’s wait until we hear news from Bayport General - which is exactly where you should be by the looks of you." The police officers took Joe by an arm each and helped him to his feet. They walked to the squad car and Joe got into the back with Con Riley. It was radioed ahead that they’d located him.

"That’s quite a black eye you’re developing there, Joe," said Riley. Indicating to Joe’s arm he 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’s gone to the hospital with Frank - quite the little heroine from what we’ve been hearing," Riley added with admiration.

"Yes, 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 mesh divider. "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."

***

Joe was stunned by how long he had been able to cling to the van before being flung off. They entered the park again 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 pushing her to the side. The ambulance staff came forward with a gurney, but Joe stubbornly refused to lie down, insisting instead on walking. He sat on the back of the ambulance whilst a medic inspected his injuries. Vanessa sucked in her breath when she saw the nasty injury to his hand and arm. They wrapped it 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?"

"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. Callie filled me in before she left for the hospital," she began. "You know, of course, what occurred up until I lifted Luke off you?" Joe nodded. "Apparently, the guy Frank went after attempted to leap into the rear of the van, but was pretty clumsy about it and went down winded and Frank was then able to put him in an arm-lock. Unfortunately, what we didn’t know was that there was a second guy, a driver, he came to rescue his buddy - 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!" 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, there was a child in trouble and we all jumped into action. It’s easy to consider your actions in retrospect, but what is important now is that we get you to the General and find out exactly what is 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, 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.

***

He 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 see Chet Morton, his best friend, standing by the curtain opening "Nice shiner!" 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. You’ve got 24 stitches, by the way."

"Wait a sec…how long was I asleep?"

"Two hours".

"What? Why did you let me sleep? What’s happening with Frank?"

Vanessa looked hurt 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 is going on?" he demanded. The nurse hurried forward with a ‘no-nonsense’ expression on her face. "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." 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 smiled and Joe was pleased to see that his comment seemed to cheer her a little.

"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.

They accompanied him 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 spanner or wrench?" Callie nodded in agreement. "We had to transfuse him with several units of blood and then was taken to x-ray. I’m happy to be able to tell you that amazingly there is 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 this has failed to happen. I’ve not yet been able to ascertain an absolute reason for this, but there is a small 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 Police Chief Collig 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 the number, his hand was shaking. Tall, husky Collig was the Chief of Police at Bayport Police Headquarters and also a trusted family friend.

"Sure thing, Joe," Chet gave his shoulder a squeeze and 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 ran 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 weeping. "You should see him Biff, that’s my brother in there - my brother!"

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!"