DISSONANCE
by
Duckling
Chapter 32
The Chapters
Resolution
Fenton continued to sit by his son’s bed, mesmerized by the rhythmic rise and fall of the boy’s chest. As long as he stayed focused on Joe’s simple act of breathing, Fenton was able to keep the doubts and demons at bay.
Laura slipped back into the room unobserved. Her chat with Sam had settled matters once and for all; she would stay with Fenton, she loved him too much to do anything else.
Stepping up behind her husband, she slipped her arms around his neck and leant over to kiss the top of his head. Brown eyes rich with wonder looked up at her as he reached up to touch her face.
She released him to reclaim her seat by the bed. This time, however, she turned to her husband and studied him carefully. Yes, now that she looked closely, she could see what Sam had so clearly seen: the slump of the shoulders that was not caused by age, the lines of anxiety etched so clearly in a handsome face, the anguish and – was that shame? – in his eyes as he silently waited.
Taking her husband’s hand, she laced her fingers through his. Fenton’s eyes widened in surprise at this unexpected display of affection.
“Fent,” she began softly. “I think I’ve been too hard on you.”
The investigator suddenly lowered his eyes as he shook his head.
Laura reached out and gently drew his face back up, so that she was once again looking into his eyes.
“Love,” she said with a smile, “As tempted as I might sometimes be to trade you in for a newer model, I could never do it. Want to know why?”
Fenton didn’t respond. He wouldn’t have been able to, had he even tried.
“It’s because I love you too much. Warts, wrinkles, and all,” Laura said simply, as she gently stroked her husband’s cheek.
A lone tear trickled past his best intentions not to give in to his emotion; Laura reached up and gently wiped it away. She wrapped her arms around him and drew him close. Finally succumbing to the vortex whirling within him, he let her hold him as he cried.
*****
Frank and Bix met up with Sam at the bank of elevators on the first floor.
“Sam!” Frank greeted the man he thought of as an uncle enthusiastically. “Any news on Joe?”
“Yep,” Sam grinned broadly. “Word is he’s well enough to have visitors. That’s where your folks are now.”
Bix clapped Frank on the back happily. Frank grinned back at him, before his features hardened as the second half of Sam’s statement sunk in.
“You mean they’re still here?”
“Hey,” Bix said softly, “they have a right to be there too.”
Frank’s face relaxed as he smiled at his friend somewhat sheepishly. “Yeah,” he acknowledged, “you’re right.”
The light above one of the elevators suddenly lit up as the doors swished open. The trio stepped aboard and waited patiently for the car to fill up. Another metallic swish and the doors closed, whisking them up to the floors above.
*****
Fenton had just finished washing his face at the small sink in Joe’s room when the door swung open.
Turning around, he was surprised to see his eldest son with a smile still on his handsome young face. The smile disappeared quickly, though, as Frank and the others entered the room.
Before they could approach Joe’s bedside, Fenton held up his hand for them to stop. The dark-eyed teen regarded his father with half a scowl marring his features. Sam nodded to Bix and the two quietly withdrew from the room.
Laura stood up to stand beside her husband, slipping an arm through his.
“Frank,” Fenton began, his voice low enough not to wake Joe, “You’re right: Joe will only ever be safe somewhere . . . away from me.”
Frank blinked in surprise. He had never expected to hear this from his father.
Laura squeezed her husband’s arm reassuringly, as she gazed up into his dark eyes.
Giving her a small smile, Fenton turned to look back at Frank.
“Son, take your brother and watch over him. Keep him safe, please. Only allow us to provide for the two of you somehow; maybe you could arrange for someone to send word to us about the two of you, so we’ll know that you’re okay.”
“I truly do love you son, both of you. And I’m sorry,” his voice suddenly dropped to a mere whisper, “so incredibly sorry, to have failed you both so miserably.” Fenton averted his face to hide a rebellious tear.
Frank was stunned. All the animosity he had harbored against his father drained away at his father’s humility. He had never before seen his father abase himself before, and instead of wanting to fling his father’s failures in his face, as Frank had often dreamed of doing, he realized he wanted to reach out and ease the suffering he saw in those unhappy brown eyes. Tentatively, almost shyly, he reached out and touched his father’s arm.
Fenton looked up in surprise.
“Okay, dad,” Frank said softly, surprised to find his own voice a bit hoarse. “We could probably arrange to call once a month. Or even meet up at some vacation resort.”
A smile spread slowly across the older man’s face. Laura released her husband, and held out her arms to her eldest son, who looked first from Fenton then back to her before breaking into a smile and stepping into her embrace. A minute later, Fenton had wrapped his own arms around them both.
They stood like that for a long while, glad to be a family again, until they heard a soft sigh come from the figure in the bed. Turning around as one, they saw that Joe had awakened, his bright blue eyes alight with happiness and relief.
As they disentangled themselves to gather around Joe, they breathed the sweet air of resolution, so welcome after so many months of dissonance.
The End
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The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors 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.