Fenton’s face was just as white as his son’s and his hands were visibly shaking as they gripped the steering wheel. He had come close to losing both his sons more than once on numerous cases but every bad news he received would never fail to send a thunderous jolt into his heart. At times, he would have given anything if only life were different for all of them; if only they had led a normal, safe life. If anything happens to Joe…

After speeding down the freeway for ten minutes in a silent journey which would have normally taken 20 minutes, the car slowed down as the barricade of police cars and an ambulance crowding the side of the road came into view. That was when Frank saw it.

"Oh my God, Dad…" Horror and disbelief contorted Frank’s handsome features, his body instantly trembling all over. No not Joe. Please. No one could survive this, no one.

The van was totalled. The fenders were smashed right into the tires and the whole front bumper and the hood was so badly damaged it was completely "shifted" to the driver's side, as a result of smashing into the bumper of the towing truck which escaped with barely a scratch. Both front tires were blown out, and all four rims were bent and damaged beyond repair. The windshield was completely shattered with bits of glasses scattered everywhere, the sharp of glint as sharp as the pain in Frank’s heart.

Frank and his father got out of the car and rushed over to one of the cops. White-faced, Frank let out a strangled cry when he saw the body bag on the stretcher, about to be loaded into the ambulance on stand-by. A low guttural moan ensued from deep within his throat when he caught sight of the second body bag lying on a stretcher just a few feet away. Frank made a lunge for it but a cop suddenly appeared in front of him and blocked his way.

"I’m sorry, son, I can’t let you through-" The cop faltered when he saw Fenton coming over, his face tight and tense. "Sir-"

"I want to see the bodies," Fenton said grimly. The cop hesitated a little, and Frank’s eyes narrowed as he caught the glimpse of sympathy and pity on his face.

"But sir, I have to warn you that-"

Suddenly Frank bolted past the cop and practically dove for the stretcher before anyone could say anything; much less do anything to stop him. Ignoring shouts and angry orders to stop, Frank’s fingers enclosed around the zipper and after a split-second hesitation, gave it one mighty tug and instantly his knees went weak.

Fenton leaped forward and caught Frank in his arms as he blindly flailed backward, gasping and wheezing as the shock stole every last breath in him, his face pasty white and slick with sweat. Fenton wrapped a strong arm around his elder’s son trembling shoulder and helped him stay on his feet, aware of how badly Frank was shaking. Frank could no longer speak; he could only whimper as he buried his face into his father’s shoulder.

Fenton swallowed hard. From where he was standing, he couldn’t see what was in the body bag, the upper hood of the bag obscuring his view of what was lying in it, which had given Frank the biggest shock of his life. Fenton felt his heart break when he realized that he wasn’t having a hard time figuring out what it was. Swallowing again, Fenton helped Frank sit down on the ground and Frank leaned his head against one of the police cruisers, fresh tears coursing down his cheeks in rivulets.

"Sir-" The cop said in a warning tone as Fenton took a few shaky steps toward the stretcher. Fenton held a hand out in a gesture for the cop to stay behind and he gritted his teeth hard, bracing himself for what he was about to see. Frank’s whimpers grew louder and for a second, Fenton found it odd that Frank was muttering some stuff, which to him didn’t make sense at all.

"Cancer…dead…no…Joe…Haydin-no please-doctor…can help…"

Fenton felt his breath whoosh out of him as he peeked into the bag. There was no mistaking it; the same blond hair, the same clothes he was wearing that morning, the same wristwatch…everything was the same. Except for his face.

What was left of Joe Hardy’s face was a bloody red mass, resembling nothing human; so badly disfigured and ruined it was beyond recognition. What was left of Joe Hardy was left without a face.