Frank’s heart sunk. “Only Joe can get hurt sitting in the van. Trouble follows him everywhere. This was probably just one too many knocks on the head. When was his last concussion? Would it be better to go to the hospital or call Dr. Bates?” Frank was jerked out of his thoughts by Joe.

After shaking his head slightly and looking around again, Joe said, “We’re still in the driveway? We are seriously going to be late to school now. Are you going to let the ice melt on the seat or can I have it?” Joe stared at Frank wondering why he was looking so relieved and shocked. “Are you okay, Frank? You want me to drive? You look a little odd.”

“No, Joe. I’m okay. Put the ice on your head and just lay back. I’ll let you know when we get to school. I’ll explain why we’re late in the office.” Frank glanced over at Joe throughout the drive to school and wondered if he was really alright. Joe had closed his eyes again and fallen asleep, but he seemed a little restless. “Maybe I should just take him to the doctor’s instead of school. He seemed to be okay though once he got his bearings. Well, I’ll just have to keep an eye on him at school today and let Mom and Dad know if he doesn’t look well,” Frank thought.

When Frank parked the van in the school parking lot, no students were in sight. He woke Joe with much less effort this time and they walked into the office and got their passes. “If you don’t feel well, let me know and I’ll take you home. Okay Joe?” said Frank.

“I’m fine Frank. Stop worrying. See you at lunch.” Joe said as he turned to go to his locker. Frank gave Joe an anxious glance as they went their separate ways.

Joe did have a growing headache, but he wasn’t going to admit that to Frank. He walked over to his locker and turned the combination without thinking. He gathered his books from the top shelf and then remembered he should be in history class now. He stooped to the bottom of the locker to get the big book and stood up quickly. “Big mistake,” he thought as he swayed, then the world went black and he fainted.

Frank had that nagging feeling that he should walk by the junior’s lockers and make sure Joe got to class alright. He came around the end of the row of lockers in time to see Joe stand up, sway, and collapse. Frank ran towards Joe, and shouted his name, but could not reach him before his head hit the tiled floor.

One of the teachers walking by heard the yelling, followed by a loud crack. She came around the corner quickly and found Frank trying to rouse his brother. She told him to stay there with Joe and that she would get help. She came back moments later to see Joe awake and still lying on the ground. He was fidgeting and Frank was trying to keep him still. Miss Martin said “We’ve called for an ambulance and have told your parents. They will meet you at the hospital.”

At this, Joe got upset. “Frank, I’m fine! I told you that,” he snapped. Then he tried to push himself up. Frank gently, but firmly kept his hand on Joe’s chest forcing him back to the ground.

“Joe, this is school policy. You know that,” Miss Martin said soothingly, hoping to calm him down. “Thank goodness,” she thought when the paramedics came just a few moments later. “Frank, you can go with your brother. Your parents requested that you come in case you had any helpful information about what might have caused this,” she finished just as the paramedics lifted Joe on the stretcher and strapped him down.

“Thanks for your help Miss Martin,” Frank called over his brother’s growing protests to the paramedics that he was “completely fine.”

“I’m going to ride with him,” Frank said to the paramedics. They were so busy trying to get Joe calmed down that they didn’t seem to care. As Frank climbed into the ambulance and squeezed in next to Joe, he grabbed Joe’s hand in an effort to calm him. “If looks could kill,” Frank thought. He squeezed Joe’s hand and asked him, “So what happened?”

“I guess I just stood up too quickly and I must have fainted,” Joe said. “I didn’t think fainting was a crime.”

“No one is punishing you, Joe. You know the school usually calls the paramedics if someone passes out,” Frank said reasonably. “Besides, you hit your head hard this morning and then you fainted and hit your head on the floor. Given all that, you should be checked out anyway.”

Joe was tired and his head was hurting more than he cared to admit. Since he was strapped into the stretcher, struggling was futile. He tried to remain focused as Frank spoke but found that he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. He closed them and succumbed to the darkness.

Frank looked up after his monologue and found that Joe’s eyes were closed. He hoped Joe was just sleeping.

When they arrived at the hospital, Joe was rolled into the emergency room. Fenton and Laura rushed up to Frank and waited for an explanation. Frank explained everything that had happened that morning. “I really think that he is just exhausted and upset because next week would have been Iola’s 17^th birthday. I think this is taking its toll on him,” Frank said as he ran his hands through his dark brown hair.

After waiting and pacing for an hour in the hospital’s emergency waiting room, the doctor approached the Hardys. “Are you here for Joseph Hardy?” he asked.

“Yes, for Joe,” replied Fenton. “Is he going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine. He has two rather large bumps on his head, but it doesn’t look like a concussion. He does seem tired and run down though. We’ve run some blood work to make sure he is not anemic. Did he eat this morning?” the doctor asked.

Fenton and Laura turned to Frank as they had already left by the time the boys were getting ready for school. Frank said, “He made breakfast, but threw it away without eating it. I think he has been very stressed lately and has been having trouble sleeping.”

“Well, the best thing we can do for Joe now is send him home and put him to bed, after you feed him. Keep him home today and tomorrow and have him just rest and eat. If he starts to show signs of a concussion, nausea or dizziness, bring him back here. I’ll have the nurse wheel him out for you,” the doctor said.

“Thank you doctor,” chorused the Hardys.

Moments later, Joe appeared in a wheelchair. “See, I told you I was fine,” Joe said to Frank softly. “Sorry you were worried for nothing Mom and Dad.”

“Sweetie, are you sure you are feeling okay?” Laura asked.

“Mom, I’m fine. Frank and I can go back to school now. We’ll make all our afternoon classes at least,” Joe said as he stood up from the wheelchair. He hated those things.

“Joe, the doctor wants you to stay home today and tomorrow and rest,” Fenton told him. “You are looking run down and you need to take a break.”

Before Joe could protest, Frank said, “I’ll go back to school and get your work for you. That way you won’t fall behind.”

Joe grimaced, but knew he was not going to win this one. He let his mom and dad lead him out to their car while they gently lectured him on taking better care of himself. At this point his head was pounding. He eased into the backseat and was lulled into an unsettled sleep by the motion of the car.

Fenton and Laura kept looking over their shoulders at their youngest in the backseat. He had fallen asleep quickly and now seemed to muttering under his breath. He was looking more and more agitated in his dream. Laura turned to Fenton, “Just get us home quickly so we can wake him.”

“We’re almost there. He’ll be okay for a minute,” Fenton replied. As soon as Fenton had the car pulled into the driveway, he leaped out and opened Joe’s door. Fenton reached in and grab Joe’s shoulders gently as he was thrashing around in his dream. “Joe, it’s okay. Wake up.”

“No, let me go! I can save her!” Joe yelled with his eyes still closed. Fenton held on to him, trying to wake him. Since he was in an awkward position, Fenton could not move fast enough, when he suddenly realized that Joe’s fist was flying towards him.

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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.