“Or neither,” Joe added, frowning. “Walter was gone long enough so that he could have called someone to follow me and try and kill me when I was alone.”

“Did you find out anything from Pete?” Fenton asked Frank, looking over at him.

“No,” Frank admitted. “But Biff and Chet were going to tail him and Russ.”

“I still don’t understand,” Laura cut in. “Why try to get Joe into drugs if they were just going to kill him?”

“I, uh, have an idea about that,” Joe said a little hesitantly. He waited until everyone had turned their attention to him. “It’s uh, kind of common knowledge I was in rehab over the summer,” he began. “I’ve developed a rep and some people have been treating me like I’m a pariah because of it. Maybe Pete thought he could draw me back in. We were getting along great but his attitude changed just a little after his dad got home.”

“Who?” demanded Frank, ready to teach some people a few lessons in the proper way to treat his brother.

“Just some kids,” Joe said, not giving Frank a straight answer. He didn’t want Frank to get into trouble and he could handle the snide remarks and innuendos of the few whom were harassing him.

“So Walter is the one who wanted you dead,” Laura stated, getting back to the matter at hand although she didn‘t like the fact that Joe was being bothered because of something that wasn’t his fault. But she did understand. She wouldn‘t have wanted her son around anyone who had been on drugs either. “But why?”

“Because Joe was already high,” Fenton stated, frowning. “Walter probably realized that when Joe got home we would notice and trace it back to him.”

“This is all supposition,” Joe stated with a grimace. He was in pain! “There’s no proof.”

“We’ll get it,” Frank vowed, his brown eyes hard not noticing the flash of agony that twisted Joe’s features for a brief second.

“I’m not going to be much help,” Joe observed, wincing as he tried to sit up a little straighter. Wasn’t the pain supposed to get less the better he got?

“You’re not going to be any help,“ Laura told him sternly. “You are going to stay put and get better.”

Joe smiled at her even as the monitor began beeping louder. Nurse Lenz entered the room. “You’re going to have to stop upsetting him,” she told the Hardys sternly. Nurse Stover had told her about Joe’s reaction to his family before she had gone off duty earlier.

“They aren’t,” Joe told her even as the monitor continued beeping. Nurse Lenz took Joe’s pulse then wrapped the blood pressure apparatus around his arm.

Joe started squeezing his eyes shut and opening them repeatedly. The nurse hit the call button and requested the doctor come at once then ushered Fenton, Laura and Frank out of the room.

It was over half an hour later when Doctor Benson, Dr. Mason’s relief, emerged. “What’s wrong with him?” Laura demanded. “What is making his blood pressure so erratic?”

“He’s moving around too much,” the doctor said. “That and the emotional roller coaster he seems to be on are keeping it fluctuating.”

“So we’re a part of the problem?” Frank asked sadly.

“I’m afraid so,” the doctor agreed. “I’m going to have to insist that you limit your visits to once a day and even then if he gets in the least upset you will have to leave immediately.”

“I can’t stay with him?” Laura asked, crushed.

“Not until he is out of intensive care,” Dr. Benson affirmed.

“Can we tell him goodbye?” Frank asked.

The doctor nodded. “But make it quick.”

Laura went in and kissed Joe on the forehead. “We have to leave,” she told him.

“I know,” he said slowly. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, baby,” Laura told him.

Joe looked over at his brother. “Be careful?” he begged.

“I will,” Frank promised. “You just concentrate on getting better.”

Fenton reached out and ruffled Joe’s hair affectionately. “Take care and we’ll be by tomorrow to see you.”

“Bye,” Joe said as they exited the room.

***

“Laura, will you be all right if we drop you off at home?” Fenton asked. He was concerned about leaving her alone when she was so worried about Joe.

“I’ll be fine,” Laura assured him. She knew Fenton and Frank were going to find out who had hurt her baby. “Just be careful.”

“We will,” Fenton said, smiling.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“The police station,” Frank answered, correctly guessing what his father had on his mind. “We need to see the knife.”

“And talk to Collig,” Fenton added. “He still believes Joe was doing drugs.”

“You’ll have to turn me in,” Laura said when Fenton pulled into the driveway. “I don’t have my keys.”

“I need to grab my cell phone,” Frank said. He had left it in the van when he had arrived home and gotten into the car with his parents.

The phone was ringing as Fenton opened the front door and Laura went in ahead of him and picked up the receiver. “Hardy residence,” she answered.

“Mrs. Hardy? This is Nurse Lenz at Bayport General. You and your family need to return to the hospital. Joe has been rushed back into surgery.”