“Joe, the doctor had a blood work-up done. It proves you have been smoking marijuana and...” Frank swallowed painfully, “and doing acid.” Frank was too caught up in his own sorrow at having let his brother down as protector to notice Joe’s shocked look. “I know you’ve been acting a bit weird lately and people reported seeing you acting crazy yesterday afternoon.”

Joe’s shock turned to anger. “Just because you think I’m stupid and immoral doesn’t mean I do drugs. And you want to talk about acting weird? Check out yourself!” Joe snarled. “Now get out!”

“No,” Frank refused. “You need help and I...”

“Then I will,” Joe declared not giving Frank time to finish. He moved his cover and tried to rise but stopped and cried out in pain.

Frank reached for the nurse call but she must have already been on her way because she rushed up behind Frank and ordered him aside. “What were you doing?” she demanded as she helped Joe ease back onto the bed.

“Getting up,” Joe replied truthfully, shooting Frank a look that should have turned him to stone.

“Why?” she asked in surprise.

“To get away from him,” Joe spit out bitterly.

“That’s not the way it works, dear,” the nurse told him, pulling his sheet back up. She turned to Frank and her smile vanished. “You’ll have to leave,” she ordered him.

“But..” Frank tried to object but she did not give him a chance.

“No buts. You’re upsetting him.” She gave a small sigh at Frank’s wounded look and her tone softened a fraction. “You don’t want him to go back into surgery, do you?”

“No, of course not!” Frank erupted as his eyes widened in fright.

“Then you will have to come back later after he has had time to calm down,” she told him. Frank nodded and left the room after giving Joe a pleading look that Joe returned with a glare.

When Fenton and Laura arrived about twenty minutes later they found Frank pacing back and forth in front of Joe’s closed door.

“What’s wrong? Why are you out here?” Laura demanded her blue eyes wide in her small face.

“Joe kicked me out,” Frank admitted grumpily.

“Why?” Fenton wanted to know frowning in concern. Joe doing drugs was bad enough but shutting out Frank in addition was about as bad as it could get.

“I asked him where he got the drugs,” Frank confessed. “And he got mad at me.”

“Of course he did,” Laura told him sternly before opening the door and going inside.

Fenton exchanged a commissary look with Frank before turning serious. “Did he say anything about being hurt?” Fenton inquired.

Frank shook his head. “I don’t think he remembers,” he replied. “He asked me what had happened.”

“We have to find out where he got the drugs,” Fenton said, scowling.

“And if he has anymore,” Frank added. “Since he doesn’t want me here, I’ll take a cab home and start going through Joe’s things.” This was something he would never do under normal circumstances but then, Joe on drugs was not normal.

Fenton gave his consent to Frank then went in to see Joe, his face reflecting the disappointment he felt both at Joe for using drugs and himself for allowing it to happen. “How are you feeling?” Fenton asked Joe, going to stand by his bedside as Laura sat down.

“Very sore,” Joe answered honestly as he looked at his father curiously. “You believe I’m doing drugs too,” he accused him.

“I never said that,” Fenton said, not exactly denying the accusation.

“You didn’t have too,” replied Joe bitterly. “I can see it in your eyes.

Fenton sighed and looked down at where his hand lay resting on Joe’s arm. “Joseph,” he began softly. “I’m not blaming you. It’s my fault. It was my fault you were at home when those men kidnapped you. If they hadn’t given you the heroin then I know you would never have experimented with anything.

“I should have stayed home with you after it was over. Should have spent more time with you; gone over every drug talk we had ever had. I’ve failed you and for that I am so, so very sorry.”

“You’re right about that at least,” Joe said, his voice laced with the anger he was trying so very hard to control. “You did fail me.”