“Well how is he?” Fenton Hardy demanded, four hours later, after Joe had been admitted to Bayport Memorial for a complete battery of tests.  

And except for being weak from muscle apathy, the teenager was in surprisingly good health – a testimony to the remarkable care his mother, Laura, had taken of her son while he was in the coma.  

“As good as any confused little boy can be after waking up in a 17-year-old body, “the doctor smiled sadly, “I’ve given him a sedative and I’ve asked Dr. Francis, one of the staff psychologists, to be there when he wakes up. I feel Joe is going to need some help… well actually… a lot of help when the sedative wears off.”  

The doctor paused, “I was hesitant to sedate him of course, since he only just regained consciousness, however he was too distraught, and that was posing a bigger risk then the drug would at this point.”  

“So what happens now?” Laura asked and Dr. Bates, their long time family doctor and friend, replied, “He’ll undergo extensive physical and occupational therapy, as well as counseling. Hopefully over the next six weeks, Joe will adapt both mentally and physically to being back with us.”  

“Six weeks?” Laura said incredulously, hardly wanting to imagine Joe being away from home that long. And Dr. Bates smiled gently at her, “It could take longer depending on Joe. This is made all that much harder because in his mind he is still only 11 years old. So he will be looking at life by the limitations he was used to. And I think Joe will find it an adjustment just to be in control of a 17-year-old body.”  

Both Fenton and Laura agreed sadly, and then Dr. Bates asked, “Where is Frank?”

* * *

18-year-old Frank Hardy lay on his towel and marveled at the beauty of the day. His closest friends, Chet Morton, Phil Cohen and Tony Prito were still swimming in the chilly lake waters but Frank had pulled himself out early to just laze around on the towel, and mourn the end of another long hot Bayport summer.  

He and his three friends had been camping for the last two weeks after having earned the time off from working hard all summer. Tony worked at his family’s pizza parlor, Mr. Pizza’s, while Phil Cohen helped his dad out at the small electronics store the Cohen’s had in the mall. Chet worked with his father on the family dairy farm, and helped Frank out whenever he could.  

Frank, following in his own father’s footsteps, had worked for his father’s detective agency as a ‘legman’. He did all the grunt work for his father and Sam Radley, the other detective who worked in the agency.  

He wished his father would let him cut his teeth on a case or two of his own, but so far Fenton was reluctant to and Frank didn’t press to hard. All he had to do was go upstairs to the room next to his, in their family home, to see why.  

Thinking about his little brother sent a cold chill down Frank’s spine. And shuddering, he hurriedly pushed all thoughts of Joe away.  

“Hey Hardy”, Chet called out as he lazily floated on his back near the edge of the lake, “what time is it?”  

Frank glanced down at his watch and was disturbed to see it was already time to go back. The tents and camping gear had already been stowed away in Chet’s truck, and they had been putting off actually leaving for as long as they could.  

No one really wanted to go home yet.  

Chet knew he’d have a mountain of chores; Tony would go back to work; Phil to an empty house as it was just him and his Dad and his father was a workaholic; and Frank – well Frank’s house was never empty, but it was sure as hell lonely.  

His mother insisted that someone always be at home, as she did not like the idea of Joe being there by himself. And to be honest, Frank hated it when it was his turn to be the one left at home… with Joe.  

With respect to his brother, Frank had shut down years ago. It was the only way he could see that still, comatose body and not lose his mind. So he buried Joe and shut him out.  

His friends understood this and never asked. They had lost a friend too that day and they would do whatever was necessary to keep the remaining brother they had left… well almost all of the friends understood…  

Standing up, Frank called out to the other three ‘fish’ still in the lake, “We need to go now if we want to be home before dark.”

* * *

“Mom! Dad! I’m home!” Frank yelled as he dumped his camping equipment in the garage and headed into the house.   

He was surprised to see the house shrouded in darkness because his Mom usually kept at least one light on.  

The boys had gotten delayed by Chet at an all-you-can-eat buffet they had spotted on the side of the highway, and it was after dark when Frank was finally dropped off.  

“You hoo! Anyone home?” of course there is, a creepy little voice in the back of his mind tormented, your brother is… he’s always here….  

Pushing that thought away, Frank headed upstairs, “Mom?” He looked in his parents room, half expecting them to be asleep but the room was empty.  

Stifling a sigh, the teenager decided there was one more place to look – the morgue, he thought bitterly.  

With great reluctance, the dark haired youth pushed open the door to his brother’s room and then stared in shock.  

For the first time, in almost six years, Joe’s room was empty!  

His brother was not in his bed!

* * *

Frank stood there shaking, as possible scenarios flashed across his mind; the basis for them all being that something had happened to Joe. And then the older boy was shocked by his thought, finally… now maybe we’ll all be able to move on….  

Frank Hardy would have never thought, in a million years… well until this exact moment, that he’d ever hope his brother might finally be dead. But now he did. He was tired of watching a corpse for the last six years.  

Shaken by this sudden personal revelation, the dark haired boy turned off the light in Joe’s room and headed downstairs. He needed a coffee.  

Turning on the light in the kitchen, Frank saw a hurriedly scribbled note stuck to the fridge.  

FRANK – COME TO THE HOSPITAL ASAP. WILL EXPLAIN WHEN YOU GET HERE. MOM XOXO  

The boy stared at the note for a long time before he went back to making his coffee. Then he sat at the table and sipped it.  

His mind whirled with too many images and emotions; each one ended with Joe lying so still and pale in his bed.  

“I don’t want my brother back… not like that”, he said bitterly, “he should have died that day… I did.”  

When his coffee was finally drunk, Frank grabbed the car keys to his convertible and drove to the hospital.

* * *

By the time he got to the hospital, Frank thought he was prepared for anything his parents told him. But he wasn’t.  

“He’s awake!” Laura Hardy gushed as soon as she saw the tall, handsome dark haired young man walking down the hallway towards her.  

“What?” Frank’s voice was laced with shock and his mother laughed at the look on his face as she hugged him tightly, “Joe! Your brother! He’s awake!”  

Now I know I’m dreaming, Frank thought as he felt his mother grab his arm and drag him towards an open doorway.  

Frank felt all the color drain from his face as the person on the bed turned towards him and Frank saw the most vibrant blue eyes regard him warily… eyes he thought he would never see again…  

And then Frank turned and bolted from the room.