“Joe”, Biff said carefully, “did you ask your Dad what happened after you were knocked out?”  

The younger teen shook his head and Biff continued, “Well Frank was with you… did you ask if he got hurt or anything?” That was as much as the older teen could give him.  Joe would need to find out the rest on his own.  

“No”, Joe admitted and then his eyes widened in horror, “oh my gosh… No! I didn’t!  That’s it, isn’t it! Frank got hurt and he is blaming me for not being able to help him!  Oh no! No wonder he hates me!!”  

“Joe”, Biff said to his increasingly agitated friend, “I don’t think Frank hates you… in fact I know he doesn’t… but I do think he is still pretty hurt over what happened and your being awake is just reminding him about it.” He was now kicking himself for saying anything as he could see how upset Joe was becoming.  

Joe thought about it, but it just made him feel worst and he confided miserably in his friend, “Biff sometimes I think life would have been a lot simpler for everyone if… if I didn’t wake or…or…”  

Biff grabbed him in a tight hug as he admonished sternly, “Don’t you dare say it Joe Hardy! I for one, am damn happy that you did not die!!”  

“What about Frank?” Joe whispered and was embarrassed as he fought to keep his tears in check. He did not want to blubber like a baby in front of Biff!  

“Yes”, Biff said without hesitation. Deep down he knew that Frank was glad too… even if didn’t realize it yet.  

“I gotta go”, Joe said pulling away from his friend. He was going to cry and didn’t want to do it here.   

Biff seemed to understand and patted him on the arm as the younger boy started out the door, “It’s going to be okay Joe.”  

“I know”, Joe said sagely, “I have to believe that Biff… because that hope is all I have left.”  

And then he turned his back and hurried down the front steps.

* * *

By the time Joe got home, he was pretty much cried out and had decided that it was time to talk to Frank. He would make his brother talk to him if he had to sit on him to do it.  

Now to an 11 year old, Frank looked huge, but armed with his own 17-year-old body, Joe figured he could at least give the older boy a run for his money.  

Barreling upstairs, the blond teen swung the bedroom door open, startling Frank who had just come out of the bathroom.  

“Sheesh Joe, “Frank said coldly, “we knock in this house.”  

“Cut the crap”, Joe said angrily – he figured he could use that word without too much trouble as he was, after all, older now, “since when did we ever knock on each other’s doors!”  

“Things have changed”, Frank said as he tried to push past his brother. If Joe was in his room, then he was going to leave, but Joe crossed his arms, in his trademark defiant move and shot back, “Yeah so I’ve been told… and seen. You know I’m a bit mixed up but I’m not stupid! And you never used to treat me this way so what’s going on Frank?”  

Frank felt himself pale – he hadn’t expected this but then he smiled wryly, realizing that he should have. This was textbook Joe – not very subtle; attack head on like a bulldog.  

But Joe misread the smile and deflated, “You think this is funny? That I’m so mixed up I don’t know where the heck I’m supposed to fit in anymore?”  

“No”, Frank finally said, “I actually find less humor in this then you do. Just trust me on this one, okay?”  Once again he tried to get by and once again his younger brother blocked him.  

Frank did not want to get into a physical confrontation with Joe. He was too old for duking out his problems now.  

But as he regarded the petulant, determined kid standing in front of him, he sighed. He might be too old but Joe wasn’t.  

The body could fool you, but once you looked into his anguished blue eyes, you’d see the truth – a very scared little boy, still innocent and oh so naive.

I used to be that once, Frank thought bitterly… and then Joe threw him a curve ball, “What happened after I was hit Frank? What happened to you?”  

Frank felt as if all the air was suddenly sucked out of the room – this was what he had been terrified of… Joe wanted to know the truth.  

“Frank… what happened?” Joe persisted, his vivid blue eyes searching the darker ones that turned away.  

Frank’s jaw tightened, “Get out of my way Joe.”  He needed out of this room and away from his brother.  

“What happened?” Joe wouldn’t move. Inside he was shaking and terrified but this was too important. He wanted his brother back and Joe was willing to tread this dangerous ground if that was what it would take to find him.  

“Move!” Frank was getting angry now. The shock of the question was wearing off. But Joe, stubborn to the bitter end, demanded, “What happened!”  

Frank tried to push Joe out of the way and was surprised when his brother resisted, “Out of my way NOW!”  

“NO!” Joe shouted back as the shove escalated into a scuffle, “What did they do to you?”  

Frank froze, his mind throwing painful, vivid flashbacks at him. Finally he spoke and when he did, his voice was lethal, “Nothing you would understand.”  

Joe started trembling. He had never heard Frank sound like that before and a knot in his stomach warned him to stop now… but he couldn’t, “Try me Frank… remember me – Joe. Your little brother. We used to be able to tell each other anything! What happened?”  

Hard brown eyes clashed with earnest blue ones and Frank said with an unforeseen malice that he had not known he could ever possess, “You never woke up.”  

Frank continued unable to stop the rage even as Joe shrunk back from him until it was the older boy who prevented him from leaving, “I went through hell and back… I suffered nightmares… I went through counseling… I healed. All by myself. I needed you Joe, just to be there… just to talk to… just to hold onto to… just to tell me that everything would be all right and that you still loved me!  But you took the easy way out… you left your damned body to mock me and torture me everyday – but you went away!”  

Frank was oblivious to the look on his brother’s face as he continued; “You slept. And now that I’m finally over all that crap, you’re back and you want everything to be the same as it was six years ago. Well reality check, baby brother… I don’t want that!”  

Joe stood frozen in shock and then with a mighty shove, he bolted past Frank, down the stairs and out the door. I don’t want this, he sobbed as he ran… I don’t want this at all…

* * *

Frank was rooted to the spot long after Joe left. He felt horrible that he had lost control; horrible that he had said those things to Joe; and horrible because he felt better.  

Emotionally drained, yes, but at the same time he felt as if a bit of the weight he had been carrying had been lifted.  

And then he remembered the look on his younger brother’s face just before he bolted… and sinking down on his bed, Frank buried his face in his hands and cried.  

Oh god, how he loved that kid…

* * *

Joe ran.  

He had no idea where he was going but he just needed to get away.  

And then he stopped, in shock, as he realized where his mad flight had taken him. It was a part of the road where there were no houses for a block.  

Just shrubs and trees on both sides of the road.  

Oh my gosh, he thought as he stood there, this is where it happened!  

Taking off his sunglasses, Joe crouched down, and through blurry eyes, he touched the pavement and flashed back to that day…  

Frank was riding a head of him. They had been side by side until they got on the road and then they had to ride single file.  As usual, Frank was riding first.  

Joe could almost feel his bicycle beneath him as he closed his eyes… he could almost hear the steady squeak of the wheels as he rode…  

Frank glanced back… probably to remind him to watch for traffic… and then Frank’s face changed to a look of horror and he shouted “JOE!”  

Joe looked behind him and…  

Opening his eyes, the teen glanced behind him with the memory… and was paralyzed with shock as for one moment… his mind could not understand if it was the past or the present it saw, as a dark blue van with tinted windows screeched to a halt behind him.  

And then a spike of fear shot through Joe – it was real!   

Dropping his sunglasses, the boy ran… but the few seconds’ delay cost him dearly…  

Two men bolted out of the side of the van and tore off after him.  

“HELP!” Joe screamed as he tried to outrun his pursuers but he was already exhausted from his emotion filled flight from Frank, and was no match for these men, who were obviously in good shape.  

“HELP!” he managed one more time before he was tackled and something sickly sweet on a cloth, shoved into his face…  

And then the world became dark.