Frank heard a curse and opened his eyes to hear William sneer at Joe, “Now you're too cold for any type of fun…"  

The older Hardy let out a huge shaky sigh of relief as William tugged the comforter out from underneath Joe and then tossed it roughly over him.  Joe groaned softly but didn’t move.  

“Can’t have you getting hypothermia now can we?”  He said in mocking concern.   

Frank’s haunted brown eyes watched the other teen warily wondering what sick game he was up to now.  

“Sit tight Frankie…I’ll be right back”, and then William left the room and closed the door.  

Immediately Frank began trying to rouse Joe.  His brother had to get out of here and now!

* * *

William was very pleased.   

He had seen it on Frank’s face…he had felt it in Joe’s body…  

They were his.  

Picking up the phone, he started to dial when he realized that the other extension was still off the hook in the living room.  Lazily he went into the living room, hung the phone back up and then went back to the kitchen.  

He felt very much like having pizza.

* * *

“Joe…. Joe!”  Frank called desperately trying to reach his brother, “Joe come on!  I’m not screwing around anymore… wake up!”  

A groan from the comforter encouraged him, “Joseph Paul Hardy!  Get up NOW!”

* * *

…Joseph Paul Hardy…Get up NOW…  

Somewhere in the darkness Joe heard his brother’s voice and fought to obey him…his eyes fluttered open and then he tried to move his head…  

…ow…painful…don’t do that…his body groaned and he felt a horrible wave of nausea pass over him as he gasped, “Fr…Frank…”

* * *

“Oh Joe…thank god!” Frank was practically crying in relief.  He was getting through to his brother.  Now came the hard part…  

“Joe you have to get up!  You have to get out of here!”  Frank saw his brother’s head move slightly and he pushed harder, “Joe listen to me.  You have to GET UP.  NOW!”  

He heard Joe groan again and the comforter moved a bit.

* * *

…Frank wants you to do something…  

Joe tried to focus on what Frank was saying but every moment threatened to break what little resolve he had over being sick…again.  

But his stomach felt so bad…and he could feel a horrible twisting in his gut…but then he heard Frank’s voice again…

* * *

Frank hated to do it but he felt he had no choice.  The alternative was just too horrible to consider.  He knew that the only chance Joe might have of rallying was to hit him where it would hurt most….   

Stilling himself, Frank forced a hardness in his voice as his stomach twisted painfully with each word, “Fine.  Joe just lay there and let William kill you!  See how much I care…” deep breath…,”I never thought you had it in you anyway.  You’re not strong enough…Joe…” breathe…breathe…”I’m disappointed in you…”  

The older boy’s voice trailed off in a sob and he hated his own weakness.  That he couldn’t even be strong enough to say what he needed to say… to save Joe…  

And then he heard a whimper from Joe’s bed and Frank saw the younger boy struggling to move before finally slipping over the side of the bed so he was lying half over it with his upper body lying across the mattress.  

Frank’s heart lurched as he saw him.

* * *

”…You’re not strong enough…”  

Joe closed his eyes as he heard his brother’s words…  

“…I’m disappointed in you…”  

Joe felt each word sear his heart and he forced his eyes open.  

It’s just a little pain…just a little…  

Forcing his reluctant body, Joe tried to move. It was so hard.   

He was so weak…you’re not strong enough…Joe moved on the bed….  

Everything hurts…it’s just a little pain…  

Joe tried to convince himself but he knew it wasn’t working… I’m disappointed in you…with renewed conviction Joe felt himself slipping over the side of the bed.

Gasping he held onto the mattress for dear life wondering how in the world he was going to stand up.

* * *

“That’s it Joe!” Frank started cheering his brother on, “you can do it. Come on.  You need to get up now…come on Joe!  I know you can do it!”

* * *

Joe raised his head from the mattress enough to finally see his brother.  

Was Frank crazy?   Joe wondered when he heard what Frank was saying this time and his delirious mind noticed something and he focused on it.  

He never noticed that Frank was tied to the chair…  

He never noticed the black eye that watched him with such worried intensity…  

He never noticed his brother’s tear stained face…  

What he did see was the angry little marks on Frank’s arm and he lowered his head miserably…  

He had failed…William had burned Frank.

* * *

Frank had never seen such a look before on Joe’s face and he was overwhelmed by such an intense need to protect him that it sucked the air from his lungs and left him gasping.  

He had often read about the light being extinguished from the soul but until he saw that look on his little brother’s face he had not been able to understand it.  

And now he knew.  

Then Joe lowered his head back down…  

“Joe…baby….listen to me please...” Frank’s voice was hoarse with emotion, “I need you to get up. William is downstairs.  I need you to go to my room…”  

Although his younger brother gave no indication of even hearing him Frank just prayed he was not only listening but understanding, “you have to get to my computer…Joe you have to!”  

While his younger brother also had a computer, Frank’s was always on and right now they couldn’t waste important time waiting for a system to boot up…besides Frank had a plan, “Do you understand me?”  

A small nod from Joe was enough and Frank continued growing excited with each moment knowing this would work…it had to.  

“Okay baby…you just need to get to my computer and put me back on line…do you understand Joe?  Phil will be there.  He’s always there at this time of night.  Click on his name and tell him to call 9-1-1 …he’ll understand…can you do that for me Joe? Can you? That’s all you need to do…”  

Frank and Phil normally chatted back and forth before bedtime and he was confident that his brainiac friend would be there waiting for him so they could instant message each other rather then chat on the phone.  

And Frank was also very confident that if Joe typed “CALL 911” that Phil would not only understand that Frank needed help…but send it.  

So all Joe had to do was get to Frank’s computer.  

Frank heard a sound coming from Joe and for one moment he was afraid his brother was choking but then realized he wasn’t…Joe was laughing.  

It was heartbreaking to hear…because he knew Joe wasn’t laughing at anything funny. 

* * *

… That’s all you need to do…  

Joe heard every word that Frank said with mounting horror because he knew how hard it would be for him to do it… impossible even.  And then when Frank said that… That’s all you need to do…  Joe couldn’t help it…he laughed.  

And it cost him dearly as new pain seared through the numbness that had settled over him.  

“’kay” he finally managed and then tried to stand up.

* * *

Frank watched as Joe tried to stand up. It was very painful as it brought home a fresh reminder of what William had done to him.  

He did notice with some relief, that the cut on Joe’s chest seemed to have stopped bleeding again…that was something.  

However Joe was far to unsteady and weak and then as he finally got mostly upright, the internal war that he had been waging since first trying to move, overwhelmed him and he dropped to the floor retching miserably.

Hating himself but having no choice, Frank still tried to push Joe…it was their only chance, “Joe…come on…You gotta get up!  You need to move…please…”

* * *

On his knees and shaking with each contraction, Joe couldn’t do what Frank was asking…

* * *

“What the hell is he doing?” the sound of Williams’ voice made Frank jump as he had been so intent on his brother he didn’t notice the other opening the door.  

“He’s sick”, Frank said flatly stating the obvious.  

William rolled his eyes at him and then grabbed Joe by the arm and pulled him back up towards the bed.  

“What is it with you guys?”  he snarled, “I am really getting tired of this.  What do I have to do to show you how serious I am when I tell you not to try anything?”  

He let Joe fall onto the bed and then regarded him with a malicious look on his face.  And then finally he let out a sigh and smiled at Frank, “I guess it was really my own fault though…I thought he was worst off then he apparently is…”  

Frank gaped at him in disbelief hardly believing William would say that even after all Frank had seen him do.  

“Well I better fix that”, William finished and then before Frank could realize what he meant to do, William grabbed the leg that had been injured in the car accident and gave it a nasty wrench right at the knee.  

Joe’s body lurched up slightly as he moaned against the new pain.  

Frank didn’t say anything.  He was too heartsick…once again his actions had gotten Joe hurt.  

Frank had pressed him to try and save him…and William had just hurt him more.  

“Oh Joe”, he whispered miserably as his vision blurred with tears he blinked away, “please forgive me…I’m so sorry…”  

William moved away from Joe and came to stand directly in front of Frank.  Leaning down he stared coldly into his ‘brother’s’ face and said, “Let us see if we can get this right… this time. If either of you move… or if I hear even a peep from this room, I won’t be playing nice anymore.  I’ll just shoot him and you can watch him bleed to death.  Now Frank… please don’t make me shoot him…”  

Without waiting for Frank’s nod, William turned on his heels and went back downstairs.  

The pizza was supposed to be here anytime.

* * *

Frank’s head was pounding.  All the emotions of the last couple of hours were rallying against him in a migraine headache.  

Wearily he watched Joe for any signs of how he was doing as he wondered if they were ever going to get out of this room… alive.