HDA - Living in Darkness Trilogy - Pt 2 - The Search

The words slammed into her, buckling her knees as she grabbed for the countertop. She heard Frank’s alarmed voice asking her what was wrong but she couldn’t answer him. Hell, she could hardly breathe.

We found him…

Oh God, those words. She’d been waiting so long to hear those words.

We found Joey!

“Is he – ” her voice strangled in her throat as she fought to ask, “Is he…okay?”

There was a brief pause on the other end and Laura’s heart stopped –

“He…uh…he’s a bit confused…” Fenton’s tone wasn’t exactly reassuring but the desperate woman grasped tightly to what he wasn’t saying.

“So he’s okay then?” she was quick to clarify. “Fenton?”

“Sweetie…” again that hesitation that pounded fear through her heart. “Yeah. He’s okay.” Fenton paused and then added. “He’s taller.”

For some reason that made her laugh. Her baby was okay; taller, confused…but okay. “Oh thank God!” Hot tears blurred her vision as she turned and reached out for Frank. Instantly her dark haired little boy was by her side and she squeezed him tightly to her. “They found him,” she laughed, her voice shaky but excited. “They found Joey!”

And just saying the words – giving her son back his little brother – made everything real…

Frank gaped at her for a moment and then squeezed back as a huge smile transformed his face and his free arm pumped the air. “YES!”

“Where are you? Where is he? I want to see him,” she rushed out, her attention returned to the phone as she kept one arm firmly around her son. “I want to see Joey! Oh God, Fenton…”

“Easy, honey, easy,” Fenton’s tone was comforting and Laura realized just how much she’d missed that; it had been a long time since she’d let him make her feel better, “he’s being checked out at the hospital. The Bayport police are sending someone to take you to the airport. A plane’s been arranged. Pack an overnight bag for you and Frank. I’ll meet you—”

“No!” Laura interjected sharply. “Stay with Joe, Fenton, please stay with our son!” Her heart pounded wildly at the mere idea of Joe being alone. “We’ll get a cab. Just tell me which hospital. We’ll be there!”

She felt Frank’s scrutiny, his dark brown eyes following her every move as she wrote down the hospital name – God, her hands were shaking…. She tried to give him an encouraging smile, having no idea what he was thinking right now.

Once she’d verified the hospital name and address, the woman hung up. She beamed at her son and then shooed him towards the kitchen door. “Hurry, Frank! Get your pajamas….We’re going to New York!”

…

Frank pounded up the stairs, his previous anger and indignation stunned into submission and overridden by sheer relief.

They’d found Joe…they’d really found him!

He couldn’t believe it. After all this time, they’d finally found his brother.

“And about time, too,” he groused quietly as he ransacked his drawers for pajamas and a change of clothes. As he slammed the drawer closed he knocked against the desk, making the family picture fall flat. Righting it, Frank looked at the blond haired little boy smiling back at him and a sudden nervousness about seeing his sibling bubbled in his stomach.

What had Joe been doing all this time?

Was he having fun?

What if Joe didn’t want to come home?

What if he didn’t want to be Frank’s brother anymore…?

Chewing his lip in apprehension, Frank than shook his head and rolled his eyes. “That’s pretty stupid,” he berated himself, “Of course Joey’s gonna want to come home…I got Pal!”

He reached under his pillow and snagged the small black car that’d he’d taken such precious care of for the past two years. “He’s going to want you back now,” he assured the toy before stuffing it into the pocket on the side of his small overnight bag. He hurried towards the door and hoped his mother was ready. The sooner they got to the airport, the sooner they could bring Joe home. The sooner they could bring him home, the sooner everything would return to normal.

Frank grinned as he pounded back down the stairs – his mother didn’t even holler at him about that! He couldn’t wait to tell Joe about the stuff the guys had planned for the weekend. Maybe they’d get to go out with their friends after all…

Maybe.

…

Fenton hung up the pay phone and then leaned against the wall tiredly. The adrenaline rush of finding Joe was weaving out of his body, leaving him feeling sick and exhausted. But until he knew that Joe really was okay, he couldn’t afford to give in to his body’s weakness. Sleep was for other people. For people who hadn’t just found their son after searching for two years.

A smile lit his haggard features as he thought about how excited she was, and Frank…

“Oh crap,” the man exhaled suddenly irritated with himself, “I didn’t even ask to speak to Frank.” He couldn’t begin to imagine how his oldest was feeling now. Joe was Fenton’s son but he was Frank’s brother…they had a connection that spanned parental comprehension.

Pushing away from the wall, the detective mentally promised Frank some time after they arrived and hurried back to Joe’s room.

He had slipped out of the room to call Laura while the medical staff were assessing the sedated child, and he was anxious to get back.

Pushing open the room door, he saw a nurse fixing a blanket over Joe. She smiled when she saw him and spoke low as she passed, “He’s doing just fine. Dr. Jared will be in to talk with you in a just a few minutes.”

Fenton smiled in acknowledgment and then moved towards the bed.

“Hey, Joey…” he whispered, reaching out to gently caress the child’s cheek. A single tear rolled down his face as his fingers quivered at the contact, his heart scorched with guilt. “Oh God, Joey…I’m sorry, so sorry…”

Murmuring something softly, the child leaned into his touch and Fenton closed his eyes briefly and swallowed hard. “It’s okay, Joey, it’s okay…Daddy’s…Daddy’s here,” he choked out as he slowly sank into the visitors’ chair next to the bed. He picked up one limp hand and held it to his lips. “I’m going to fix this,” he vowed, as he lightly kissed the child’s fingers. “I’m going to make this all right for you.”

And then still holding the small hand, Fenton hunched forward and closed his eyes. Guilt, grief and relief overwhelmed him and his shoulders shook as he silently sobbed….

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.