"Mr. Hardy?"

Joe turned quickly from the window and saw a doctor standing in the doorway. The doctor moved into the room and settled in a chair across from his parents. Joe stepped over beside his father wondering what the doctor had to say.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hardy, I’m Dr. Anthony. I was the physician on duty when you son was brought in."

"How is Frank?" Laura asked.

Dr. Anthony let out a breath. "I won’t lie to you. Your son is in serious condition. We are beginning to notice some improvements. His body temperature is beginning to increase which is a good sign and we had to put five stitches on the cut on his forehead to close the wound.

"Will Frank be all right?" Laura asked at Fenton wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"We are continuing to monitor his condition, but we believe he will be fine."

Joe closed his eyes and let out a breath, relieved his brother was going to be all right. He opened them and asked, "Can we see him?"

"Well, he is still unconscious," Dr. Anthony said. "But he had been moved to a room where he can be monitored." He looked at each of them in turn. "I think it will be all right. I think all of you could stay with him."

"Can we go now?" Callie asked quickly.

Dr. Anthony smiled at her. "Of course. Follow me."

Joe fell in step behind his parents feeling everything was going to be all right. They reached a closed door on the third floor. Dr. Anthony opened the door allowing Laura and Fenton to enter first. He heard Laura gasp and he hurried through the doorway.

He saw Laura had a hand to her mouth as she stared at the bed. Joe glanced at the bed and saw his brother. He now knew why Laura had gasped. Frank was still pale stretched out in the hospital bed. There was a tube inserted in his mouth, IVs dangling from the beside the bed where he believed to be attached to the back of Frank’s right hand, oxygen tubing was hooked to his nose and a foam collar was around his neck.

"Doctor?" Joe asked keeping his eyes on his brother as his chest rose and fell.

"I did say before that his body temperature is rising and we are continuing with the treatments. That is the reasons for the tube in his mother and the IVs. The oxygen is just to help him breath."

"What about the collar?" Laura asked, moving toward the bed, her initial shock dissipating, somewhat. She reached under the blanket and took his left hand in hers.

"The collar is to limit movement of his neck," Dr. Anthony said. "Your son has a case of whiplash and will be sore for a couple days."

"When do you think Frank will wake up?" Callie asked.

"Maybe sometime later today," Dr. Anthony said. "I’ll be back later to check on him."

As Dr. Anthony left the room, Laura and Callie each pulled a chair up beside the bed on opposite sides of Frank’s head. Fenton pulled a chair up next to Laura as Joe moved to the window, ready for a long wait.

*****

Joe watched the sun break through the clouds and rise in the horizon. It had been a long night with all of them staying by Frank’s bedside, waiting and hoping he would wake up soon. Joe glanced over his shoulder and saw his parents sitting side-by-side, asleep. Callie was also asleep with her head on the bed.

Joe figured he could have also slept knowing Frank was going to be all right, but he just couldn’t close his eyes.

Looking back out the window, he saw people starting to move about the houses across from the hospital, digging out their driveways so they could head to work or do errands.

Turning back to face the room, Joe’s gaze fell on his brother’s face. Frank’s face was still pale, but not as white as when he had been found. Joe thought he saw Frank move his head, but he stared at him for a moment, but didn’t see anything.

He was about to turn to the window again when he saw Frank roll his head slightly. Frank’s eyes slowly fluttered open. Joe moved over to the bed beside Callie right next to Frank’s head.

"Frank?" Joe asked softly.

Frank turned his eyes toward him after moving his head a bit and wincing in pain. He looked at Joe.

Joe smiled. "It’s me, buddy."

"Joe, who are you talking to?" Fenton asked sleepily as he sat up.

"Frank," Joe stated.

In a second, Fenton, Laura and Callie were standing beside the bed.

"You’ll be all right," Laura said brushing his hair back from his forehead.

They all noticed Frank was trying to talk. Fenton said, "We know you have a lot of questions, but they can wait."

Frank lifted his right hand and motioned to them for something to write with. Joe noticed the paper on the table beside the bed and Callie pulled a pen out of her purse.

They watched as Frank shakily wrote one word: "Cold."

"Joe, go see if you can find Frank’s doctor."

Joe nodded and squeezed Frank’s arm before he left the room.

*****

As Joe left the room, Frank closed his eyes and tried to get his thoughts together. He knew he was in the hospital as soon as he saw the IV bags hanging beside his bed, but he couldn’t remember how he got there or what warranted him to be in the hospital in the first place. The last thing he did recall was heading to the campus for his final exam. He had no recollection of what happened afterward.

Frank opened his eyes again as he felt the hair being brushed back from his forehead. He saw Laura had a small smile on her face as she did that comforting gesture. He reached up, took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

He turned his gaze to Callie and squeezed her hand and gave her a small smile, as much as possible with the tube in his mouth, which she returned. He noticed she looked tired and figured she’d been up as long as his parents.

At that moment the door to his room opened and Joe returned with a doctor. Joe stayed at the foot of the bed as the doctor moved up beside him.

"Hello, Frank," the doctor said. "I’m Dr. Anthony. I treated you when you were brought in." He paused. "Your brother told me you were cold."

Frank nodded slightly, wincing when he felt a twinge of pain.

Dr. Anthony looked at his parents. "Why don’t you give me a few minutes to check him over."

"All right," Fenton said.

Laura squeezed his hand, as did Callie and they left the room with Joe and Fenton. Before the door closed, a nurse came in.

Frank stayed still as the doctor began checking him over. "All right, Frank," Dr. Anthony said after a few minutes. "I think we can removed the esophageal tube and see how you’re doing. Your throat may be a little sore afterwards."

When the tube was out, Frank moistened his lips and leaned back against the pillows that had been piled up behind his head. The nurse set another blanket on the foot of the bed.

"How’s that?" Dr. Anthony asked.

"Better," Frank said softly.

"How about your head? Do you have a headache?"

"Just a little throbbing," Frank admitted.

"Are you nauseous at all?"

"No."

"Is your vision blurry?"

"No," Frank responded.

"Well, I believe you are going to be fine, but I would like to keep you here a couple days for observation. You body temperature was low when you were brought in and you lost a lot of blood. I’d rather be safe than sorry."

"I understand."

"Well, I’m going to let your family back in before they think you’ve had a relapse. Make sure you rest and I’ll be back later."

"All right," Frank said. "And thank you."

"You’re welcome."

A moment after Dr. Anthony left the room with the nurse, his parents, Joe and Callie returned to the room. He said softly, "The doctor wants to keep me here for a couple days."

"It’s probably for the best," Laura said moving back up beside the head of the bed where she was before they had left.

"You know," Frank said. "You all don’t have to stay. I’m going to be fine, but from the looks of all of you, it doesn’t look like any of you got much sleep."

"We probably would’ve gotten more if you hadn’t crashed your car," Joe said.

"I what?" Frank asked as loudly as he could, sitting up, wincing, then falling back against the pillows. He put a hand to his neck.

"Frank," Laura gasped.

"I’m all right," he mumbled. He looked at his brother. "What do you mean if I hadn’t crashed my car?"

"Frank, what’s the last thing you remember?" Fenton countered.

"Heading to the campus to take my exam. I don’t remember anything after that." Frank closed his eyes. "I can’t believe I missed my exam."

"I don’t think you did," Joe said and Frank opened his eyes. "Dad and I found you and your car on the way back from the university."

"I don’t remember that," Frank said feeling his eyes close. He forced them open and blinked a couple times. "Sorry."

"It’s okay," Laura said brushing the hair back from his forehead again. "You should probably rest and not worry about what happened. You went through a lot yesterday and need to rest."

"Your mother’s right," Fenton agreed. "We’ll get out of here and let you sleep."

"But we’ll be back later," Laura quickly added.

"All right," Frank said.

Laura kissed his cheek and exited the room with Fenton. Frank looked at Joe who was staring at him. Joe asked, "Are you sure you’ll be all right?"

"I’ll be fine," Frank said. "Go home and get some sleep. I’m not going anywhere."

"All right. I’ll see you later."

Joe left the room and Frank focused on Callie as she moved closer to the bed. He took her right hand in his, pulled it to his lips and gave it a kiss.

Callie smiled slightly. "You should get some rest or the doctor may keep you here more than a couple days."

"You’re probably right," Frank said feeling his eyes drooping again. He forced them open. "I’m sorry, Cal."

"Don’t be." Callie reached up and caressed his cheek. "Go to sleep."

Frank couldn’t argue. He was too tired. His eyes closed and he was asleep in minutes.