Away in a manger

No crib for a bed

The little Lord Jesus

Laid down His sweet head

The ballad played softly from the stereo as the colored lights twinkled on the four and a half foot Christmas tree that stood on the small end table in the corner of the living room.

A light snow was falling outside, creating a winter wonderland along the streets of New York City. From the small apartment window, the one inhabitant watched as cars fought through the ruts in the street left by other motor vehicles. The view also allowed the resident to see walkers struggling along the icy sidewalks loaded down with packages wrapped in an array of colors.

It was Christmas Eve and their first holiday together as husband and wife.

The sweet smell of fresh gingerbread cookies wafted through the air, mixing with the scent of fresh baked apple pie.

Laura Hardy had been hard at work all day, making the desserts from scratch so that they could be taken to her in-laws for dinner the following day. This year they would be with Fenton’s parents for Christmas since they had dinner with her parents at Thanksgiving.

Glancing around the small apartment as she waited for Fenton to come home from his shift at the police precinct, she realized that the place definitely screamed “Merry Christmas.”

Besides the beautifully decorated tree, silver garlands adorned each doorway. On the table by the television was a manger with Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the angel and the three wisemen. There were also several animals including sheep, a donkey and an ox. The nativity scene had been found at a shop Thanksgiving weekend when they both had a day off and decided to brave the crowds out shopping.

Also scattered about the room were red, white and green candles.

As she looked at the gifts under the tree, she felt a little uneasy. They didn’t have a lot for each other, agreeing that they money they saved would help for a down payment on a house in the near future. They both loved the apartment, but it was small for the two of them. It had been Fenton’s before they married and neither of them wanted to break his rental agreement. They were willing to wait until it expired in six months.

Laura looked at the clock and realized Fenton would be home shortly. She knew dinner would be ready for when he arrived and then they would have just enough time to make it to the Christmas Eve candlelight service.

Knowing they would be cutting it close, Laura decided to get dressed before they ate. She figured she could do the dishes while Fenton changed.

When he returned home, he greeted her with a hug and kiss.

“I missed you,” Fenton said, holding her close.

“I missed you too,” Laura said. “Dinner is just about ready.”

“Let me change out of this uniform into something more comfortable.”

“All right,” Laura said.

She released him and he headed for the bedroom. Making her way toward the small kitchen, she grabbed the potholders before opening the oven door. As she lifted the casserole out of the oven, she took a deep breath of the delicious smell and felt her stomach twist. She quickly set the dish down on the counter.

Laura hurried to the bathroom, slipping past Fenton as he exited the bedroom. She closed the door and sank to her knees, being ill.

“Laura, are you all right?”

“I’ll be out in a minute,” Laura said shakily. She was ill again and wished she knew why it happened at the most inopportune times.

When she felt like her stomach had settled a little bit, she flushed the toilet and got to her feet. She moved to the sink, rinsed out of her mouth and splashed some cool water on her cheeks.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she was surprised at how pale the face was that stared back at her. She wished she wasn’t getting as sick as she was. She also knew she needed to give Fenton some explanation. He had been so concerned since this had several times over the last several days.

Taking a breath, she opened the door to see Fenton standing there, holding a clean shirt.

“Are you all right?” Fenton asked, looking her over carefully.

“I’m okay,” Laura said.

“Are you sure? You’re awfully pale.”

Laura offered him a small smile. “I’m sure.” She nodded toward the shirt he held. “You should hurry up so we can make it to the service.”

“I’ll be out in a minute,” Fenton said.

“Okay.”

Laura made her way back to the kitchen, willing her stomach to behave itself. She just had to get through the night. She hoped he wouldn’t press the issue.

Fenton entered the kitchen a few minutes later and sat down at the table with her. They ate quickly and then headed for the church service.

* * * * *

The next morning, Laura woke first. She turned in the bed to see Fenton sleeping on his side, a lock of his brown hair curling on his forehead. There was a small smile tugging at his lips, and she was grateful to have him in her life.

Quietly, without disturbing him, Laura slid from beneath the warm covers and left the bedroom. Entering the living room, she turned on a lamp and then plugged in the lights to the tree. The scene seemed perfect to her with the presents piled underneath.

Laura made her way into the kitchen and started a small pot of coffee. She set the kettle on the stove to warm water for tea. She turned the oven on so she could warm the cinnamon rolls they were going to have for breakfast.

Just as she took them out of the oven, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning, Laura saw Fenton wrapped in his forest green robe.

“Merry Christmas, Laura,” Fenton said as he moved toward her.

“Merry Christmas, Fenton,” she said as he wrapped his arms around her. Their lips met.

When they broke apart, Fenton said, “I think that’s a tradition we need to continue.”

“I think so too,” Laura said. “Your coffee is ready and so are the cinnamon rolls. Do you want to eat out here?”

“Let’s take it into the living room,” Fenton suggested. “We can eat while we open presents.”

“All right,” Laura said.

She found a tray and set their mugs on it with the cinnamon rolls. Fenton grabbed a knife, plates and napkins before following her into the living room.

They settled on the couch and gazed at the Christmas tree.

“Why don’t you grab a present first?” Fenton suggested.

“Why don’t we each open one at the same time?” Laura countered.

“All right.”

They each moved to the tree and picked a present. When they settled on the couch again, they tore into the paper. Laura received a book she had wanted to read and Fenton received music from his favorite artist.

Fenton and Laura continued picking and unwrapping gifts together until the pile dwindled down to nothing. They each received a gift certificate to two different restaurants they enjoyed for dining. Fenton received two tickets to an upcoming New York Yankees game and Laura received two tickets to a Broadway play.

“Thank you for everything,” Fenton said. “This was a great Christmas.”

“It was for me too,” Laura said and suddenly got a little shy. She felt the butterflies take flight in her stomach and she knew she had to tell him the secret she had been keeping for a week.

“Fenton, I actually have one more gift for you,” Laura said quietly.

“You didn’t have to get me anything else,” Fenton said. “The baseball tickets, the clothes and everything else is enough.”

“This is actually something I hadn’t planned to give you,” Laura admitted.

“Whatever it is, it will be wonderful,” Fenton said as he took her hand in his.

Laura swallowed and looked Fenton in the eye, his beautiful brown eyes staring back at her. She saw love in his eyes and knew she was taking the right step.

“Fenton, we haven’t really talked about this,” she began. “We pretty much agreed that we want this someday, but never really said when we would want this.”

“Laura, honey, what are you trying to say?”

She took a breath. “Fenton, in about eight months, you’ll be a father.”

Fenton’s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open, his face losing all color.

Laura suddenly felt ill, afraid that Fenton wasn’t happy about the news.

“Are you sure?” Fenton asked. “Am I really going to be a father?”

Laura nodded, afraid to speak.

“Oh, Laura, this is wonderful.” Fenton pulled her into his arms.

The tears came as Laura sobbed in Fenton’s embrace. She was so scared he would be angry, but he was happy. “Oh, Fenton,” she cried. “I was afraid you would be angry with me.”

“I can never be angry with you,” Fenton said as he kissed the top of her head. “This is so marvelous. We are going to be parents.”

“Are you really happy?” Laura asked, leaning back so she could look into Fenton’s tear-streaked face.

“I am as happy as the day I said ‘I do’,” Fenton said and gave her a kiss.

Laura was so relieved.

Ring. Ring.

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. The phone rang again and she hurried to it, hoping and praying it was the news she was waiting for.

“Hello?” she answered.

“It’s me, Mom,” Joe, her youngest son said.

“Have you found them yet?”

“We have a lead,” Joe answered. “I just wanted to touch base with you before we went to check it out.” He paused. “It’ll be all right, Mom. We’ll find them and be home before you know it.”

“Just be careful,” Laura said.

“I will,” Joe said. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The call was ended.

Laura slowly replaced the receiver, sending up a silent prayer that her husband and eldest son would be all right on this Christmas Eve.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, in a cold, damp cement basement, Fenton Hardy sat on the floor, cradling his unconscious son’s head in his lap. He was also thinking of the first Christmas with Laura and the news that she was carrying their first child, which turned out to be their son, Frank.

And here he was now, worried beyond belief about his son’s injuries. He saw the blood on his head and knew Frank had a head injury. Frank’s left leg was also bent at an awkward angle, making him believe it was broken.

Fenton had tried numerous times to rouse Frank, but to no avail. Whatever the abductors had done to Frank made him think they weren’t going to let him go alive.

Making his son as comfortable as possible, Fenton had torn his shirt to use as bandages to step the flow of blood on Frank’s head. He had then used his coat and belt to immobilize Frank’s let in case he woke up.

The paleness of Frank’s face and the shallow pulse he felt made him worry. They were in serious trouble. The basement was very cold and neither of them were dressed appropriately for an extended stay in such a place.

As he tried to offer his son some more warmth, he thought about how they had gotten into this predicament.

Three days earlier, he and Frank had been writing up the notes from the case they had just finished. Joe and his other associate, Sam Radley, had gone to collect information regarding the next case they would start after the holidays.

When they finished their work, Frank had decided to head to the mall to pick up the last specially ordered gifts for his wife, which had finally arrived.

But somehow, Frank never arrived at his destination. His empty car had been located in a ditch a couple hours later. Shortly after his wife found out about the car, a call came demanding three million dollars

Fenton had quickly begun making calls to scrounge up that sizable ransom demand. There were no prints on Frank’s car that gave any indication as to who was orchestrating this kidnapping. The caller had been adamant that they get the money or they would be attending a funeral for the holidays.

He had been there when the second all came through two days later, giving instructions as to who needed to deliver the money and the drop-off location. Fenton offered Frank’s wife a promise that they would find him and bring him home.

Fenton had arrived at the drop off a couple minutes early. He scanned the area, wondering where the people were. Before he could turn around, he was hit in the head. He saw the ground rush up to meet him, and then nothing.

When he had woken, he found himself in the cold basement beside his son.

And that’s where they were now. There had been no sign of who had taken them. He had tried to open the door several times, but it held firm. They were stuck and he just hoped Joe and Sam would be able to get to them soon. If they didn’t, the abductors promise would come true.

* * * * *

“Sam, are you sure your informant said they were seen going this way?” Joe Hardy asked from the front passenger seat. He was worried because it had been says since this nightmare began and it got worse when his father vanished at the ransom drop off.

“Joe, you need to relax,” Sam Radley said, glancing at the young adult. He could understand his worry and knew that as more time passed, their chances of finding them unharmed grew smaller.

“It’s just that Frank has been missing for days and now Dad is gone.”

“More than likely, your Dad and Frank are together,” Sam said. “They are probably working on a plan to get away from the abductors as we speak.”

“I hope you’re right, Sam. It’s just that I’ve got this terrible feeling that we’re not going to find them in time.”

“We will find them, Joe. You have to have faith.” Sam looked at him again and then back at the snow covered road in front of them. “Isn’t this the time of year when miracles do occur?”

Joe remained quiet. He knew what Sam said was true. He had heard the Christmas story year after year about the young couple searching for a place to stay, but there was no room. So they ended up staying in a stable where the baby was born that night.

He closed his eyes making a wish that they would find Fenton and Frank.

The ringing of Sam’s phone got Joe’s attention.

“Radley here,” he answered. “Where?” He paused. “We’re about 10 minutes away. Just keep them there.” Sam ended the call.”

“Sam?” Joe asked hesitantly, wondering if it was about his father and Frank or the abductors.

“They have them.”

“Frank and Dad?”

“No. They have the abductors and the money they took,” Sam answered as he pressed down on the accelerator to get the car to go faster. “They caught them after they stole another vehicle.” 

“What about Frank and Dad?”

“They haven’t said anything yet,” Sam said. “That’s why we need to get there.”

Joe remained quiet as Sam sped along the highway. He hoped they would be told the truth.

When they finally reached the scene, there were several police cars parked in the road with the lights flashing. As soon as the car came to a stop, Joe jumped out and hurried toward the officers. He could see two men seated in the back of one of the cruisers. They looked out the passenger window as he passed by, laughing.

“Have they said where my father and brother are yet?” Joe asked.

“Nothing,” the one officer said. “We asked them and they started laughing at us.”

Joe turned away from the officers and looked into the car. He glared at the two men, all the anger and worry about the situation filling his young face in a mask of hatred. He saw the two men stop laughing and try to slide to the other side of the seat.

“Where are they?” he demanded, keeping a light grip on his boiling anger.

The two men remained quiet.

“Come on, Joe,” Sam said, pulling him away from the car. “They’ve asked for their lawyer and won’t say anything until he meets them at the station.”

“Then let’s go,” Joe said. “We’re wasting time here waiting on the side of the road. We get to the station and they have their lawyer there, then we can find out where Frank and my Dad are.”

“Joe, their lawyer lives in Florida,” Sam said. “It’ll be a few hours before he can even get on a flight up here, if at all.”

Realization of what was happening, Joe spun away from Sam and charged back to the car, ignoring all the comments for him to stop. He reached the door, pulled it open and reached for the handcuffed man that was closest to him.

Joe dragged him out of the car, pressing him against the trunk as he tightened his hold on the man’s arm. He asked through gritted teeth, “Where are they?”

“I don’t know,” the man stammered. “I don’t know.”

“You’re lying!”

“Joe, let go,” Sam said as he broke Joe’s grasp of the man.

He pulled Joe away as the man was shoved unceremoniously back into the car. The door was slammed shut after him. A moment later the car sped away.

“Come on. We need to go to the station. Those two will be properly identified if they have a past and then we can go from there.”

Joe stared in the distance as the car disappeared from sight. He was certain they knew the whereabouts of his father and Frank.

“The officers have an idea from which direction they came from and are going to work back that way in hopes that they’ll come across Fenton and Frank,” Sam said. “Don’t give up, Joe. We will find them.”

“Let’s go,” Joe said and headed for the car.

A short while later, Joe and Sam were at the police station. The two suspects had been fingerprinted and photographed. They were sitting in a holding cell, waiting for their lawyer before they were questioned.

“We finally got an ID on one of the sets of prints and a long rap sheet,” an officer said as he ushered Sam and Joe into the back of the station.

“Who is he?” Sam asked.

“His name is Sampson Stingleman.”

“Sampson Stingleman?” Joe asked. “Of course he’s going to have a rap sheet. With a name like that, he was destined to be picked on all his life. It was probably his only way to fight back.”

“And that’s exactly what he did,” the officer said. “He has an arm’s length of assault charges as well as several robbery charges.”

“And he was allowed out in public?” Joe asked.

“He had served his time for the last conviction and had been meeting with his parole officer up until three weeks ago when he vanished.”

“And now he is in New York,” Joe concluded. “Do I even have to ask if my Dad had any connection with him?”

“It seems as if Sampson was in mid-career of criminal activity when he broke into a house and stole a valuable piece of art and a couple million dollars.”

“Wow,” Sam said.

“From the report, the police weren’t having much luck in trying to identify and locate the suspect in the victim’s opinion.”

“So, Dad was called in,” Joe finished.

“Exactly,” the officer said. “It seems that it didn’t take your father long to find him and he went to jail.”

“But he got released and is now here,” Joe said. “It still doesn’t explain why Frank went missing and now Dad.”

“When Sampson was sent to prison, he lost his wife and two sons. Once he was convicted, she filed for divorce and left Florida. There is no indication as to where they went.”

“He’s probably bitter because he lost his family because Fenton caught him,” Sam said.

“And he went after Frank to get even with Dad for inadvertently taking his sons away from him,” Joe said.

“That’s what we were thinking as well,” the officer said.

“And since he’s not talking, we don’t know where the two of them are being held or if they are all right.”

“We will figure it out,” Sam said.

“When?” Joe asked angrily. “When their dead bodies are found?’ His voice wavered and he shut his eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and knew Sam was trying to offer him some comfort.

“Joe, I think I have a way to get them to spill their guts,” Sam said. “But I need your help.”

He took a steadying breath, trying to get control of his emotions. He took a deep breath and the opened his eyes to look at Sam.

“What do I need to do?”

Sam smiled and Joe worried about what he had just agreed to do.

* * * * *

Joe made his way into the holding cell area. He saw the two men in separate cells reclined on their flimsy beds. They looked at him as he moved to the wall and leaned against it. A small grin appeared on his face.

“What are you so happy about?” Sampson asked. “You haven’t found them yet.”

“Actually, we have,” Joe said. “The officers were able to follow the trail you left. They backtracked right to where you left them. Who knows, you might have gotten away with it if you had been more careful.”

“You didn’t find them,” Sampson said slowly.

“They are on their way back here as we speak,” Joe said. “And when they arrive, the two of you will be lucky to see the light of day again when you are sentenced to prison. You left a trail of evidence that will only help with the conviction.”

“I’m not going to jail for this,” the second man said. “It was your stupid idea to leave them in that abandoned house out on Route 40 in the cold basement. I am not going to jail for what you did to the two of them.”

Gotcha, Joe thought, a little surprised the plan worked.

“You were the idiot who came up with this ‘brilliant’ idea to get revenge on the detective that busted you years ago,” the second man continued. “You got the ransom you wanted, but you didn’t care. You wanted revenge and look where it has gotten us both.”

“Shut up!” Sampson yelled. “They don’t have anything and you’ve just told them everything.”

“I’m not taking the fall for your stupidity,” the second man said. “We’re going to jail because you couldn’t give up a like of crime. I was just as blind believing no harm would come to the young man. I hope that you really get what you deserve in jail.”

The man flopped down on the bed with his back to Sampson.

Sampson met Joe’s gaze, but didn’t say a word.

Knowing they had the information they needed, Joe decided to leave.

“Good luck with the judge,” Joe said and left the holding area.

He hurried to the office where Sam was waiting. He pushed the door open as he said, “They are in the basement of an abandoned house on Route 40.”

“Let’s go,” Sam said.

* * * * *

A convoy of police cruiser flew down the road with the lights flashing. Joe pressed his foot down on the passenger seat floor, wishing the car to go faster. He wondered if he should have been the one driving, knowing that speed and time were an issue.

The cars pulled into the stone driveway of the house. All of the doors flew open as the officers quickly climbed out and approached the dilapidated building.

Joe was headed straight for the front door when someone grabbed hold of his arm.

“Let the officers check to make sure there are no traps,” Sam said. “This looks too unstable.”

“We need to get in there,” Joe said impatiently. “Something is wrong with Frank. I know it. We can’t wait to long.”

“A couple minutes,” Sam said, keeping hold of Joe’s arm.

Joe sighed as he watched the officers approach the house. Now that they were there, and so close, he just wanted to get to his father and brother.

“We can go in,” a voice yelled.

Joe took off running toward the broken stairs, jumping over the missing boards. He made his way inside the dark house, clicking on the small flashlight he kept on his key ring.

He quickly shined the beam around, searching for a door that would lead to the basement. There was a hallway in front of him and he moved forward. Joe came to what he figured was the kitchen.

After a cursory glance, Joe felt this wasn’t the right room. But stopped quickly when he saw an old icebox had been placed in front of a door. Deep down he knew he had found it.

“Here!” Joe yelled as he moved toward it.

He heard footsteps approaching as he pushed the icebox out of the way. At first, it wouldn’t move, but when a couple officers jumped in, it moved easily.

Joe quickly unlocked the metal deadbolt and pulled the door open. He cautiously made his way down the stairs, using the beam of the flashlight to guide his footsteps. Several of the steps were broken or missing boards altogether. The further down he got the colder it seemed to get.

Once down, he shined the flashlight around the basement. All he saw at first were cobwebs, a lot of them. As he continued around the room, he wondered if they were in the right spot.

The beam of light finally landed on a figure that seemed to be hunched over. He could just make out the gray hair.

“Dad?” Joe asked.

There was no response.

Joe hurried over to him and placed an ungloved hand on the figure, giving it a gentle shake. “Dad?”

It was his father, but his face was white as snow and his lisp were tinted blue.

“Get the medics!” Joe yelled. He set his flashlight down as he placed his hand to his father’s neck, searching for a pulse. There was one, but it was faint.

Joe glanced down and saw his brother cradled in his father’s arm. Frank’s face matched Fenton’s, maybe a little whiter.

“Frank?” Joe asked as he checked his brother’s pulse. It was weak.

“Just hang tight,” Joe said when he saw the makeshift bandage wrapped around Frank’s head and the dried blood. He also saw the splint that had been used on his brother’s leg.

He heard the others making their way into the basement. He stepped back to give them room to work. They needed care that he couldn’t provide.

Within minutes they were loaded onto stretchers and carried out of the basement.

* * * * *

A short while later, Joe was pacing the waiting room at the hospital. Sam Radley was sitting in one of the plastic chairs sipping some coffee. Frank and Fenton were in the emergency room being tended to by the doctors. No one had come out to tell them anything about their condition. He was worried He had seen how pale they were and knew that if they weren’t warmed quickly, the outcome would not be good.

“Joe!”

He stopped pacing and looked up to see Laura, with Callie and Vanessa, hurrying toward them.

Laura gave him a hug. “Are they all right?”

“They’re in the emergency room,” Joe said. “The doctors are with them both right now.” 

“Are they all right?” Callie pressed, her face white in fear.

Joe looked at his sister-in-law and wished he had something to ease the concern on her face. “They are alive,” Joe said. “That’s about all I know. I’m not a doctor.”

“What did you see?” Laura asked.

Joe knew his mother wanted specifics, but he couldn’t tell her.

“Mr. Hardy?”

Joe turned to see a man in a white lab coat standing in the entrance to the waiting room.

“I’m Joe Hardy,” he said, grateful he didn’t have to answer his mother’s question.

“I’m Dr. Miller,” he said approaching him. “I’ve been treating your father.”

“How is Fenton?” Laura asked.

“Dr. Miller, this is my mother, Laura Hardy, my sister-in-law, Callie Hardy and my wife, Vanessa.” 

“Ladies,” Dr. Miller said with a small nod.

“Is Fenton all right?” Laura asked.

“Let’s sit down,” Dr. Miller said. They settled in the plastic chairs and continued. “We are treating Fenton as we speak. He is hypothermic and we are warming him up. We have him bundled in warming blankets and are giving him warm fluids so that we warm him up inside and out.”

“Is he injured at all?” Laura asked.

“It doesn’t appear so,” Dr. Miller said. “It just seems as if he is really cold.”

“So he’ll be all right?” Vanessa asked.

“We believe so,” Dr. Miller said. “He’s opened his eyes a couple times, but hasn’t said anything.” He looked at Laura. “We are going to keep him here in the ER for a while to monitor his body temperature. Once we get it up a little higher, we’ll move him upstairs.”

“That’s fine,” Laura said.

“Do you know anything about Frank?” Callie asked, fearfully.

“The younger Mr. Hardy is with another doctor,” he answered. “Unfortunately I don’t have any news on his condition. His doctor will probably be out shortly to give you an update.”

“All right,” Callie said, disappointed. “Thank you.”

“I will be back out in a bit,” Dr. Miller said. “I will let Frank’s doctor know you are here.”

“Thank you,” Joe said.

Dr. Miller nodded and then left the waiting room. Laura turned to Joe and buried her head on his shoulder. He knew she was happy that Fenton was going to be all right.

“He’s okay,” Joe said, wrapping his arms around her to give her a hug. “He’s okay.”

“He is,” Laura said and leaned back as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Thank you.”

Joe looked at her puzzled.

“You promised to find them, and you did,” Laura said.

“That thanks goes to the officers who got the clue to where the abductors were. They are the ones who truly deserve thanks.”

Laura kissed Joe’s cheek. “You played a role in this as well.”

Joe tried to downplay his role. He didn’t feel like he had done anything extraordinary. He needed to find his brother and father, and that’s what he did.

They settled into silence as they waited on word about Frank.

Joe was worried. He had seen his brother and knew his condition was serious. And his concern grew the longer it took for the doctors to come talk to them. He was afraid of what they would be told.

“Mrs. Hardy?”

They all looked up to see a different doctor standing in the doorway.

“I’m Mrs. Hardy,” Callie said as she slowly stood up.

“I’m Dr. Starr,” he said as he walked briskly toward her with his hand outstretched. He shook her hand and then motioned for her to sit back down. He settled across from her. “Mrs. Hardy, I’m going to be honest with you. Your husband is in grave condition. His core body temperature is extremely low and we are doing everything we can to bring it up to normal. He also has a concussion and a broken leg. But we are most concerned about his body temperature. Right now he is not responding to treatment.”

“Oh no,” Callie said, putting a hand to her mouth.

“We have some time, but I can’t lie to you,” Dr. Starr said. “This is serious. I wish I had some better news.”

“Will you keep us posted with any changes in his condition?” Joe asked.

“Of course,” Dr. Starr said. “Do you have any questions for me?”

“Can we see him?” Callie asked quietly.

The doctor hesitated and finally said, “For a minute.”

They all stood up and Joe said, “Go ahead in. I’ll wait here.”

“Don’t you want to see Frank?” Vanessa asked as Callie and Laura followed the doctor.

“I will see him,” Joe said. “But you three go first. Those rooms are only so big.”

“Are you sure?” Vanessa asked.

“I’m sure.” Joe kissed her cheek. “Go ahead.”

Vanessa turned and hurried after the others. As Joe watched them go, a feeling of loss washed over him. He had heard the hesitation in the doctor’s voice. The doctor didn’t think Frank was going to make it. He knew that was the only reason the doctor agreed to let them see Frank.

“Joe?”

He turned to see Sam Radley looked at him in concern. “You caught it too?”

Sam nodded. “But he could be wrong. Stranger things have happened.”

“I know,” Joe said quietly. He needed a few minutes to prepare himself. “I’ll be back in a couple, Sam.”

“I’ll be here waiting for the others,” Sam said.

Joe left the waiting room. He seemed to be moving on autopilot. His mind was solely focused on his big brother that he was surprised when he came to a stop in front of the hospital’s chapel. He slowly pushed the doors open and stepped inside.

The chapel was empty. The pews were perfectly lined and looked freshly polished and were facing a bunch of candles that were lit in red candleholders.

He slowly made his way toward the front and sat down. He stared unseeingly at the flickering lights of the candles.

Please, he thought. If you can hear me, this is the night of miracles. I am not asking for myself. I am asking for my parent, my sister-in-law, all of our friends. This is not fair what has been done to him. He never asked for this to happen. He always looks out for people, me included. I know he has many more people to help. He is an example of how we all want to be with his warm heart and kindness.

I know I said I wasn’t asking for me, but I do want him to survive. Vanessa and I need him. I know that for me to get through what will come in the future, I need my big brother by my side. He is still teaching me new things each and every day. I can’t learn them without him.

Please grant us this Christmas wish. We all need him. It’s not his time. Give him the strength to recover and come back to us. Please, just help us.

Joe was unsure of how long he sat there looking at the candles. He let out a breath and knew he needed to go see his brother. Joe stood up and moved to the candles. He lit one and was mesmerized as it flickered. He turned and left the chapel.

* * * * *

“Sir?”

He turned his head and hoped he was just dreaming about the voice.

“Sir?” a voice asked louder.

His bleary eyes opened to see a woman wearing a white shirt and pants standing next to him. For a moment, he had no clue as to where he was, but then it all came back.

“Frank?” Joe asked, glancing at the bed where his brother was.

He was afraid his brother would be paler than before or even…He couldn’t even think that. But Frank looked the same.

“Sire?” the voice asked again.

“Sorry,” Joe said, leaning back in the chair.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s all right,” Joe said. “Is there something you need?”

“Your wife wanted to know if you would like some company,” she said.

“I’m all right.”

“You do want company,” she said, glancing at the motionless patient in the bed. “But not what your wife thinks.”

Joe looked at her. “How do you know?”

“I can tell,” she said as she moved to the far side of Frank’s bed and began adjusting the blankets. “I’ve seen a lot of siblings who just want the other to get better.” She looked at Joe. “And I can tell by the look in your eyes that is just what you want.”

“He has to be all right,” Joe said as he squeezed Frank’s hand.

That had been his mantra since he entered the room. He had settled in the chair beside Frank’s bed and held his hand under the warming blankets. He had not moved from that spot.

“Maybe you need a break,” she said. “Another member of your family would probably come sit with him.”

Joe shook his head. “I’m not leaving him. I can’t. I just can’t.”

“All right,” she said. She placed her hand on Frank’s forehead as she glanced at the heart monitor. When she pulled her hand away, she returned her gaze to him. “Is there anything I can get you?”

“I’m fine,” Joe said. “But thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. “Just have faith. The relationship you two have is something special and I’m quite certain things will work out in the end for the best.”

“Thank you,” Joe said.

“You’re welcome,” she repeated. “I’ll see you later.” She headed for the door.

“Wait,” Joe said. “I didn’t catch your name.”

She turned and smiled. “It’s Angel.” She turned back around and left the room.

As the door closed, Joe once again focused on Frank’s pale face. He squeezed Frank’s hand, hoping for a response, but there wasn’t one. He sighed and leaned back in the chair.

* * * * *

He shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable. His neck hurt and he wondered why. He didn’t remember his bed being so uncomfortable. Moving a little more, he realized he was sleeping sitting up.

The sound of sheets rustling entered his mind. It took a moment, but Joe finally remembered where he was. The hospital. Frank.

His eyes flew open and looked at the still figure resting on the bed. Frank appeared to still be unconscious.

“I guess I was hearing things,” Joe said softly.

Suddenly he felt his hand get squeezed.

“Frank?” Joe asked, staring at his brother’s face.

His hand was squeezed again.

“Come on, Frank,” Joe urged. “Open your eyes for me, Frank. I know you can do it.”

Frank’s eyelids began fluttering and Joe continued encouraging him. He honestly felt like he was making a breakthrough.

“We are all here, Frank,” he said. “We are. It’s Christmas and we need you to keep fighting. Come on. Open your eyes.”

It took a couple minutes and Frank’s eyes finally opened. Joe stood up and saw Frank staring back at him.

“Joe,” Frank whispered.

He smiled at his brother, joy filling his entire being. “It’s good to have you back.”

“What?”

“It’s all right. You’re all right.”

Frank opened his mouth, wanting to ask more questions.

Joe reached up and pressed the button calling for a nurse. “Just take it easy. You’re in the hospital. You have a concussion and a broken leg. You are also hypothermic. All your questions can be answered later when your strength returns.”

At that moment, a nurse came in and smiled when she saw Frank was awake.

“It’s good to see you are awake, Mr. Hardy,” she said. “Dr. Starr is on his way as we speak.” She took a thermometer out of her pocket and placed it under Frank’s tongue. She looked at Joe. “You might want to let the rest of your family know that he’s awake.”

“I should,” Joe said as he squeezed Frank’s hand. “Mom and the girls are probably anxious to hear some news. Will you be okay for a few minutes?”

Frank nodded.

“He’ll be fine,” the nurse said.

“I’ll be back,” Joe said. He started for the door and the stopped. He looked at the nurse. “Can you tell me when Angel is working again?”

“Angel?”

“Yeah,” Joe said. “She stopped in last night. I wanted to thank her.”

“We don’t have anyone by that name on staff here,” she said. “Some one with such a unique name would stand out.”

“But I saw her,” Joe said.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have anyone with that name working here.”

Joe turned away and headed out the door. I knew she had been here, he thought. I doubt the nurse would lie and it doesn’t really matter. What counts is that Frank is going to be all right. That’s all any of us wanted. And it makes it 100 percent better because it happened on Christmas.

* * * * *

On December 29^th, the Hardy family gathered in the Elm Street home. Fenton and Frank had been released the previous day when the doctors felt the body temperatures were close enough to normal and they were on the way to a full recovery.

They settled in the living room by the Christmas tree and began exchanging gifts. Paper of all colors began piling up as the presents were unwrapped.

When all the packages had been opened, Frank said, “Callie and I have a present for all of you.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Laura said.

“It’s not actually something we could wrap,” Callie said as Frank slid his arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“What is it?” Fenton asked.

“In seven months, Callie and I are going to be parents,” Frank said.

Silence. That’s all there was.

“We’re going to be grandparents?” Laura asked, her eyes wide open in shock.

“You are,” Frank said with a smile. “The next generation of the Hardy family is about to begin.”

“This is wonderful,” Laura said as she and Fenton got to their feet and congratulated the two of them.

Frank looked over and saw Vanessa and Joe with their mouths hanging open.

“Joe, are you all right?” Frank asked.

“Van?” Callie asked.

“I can’t believe it,” Vanessa said. “I just can’t.”

“Really?” Joe asked.

“Really,” Frank said. “You’re going to be an uncle.”

“And so are you,” Joe said.

Those four words made everyone stop again.

“Vanessa?” Callie asked.

Tears cascaded down the young woman’s face as she nodded her head. “It’s true. The baby is due the beginning of July.”

“We’re going to be double grandparents,” Fenton said.

“This is marvelous,” Callie said as she hugged her best friend.

“I’m so happy for you too,” Vanessa said.

“This calls for a celebratory drink,” Fenton said and headed for the kitchen.

Laura and the girls quickly followed to make sure there was nothing alcoholic in the drinks.

Joe moved over to Frank and sat down on the arm of the couch. “You’re going to be a father.”

“So are you,” Frank said, shocked his little brother would be taking that role before him. “I guess we’ll both be experiencing fatherhood for the first time together.”

“It’s amazing,” Joe said. “And I wouldn’t want to have the experience without you. Being a father is a big responsibility.”

“And you’ll do fine,” Frank said. “We both will. We’ve had the two greatest people looking after us and teaching us right from wrong. With all that knowledge and experience, we can pass those lessons onto our children.”

“I’m just glad you’re here to help me,” Joe said quietly. “I don’t think I could if I was on my own.”

Frank reached up and patted Joe on the back, understanding the meaning behind the words. His brother had been worried that he would be facing fatherhood without him.

“That’s something you don’t have to worry about,” Frank said. “We’re both here and our children will have all of to guide them as they grow.”

“Merry Christmas, Frank.”

“Merry Christmas, Joe.”

The End