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

Ignoring the burning in his arms as the IV's pulled loose, Joe jumped out of his bed, throwing himself at his cousin. Joe roared with outrage as he and Andrew crashed into the door. The door creaked and groaned but held, as Joe rammed Andrew into it, over and over and over again.

"Son of a bitch," Joe whispered again and again, mindless with fury and grief and pain. Andrew suddenly quit fighting back and sagged to the ground, groaning in agony even as Joe picked him up to throw him again. Nothing pleased him more than the thought of Andrew dead at his feet, and for a moment, Joe considered it.

But after one look into his nemesis' face – and another at his sister, who lay gasping on the floor, Joe dropped Andrew and let the other boy fall. Joe heard people pounding on the other side of the door and Joe turned the lock so the door would open before he went to Mandy's side.

"Joe? What's…" Connor shoved open the door, sending Andrew rolling on top of Mandy. Joe grimaced as he pushed Andrew off of Mandy's legs and pulled his sister closer, holding her in his arms as he gently stroked her cheek.

"Get a doctor," Joe ordered softly. "And the cops too, while you're at it. He hurt Mandy!"

"He what?" a look of outrage matched the expression on Joe's face earlier. Joe saw Connor clench his fists, his face going red enough to match his hair before he whirled and strode out of the room. Connor was back in moments, followed closely by Joe's father.

"What the…?" Fenton murmured as he saw Andrew gasping on the ground next to Mandy. "What's going on, Joe?"

"I woke up, he was suffocating Mandy," Joe whispered as he gently stroked Mandy's hair. "He was putting her in this garbage bag! He's lucky I didn't kill him!"

Joe glared fiercely at Andrew and Andrew cringed.

Joe's doctor ran into the room and quickly took control of the situation. He sent for another doctor to tend to Andrew while he had both twins sit on Joe's bed so he could check them over.

"Move that one to another room," the doctor motioned to Andrew when his colleague arrived.

"No," Fenton protested. Mandy and Joe's eyes shot over to him, shocked. "I'm staying here with you and I don't want him out of my sight until he's handcuffed and the F.B.I. has him. He can stay put for a few minutes."

They subsided, and Fenton pushed Andrew into a chair so the new doctor could look him over. It only took a few minutes for the doctor to stand back.

"He's fine," Doctor Livings accounted. "He's going to be a bit sore for a while but there's absolutely no evidence of concussion or internal injuries. You can transfer him whenever you want, Mr. Hardy."

"Good." Fenton took a tight grip on Andrew's arm, holding the boy in the chair, well away from where Joe sat beside Mandy, checking her over. Joe had to see for himself that his sister was all right; despite what the doctor said. She turned into his touch for a moment, murmuring to him.

"I really am all right," she promised. "The doctor isn't lying to you."

"God, Mandy," Joe whispered. "I couldn't handle losing you, not to HIM."

The younger Hardy boy cast a look of pure loathing at Andrew.

"You didn't lose me," Mandy smiled and patted Joe's cheek. "The feeling's mutual."

She matched the expression Joe cast at Andrew and their cousin cringed.

"Joe, please…" Andrew whispered as he reached a shaking hand to his cousin. "Please…"

"Please what, Andrew?" Joe asked wearily as he slumped, exhausted, on the edge of the bed and leaned a head on Mandy's shoulder. "Go away, Andy. Go to hell. Go jump off a cliff. Just go."

Andrew swallowed painfully as Fenton held tightly to his arm. Joe turned away from Andrew's gaze, blocked from view by two nurses who entered the room to get Joe settled in his bed again and Mandy, who still sat on the edge of Joe's bed. Fenton relaxed slightly as Andrew sagged, utter defeat carved in the lines of his face. Fenton made the young man stand, and met up with Deanna Merrill at the door of Joe's room. She looked as exhausted as Fenton felt.

"What have we here?" Deanna asked, surprised. "Where'd he come from?"

"He snuck into Joe's room," Fenton explained. "Suffocated Mandy, or tried to. Obviously he was going to try to get Joe out again. I don't think he thought this one out clearly, though."

"Well, that was nice of you to make things easier on us," Deanna smiled ferally at Andrew. "Let's go, my lad."

She turned Andrew away from her and cuffed his hands behind his back. "You'll be getting to wait in a nice cozy prison until your arraignment, my friend. I'm sure the other inmates there are going to just love meeting you."

Andrew stiffened at the word 'prison' but said nothing. He cast a hopeful expression over his shoulder at Joe's door but no help was coming for him. Deanna tugged once and led Andrew down the corridor and into the elevator.

Fenton left Andrew in Deanna's hands and went back into Joe's room.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

"Son-of-a-bitch!" the invective left Joe's mouth without censor as he took his half-full pitcher of water and threw it across the room. "That bastard! That…"

The rest of Joe's words were lost in a torrent of emotion as he cursed, violently and continued to throw things across the room. Mandy sat in her usual chair by the bed, watching him but saying nothing. He stayed clear of machines or his IV stand but he found other things – pens, pencils, a notepad, his chart and some pillows. Even after throwing them as hard as he could, he still felt the need to hit, to punch, to kick, to hurt something – or someone – as much as he could. He kicked the wall with his bad foot before slumping down on the floor, legs pulled up, hands buried in a mass of blonde curls. Sobbing, Joe rocked back and forth, the anger giving way to loss and misery and pain.

The younger Hardy boy rocked back and forth, back and forth, lost in the tears, the emotions and the misery, not even looking up when someone touched his shoulder. A slender body pulled him close and Joe laid his head on his twin's shoulder, leaning into the warm embrace she offered. Neither twin said a word – words, at the moment, were not needed. Eventually she would ask him if he was done destroying his room and he would ask her if she should be out of bed so soon after nearly dying.

For now, questions went unanswered. The twins held each other, giving and taking strength as needed.

"I want to go home," Joe said softly when he finally broke the silence. He already knew the answer to his unspoken question. Mandy was there because Joe needed her, plain and simple.

"Me too." Mandy knew the answer to her question, too. For now, this moment, Joe was finished destroying the room. Later on, though, the demons would sneak up on him, take him captive and send him into a new rage.

And just as she did now, Mandy would help him, whatever it took.

"Suppose I should pick everything up," Joe didn't move, though. He stayed in his sister's arms.

"It'll keep," Mandy shrugged. "'Til you feel like it."

Laughing sardonically, Joe shifted a little. "That'll be a long time."

"Yep," Mandy's blue eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Storm over in here?" They both looked up and saw their father standing in the doorway. "You feeling okay, kids?"

Joe and Mandy exchanged smiles.

"Yeah, Dad," Mandy said. "We're good." For now…

"Good," Fenton stood awkwardly for a moment. "Good."

Joe laughed and finally pulled away from Mandy. He shrugged off helping hands and got back to his feet. He helped Mandy up and limped back to his bed.

"I want to go see Frank," Joe decided. "Right now. Please?"

Fenton smiled and nodded. "Sure, Joe. Hold on, let me get a wheelchair."

"I can still walk, you know," Joe frowned.

"Hospital policy," Fenton quoted the doctor. "Especially until that foot is fixed. I'll be right back."

Joe sighed and looked at Mandy, who grinned at him.

"Don't look for sympathy from me," Mandy said. "You knew he was going to make you go in a wheelchair before you said anything."

"Ha, bloody, ha," Joe glowered. "I hate wheelchairs. I could use crutches you know."

"Just enjoy the ride, bub," Mandy said unsympathetically.

"Yeah, yeah," Joe muttered. "Fine."

Fenton returned a few minutes later with a wheelchair and he waited while Joe settled in, got his footrest into a comfortable position and leaned back before he pushed it out of the room.

A few minutes later they arrived in Frank's room and Fenton pushed Joe close and set the brakes on the chair.

"Hey, big brother!" Joe said to Frank as he touched Frank's arm. "Sheesh, you look like crap, you know."

"Well, there's a fine greeting," Frank returned. "And I just bet you're looking like Mr. Perfect yourself."

Mandy laughed. "I'm going to leave you two here alone for a bit. I wanna go find my boyfriend – and Sam – and get something to eat. There is no way I'm going to get what passes for food around this joint. You two stay out of trouble."

"Hey, Mandy!" Joe called out. "How about being really nice and bringing your favorite brother back a cheeseburger?"

Mandy looked as if she was going to consider it. "I suppose I could. Is that what you want, Frank? A cheeseburger?"

Frank laughed as Joe protested. "Hey! I'm your favorite brother."

"You are?" Mandy asked. "Who passed that rule when I wasn't looking?"

"It's an unwritten rule," Joe said. "I'm always the favorite brother."

"That's lucky for me, I guess," Frank commented with a laugh. "You're my only brother."

"Lucky you," Mandy said. "I have two and trust me when I say they're both pains. Lovable, but pains. Trouble too, big time."

"You're the lucky one," Joe groused. "You don't have a stubborn, mule-headed, often delusional sister!"

"You don't either," Mandy said sweetly as she left the room.

Joe turned back to his older brother. "Seriously, Frank, what the heck happened to you? You've got more bandages…"

"Well, let's see," Frank commented. "I hurt the knee and the arm in the explosion at the house. I got dropped out of a helicopter into the pond at the mansion in Connecticut. I was kidnapped by Aunt Cathy and left in the woods to get drooled on by a bear. It was pretty much status quo."

Joe snorted but sobered.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"For what?" Frank sounded – and looked – surprised. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

"You got hurt looking for me," Joe said softly. "It's my fault…"

Frank rolled his eyes. "That's crap, Joe," he said. "If it's anyone's fault, it's Andrew's. It's his obsession that got us both hurt. It's not your fault and don't you forget it."

Joe smiled a little at that, even though Frank couldn't see it. He didn't really believe it but it helped a little.

"You're going to be okay?" he asked finally.

"Just fine," Frank said softly. "I'm going to be just fine. What about you?"

Joe shrugged. It seemed a good time to leave the room but he stayed.

"Not really fine," he admitted. "But glad to be free."

Frank reached for and found one of Joe's hands. He squeezed it once before letting go.

"You are free, kiddo," Frank smiled warmly. "And you will be okay. "

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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.