The scan results are out and… a lot of Joe’s unnatural brain activities and personality changes can be explained, though I’m not hopeful that even if we remedy the physical ailment, the depression and sporadic hallucinations would just disappear. I’ll let Doctor Blake explain Joe’s condition to you." Emily, who was sitting next to a kindly, middle-aged doctor with graying black hair and twinkling eyes, spoke to the Hardys after Joe was brought into Bayport’s hospital, following his collapse. Frank had the most dreadful weight on his heart which was drowning in worries even before Doctor Blake elaborated on Joe’s condition.

"What’s wrong with my baby?" Laura anxiously prodded Doctor Blake who was about to speak. Fenton put an arm around her and Frank, who was on the other side of her, felt the room swaying. He was feeling giddy- the doctor’s office was suddenly giving him a bad case of claustrophobia.

"We found a tumor in his brain and we have the confidence that it can be extracted relatively easily as compared to similar cases though there are still the risks of complications as associated with brain surgery. But I suggest you let us go ahead with the surgery immediately so we can arrest the problem before it spreads, if the tumor is indeed malignant…"

"Wait… malignant? Do you mean brain cancer?" Fenton asked calmly, taking up his position as the pillar of strength for his family. Frank choked on his breath but suppressed his cough. He wanted to hear whatever the doctor had to say.

"Yes, but we cannot determine the nature of the tumor until we take it out…"

"What if it’s malignant?" Fenton kept his tone as steady as he could though Frank could see his father’s hands shaking. Laura was openly crying, her face buried in her hands and Frank was seeing stars.

"Then Joe has to go for treatment… and we’ll have to watch him carefully for recurrence of the cancer. But let’s not worry now. Save your worries for later. Can we proceed to operate on your son?" Doctor Blake gently queried and though Frank could no longer look any where but ahead of him at the window blinds behind the doctor’s desk, he saw his father nodding vigorously from the corner of his eyes.

Frank was about to enter Joe’s ward when he saw Mina approaching him. A few days had passed since the night of revelations and he saw that her gray eyes were shaded over with sleeplessness.

"Hey…" She greeted him softly and he smiled before giving her hug for comfort.

"How is he?" She asked when they disengaged from each other.

"He’s still out but he should be coming round anytime soon. How’s Andrea?"

"She’s fine. Jacob’s presence is very good for her…" Mina shrugged. "I wouldn’t know how to get her home had he not arrived when he did that night. She just collapsed in his arms like a baby and I think he’s bringing her on a trip to New Zealand."

"And you?"

"I’ll be fine. Jacob asked me to go along with them but I… I declined." She left her reasons for staying behind hanging but Frank could guess. "I guess I’m here to… I don’t know if Andrea’s liable for legal actions but…"

"No. We are just going to leave it as that. This matter should rest and no more will be said." Frank assured her. It was surprisingly an easier announcement to make than he thought it would be.

"I’ll visit Joe another time. Thanks, Frank Hardy. You’re cool." Mina hugged him briefly once more before she left. Frank waited until she was out of sight before he entered Joe’s ward.

"Dad…" Frank walked quietly towards his father and placed a hand on his shoulder. Fenton had dozed off on the visitor’s chair in Joe’s room while keeping watch on Joe for almost twenty-four hours straight. That was how long Joe had slept and was still sleeping since after the operation.

"Oh… son…" His dad’s heavy lids fluttered open and he patted Frank’s hand which was on his shoulder. "He’s not awake yet. Blake was positive Joe would not slip into a coma though… so… we’ll just have to wait… how are your mom and sister?"

"Mom’s outside still, she won’t go home and she’s gone for a cup of coffee. Maggie’s home, I tucked her in bed and Callie’s with her." Frank whispered, wondering why he did that since he would rather rant and shout if that could wake Joe up. Fenton voiced out the answer soon enough for Frank.

"He seems so young and peaceful… just lying there. All the lines of torment smoothed out… like he’s my golden boy again. I just wish that when he wakes… he would also look like that… all peaceful and sane…. Did I do something wrong in my life? I wonder about that, sometimes. Have I told you Joe’s a very big reason that I and your mom are still together now?" Fenton turned towards Frank who had taken a seat next to him.

Frank faced his father, a little surprised. Family secrets long buried could be unearthed in the strangest moments. However, when Frank saw the smile on Fenton’s face when he looked upon Joe’s sleeping form again, he knew his dad was simply reminiscing about something happy- maybe a little poignant but happy.

"No… your and mom never mention it…"

Fenton took one of Joe’s limp hands and Frank saw the tube that ran into Joe’s veins near the wrist, wondering if it would hurt and then thinking himself silly for pondering about something so silly and obvious. He was tired- his mind was trying its best to stay focused but failed to at some moments.

"You were too young to remember. Right after you were born, I had a huge case that I just could not pass up. Your mom had post-partum depression but thank goodness Gertrude was there to see her through it. To cut the long story short, we kept fighting and shouting at each other… it was terrible. In my ambition, I could not put myself in her shoes and inadvertently became one of the causes for her continued grief. She got out of the depression but held it against me for not being there for her. I thought I came to my senses too late because one day, she simply called me down to the lawyer’s office to sign the separation papers. Of course I refused. I begged her for forgiveness but the betrayal she felt was too intense. However, she still gave me a chance to prove myself. It was a difficult time, Frank. I tried all means to make her happy and though I can tell your mom still loved me, the disappointment had marred our marital bliss.

"At times, her smiles would seem so forced… we continued the marriage strenuously when one day; I rushed her to the hospital because she was vomiting badly. Joe was discovered by the doctor, happily nestling in her womb, still rather in his unformed stage. I vowed to be by her side every step of the way and the first time we saw him on the monitor, his tiny body forming about the size of the peanut… she held my hand and there was a silent promise we’d really try again. The miracle of a baby… he saved our marriage…" Fenton stroked his thumb over Joe’s hand and Frank saw his stoic father’s eyes brimming with tears.

"I don’t want to have to attend any of your funerals. The three of you are my salvation for all the wrongs I did, telling me that somewhere in my life; I must have done something good to deserve such rich rewards. That even though I’m not a very good father, the three of you turned out so wonderful- each beautifully crafted in your own ways. You have no idea how honored I am to be your father, Joe. I can see the grief and sorrow that’s eating you up since Iola died and then made so much worse with Vanessa’s passing. I know what you’ve been through in prison. But you know something? I’ll never think any less of you. You’re still my son and will always be my son. Nothing will change, except I’ll love you more everyday. Everyday. I’m so proud of you everyday." With the other hand, Fenton stroked Joe’s hair and Frank had to turn away. He had never seen his father so emotionally affectionate with any of them and the intensity of his fatherly love for all three of them, made blatantly obvious now, was too heart-breaking for Frank to witness.

C’mon, Joe. Wake up. We are counting on you to chase the tears away…

"Dad… you meant everything you’ve said?" came a familiar slur and Frank snapped his head back to see his brother lazily opening up his eyes, his fingers weakly clasping over their father’s.

"You little imp!" Fenton squeezed Joe’s hand extra hard and Joe winced, grimacing with a smile. In a softer voice and with grateful eyes, Fenton added, "I meant everything, sonny. Welcome back."

"Hey…" Frank went and stood at other side of the bed, nodding at Joe. Joe smiled weakly but the mirth reflected in those azure jewels.

"Good morning, big bro…" Joe greeted him and Frank had to strain his ears to catch those words. When he did, he did an about-turn and through the glass window in front of him then, he noticed for the first time a huge ball of orange flame rising up from the ocean, covering the world with its warm, tangerine embrace.

He smiled mildly on the outside though heart-rending joy surged through his nerves and tingled in his toes and fingertips. It was a wondrous sight to behold- that of the break of dawn after the darkest night. And it was even more beautiful because his brother, shrouded with the gloom of midnight, saw it first.

Frank turned around to face Joe again and saw the smile still gracing his brother’s lips. Touched to the very core of his soul, he hunched over and kissed his brother’s forehead.

"Good morning to you too, little bro."

***

 

They stood on the beach- the soothing frothy waves calming the sand and their bare feet in a hypnotic fashion. His frayed nerves gave way to the gentle crashing and he felt peace, if only for a while. Any moments of tranquility were to be treasured.

He really loved the ocean, despite the fact that he almost perished in it. He loved it and the fact that she loved it as obsessively as him made the ocean even more beautiful. After all, good things were made better once they were shared.

Good things like love.

The long drawn case was finally over but they had little to cheer about. There was no triumph, no celebration. However, there was this sense of peace and restfulness, almost like the calming down of a rapidly beating heart after a tiring marathon. There was this barrier which they all crossed to start their own healing process.

The sun was setting behind them and with the weather so cold, no one would even dream of going to the beach to watch it set so the gang was pretty much alone to do what they wanted.

"Goodbye, Vanessa. We love you very much." Mina bent down and placed her message-in-a-bottle down on the sand. The waves, their messengers, advanced forth and carried her love for Vanessa away with it. Several bottles were already adrift in the ocean- several bottles filled with words that bled from the heart for their dear friend.

For his dead girlfriend.

Joe was the last and at that moment, he felt like he could not really let go yet. He placed an empty bottle down on the sand instead. It was not like he did not write anything, there was too much to write and each time he tried, his heart burst too achingly.

He said nothing as the waves carried his bottle away. No one said anything either. Joe waited for a second before he kissed the bouquet of lilies he bought, threw it high up into the air and watched it fall into the embrace of the Atlantic.

After a spell of silence, he heard the sounds of pairs of feet shuffling towards him and felt someone squeezing his shoulders.

"She’ll know how much we love her…" Mina assured him and quieted the voices in his head, voices that were fading away gradually like the memory of a bad dream with each waking hour.

He nodded and put an arm around her. She rested her head against his shoulder and he felt like there would soon be a new dawn. Though the healing process was going to be long, tedious and painful, a huge load was off his shoulders now that he knew he had no AIDS and the tumor was benign.

Very soon.

 

-the end-

 

Be kind to people. We are often nice to animals but we should love precious human beings even more.

 

Love, Ocean