Frank had stayed by Joe’s side the night before. Emily had injected medication in Joe, not sedative as he had initially believed and, Joe, too wearied from his exhausting flashbacks, slept like a log. Though Joe would not know he was still around, Frank made a promise to stay and chase away the demons.

They had searched Joe’s room after laying Joe down comfortably on the bed. He had hidden those pills that never made it to his lips in a pencil case tucked away in a corner of his cabinet. Emily thought that Joe probably did want to take the pills again after doing whatever he said he was going to do because Joe did not simply flush the pills down the toilet bowl. Explanation no longer mattered to Frank. Anger had rushed to his head and controlled his actions which were not only harsh but cruel to his brother’s tottering mind. The moment he saw Joe’s eyes glazed over with flashbacks, the spell of his blind rage broke and all he wanted to do was to keep his kid brother safe from everything and everyone who could hurt him.

When Emily told him not to be too hard on himself, he broke down and finally confessed that he needed Joe to turn to someone else as well, someone else who knew how to help him better.

"You have given him the best medication. You stuck by him and comforted him with words of love. Don’t belittle yourself. He came to you first for a very good reason. He knew you could help him through it."

"Emily… you have no idea how difficult…what if I failed to calm him down just now? What if my anger pushed him over the edge and I can not pull him back?"

"But you pulled him back. Don’t be afraid anymore. You have more compassion and love than most people I’ve seen and it’s going to help your brother, heck, your whole family, including yourself, heal. We cannot let the bad things beat us down. It’s difficult to be a survivor but it’s only when we survive with hope and love in us that we become real winners."

He had stayed and Emily came in at one point to pass him some pillows before she went back home. However, even long after she left, he could not close his tired eyes and slip into slumber. Worry, guilt and the condemning sense of failure kept him awake and chained to fear. Though the sight resurrected terrible memories, Frank felt compelled to stand by the window and stare vacantly out- his empty gaze was fixed on Big Cliff in the far distance.

So it was there he remained until the blackness dispelled and the sky was splashed over with more cheerful colors. Stars faded out to the background as the sun blinded out their dazzling twinkling with its burning blaze.

Joe was still sleeping when he left for his lectures. Washing up as best as he could in the attached bathroom, he could smell the lingering stench of vomit though the toilet was clean. Before he made his exit, he stroked his brother’s cheek and his heart sank when Joe’s brows knitted together immediately at his touch.

It was almost as if the contact pained Joe in the unconscious realm he was bonded to.

He went to his lectures, absorbing no new knowledge and came back home to find the atmosphere in the house eerily tensed. Maggie, the least affected by the whole issue was out with Craig and Frank knew the latter as a certainty because he saw Maggie ride out of campus with Craig on his motorbike.

He felt grudgingly mad at his sister for being able to carry on with her life as per normal when everyone else could not. Soon after, he felt ashamed for blaming her choice to still be happy. Surely happiness was an ingredient that was in deficit and any infusion of it must be appreciated?

Maggie may be just escaping from it all too. Can I blame her for finding all this too overwhelming for her young mind?

"Mom, what’s wrong?" Frank went into the kitchen to grab some snacks right after he came home and was shocked to see Laura there chopping potatoes that were not yet peeled with a vengeance.

"I asked him ten questions and he answered none. I asked him about things that happened, he showed no interest. Talking to him is like talking to a block of wood! And he’s taking his medication now through injection… do you know what that means? My son’s mixed up but he’s not crazy…" Laura’s chopping action grew more frustrated and rapid, as if she was seeing the mashed up potatoes as the barrier to her getting close to her son.

"I only want him to be all right. It shouldn’t be so difficult… shouldn’t be…"

"Mom… take a rest. Joe’s medication makes him dull, it doesn’t mean he’s not listening. I’ll call for some takeout. It’s just you and me, right?"

"It shouldn’t be so difficult!" Laura let out a growl and threw the chopper onto the table. It landed with a resounding clang and slid across the width. Afraid that the chef’s aid would fall onto the floor and hurt his mother, Frank hurried over and was relieved when the chopper stopped just before the edge. At that moment, Laura burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. Not knowing what else he could do, he gave his mom a hug.

"I’m all right, darling. Will you call for takeout? Your dad should be back anytime soon and you know how irritating he can be when he’s hungry."

"Sure, mom. I’ll call for pizza."

Laura extricated herself and nodded before she went about cleaning up the mess she made.

"Son? Can I come in?" Fenton’s voice penetrated into Frank’s room and Frank, pulled away abruptly away from the hypnotic muddle of words on his LCD screen, left his computer’s side to answer the door. His father, clad in pajamas, raised a brow at the clothes Frank was wearing which were what he had worn for classes earlier that day.

"It’s already one a.m." His father noted, nodding at the clock on the wall facing the door.

"Yah…" Frank made way for his father to enter and Fenton took a seat on the edge of his bed. Frank sat down on his study armchair and saw his father frown at the piles of paper on his floor and desk.

"You didn’t used to be so messy. Maybe you can stop locking up your room’s door when you’re off in campus so your mom can help you clean it up."

"No. I lock it so the papers won’t fly away."

"Throw them away or file them somewhere. How can you write a thesis when you’re not organized as your nature is one that needs order?" Fenton advised him and Frank grinned sheepishly. His father was right. Frank needed to see neatness to feel happy sometimes.

"Emily told me about what happened yesterday in detail and I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt that you’re about to tell me, just that she beat you to it. She’s becoming worried about you and said Joe told you some stuff. It’s what we spoke of, right?"

Fenton was astute and anyway, it was pretty obvious what Joe could be hiding. Joe asked him to keep quiet on the subject so Frank did. He nodded his answer. He did not speak it out aloud.

"And more, dad. Joe… he had a blood test… but the test cannot confirm the results yet…"

Fenton massaged his solar plexus and let out a troubled sigh. "Let’s keep it from your mom and sister for the time being. No use worrying them over something that may not come to pass. I heard from sources that the friend Joe made in prison is going to sue and I think he has contacted Joe who could act as his witness. Maybe that snowballed everything because Joe kept everything to himself. I believe some of the perpetrators were criminals I put away- the hazards of my occupation."

"Dad…" Frank tried to relieve his father’s guilt but he knew words were useless then. While he admired his father abilities too keep his emotions under control, he was worried that Fenton would just explode from all the latent remorse and anger.

"It’s a good thing you’re going to be a lawyer."

"I might not… might break my bond or…" Frank confessed but the subject was Joe, not him. His own confusion could be sorted out later.

"I won’t be surprised if you do." Fenton looked at Frank with pride glowing in the grayish cheeks. "Whatever it is, I’m extremely proud of the three of you. And especially you. I would definitely be in jitters if Joe or Maggie announced they wanted to go backpacking on their own in a strange land but I would sponsor your ticket had you suggested it for yourself. I’m never around much to teach you values or morals or just about life… but it seems you have educated yourself very well."

Frank kept silent for he knew where this pep talk was heading.

"But believe me, I and your mom never put any expectations on the three of you. We just pray you three grow up to be the person you are all meant to be- wonderful people. I know you’re very capable and wow, that IQ! I wonder where that came from…" Fenton winked at Frank. Though the twinkle in those dark brown eyes was dimmer, Frank was heartened that it was still there. He chuckled at his dad’s silent implications and was reminded of happier days when Fenton and Laura would playfully argue over what wonderful qualities they had passed on to their children.

And then, when they were naughty, it was amazing how Laura would fume at Fenton and tell him that his children misbehaved and it was entirely his fault because they had his genes.

It was not long before Fenton grew somber again.

"It’s all right to drop some things in favor of more important priorities. If accelerating college by a year is too difficult and leaving you breathless, it’s all right to say you’ll choose to take it slow."

"My thesis’ almost done. Dad, I know what I’m doing…" Frank assured his father. "My only concern now is Joe. The guilt may stay with me for some time to come but I promise you I won’t let it consume me. I’ll turn it around and change it into a triumph for myself and everybody around me, especially for Joe. I just need some support and I recognize it now."

"You have our support. I’m not taking on any cases for the time being so I can be around all of you more. Come talk to me if you need to and go and sleep. Your mom’s very worried about your diet and sleeping habits." Fenton stood up and Frank walked his father to the door.

"I’ll buy some files tomorrow and Mueslis bars." Frank promised and was about to shut the door when Fenton did an about turn and wagged a finger at him.

"Lay off the coffee."

"Speak for yourself, dad." Frank jested and Fenton laughed. It was good to hear laughter again and Frank smiled.

"We will watch ourselves and our caffeine intake. Your mother is all ready to ban coffee and write a letter to the President to do the same for United States. I swore I saw her drafting up a petition letter in her free time."

"How can we stand up against the ‘Moms against Caffeine Organization?’ We better stock up on coffee powder then. When the ordinance is passed, we will make a fortune out of it." Frank winked at Fenton who chuckled softly.

When his father left, Frank returned back to his thesis. He stared at it for moment and then smiled quietly. There was always tomorrow and he was not exactly behind time. Retrieving the zip disk from his bag where all his thesis work was being saved on, he accidentally took out the letter for Joe along with it.

With his thesis forgotten, he peeled open the top of the envelope and drew out a piece of paper. Maybe he was intruding on Joe’s privacy but he had a rare hunch about something. A rare hunch that could be more accurate than Joe’s perpetual instincts about everything.

A brief look would reveal a collage made by cutting out letters from pictures to form words. As he read the message, his gaze narrowed lethally. White hot anger surged through his veins and blazed from his eyes.

YOU CAN NEVER DENY YOU’RE A MURDERER. YOU BELONG IN HELL! IT’S NOT SUICIDE! YOU SHOT HER! AND NOW, YOU MUST PAY!

Frank’s first instinctive thought was to crush the letter and burn it to ashes. But he stopped himself. The letter was a clue- evidence.

He promised to keep Joe safe.

The chase was on again.