Betrayal -Jonas Brothers Story

1-20

Chapter 1: Tre Sospetti

(Kevin walked through the grand arch into the hallway of his new home; he carried in his arms the final cardboard box from the moving truck. He and his beautiful wife Danielle had purchased this phenomenal house to move in together. For a while they had been searching for the perfect set up and after weeks of home tours and exploring agency websites this prize came along. What with its stunning surroundings and charming neighbourhood, it was the perfect choice for an aspiring family)

(Danielle came from the kitchen area where she had been assigning cutlery and glasses to certain draws and cupboards. Kevin arched backward to de-stress his cramping back. The hallway was now flooded with cardboard boxes and furniture pieces from the moving truck)

"Is that the last one?" Danielle came up behind Kevin and snaked her tanned arms round his waist, nestling her head on his shoulder.

Kevin held her arms around him, "Yep, that's everything." He was relieved to not have to lob any more heavy boxes, his back was aching and so were his arms, the scorching heat didn't help neither. Turning in Danielle's embrace, Kevin wrapped his muscular arms around her petite frame, pulling her close to him.

"Welcome home Mrs Jonas." He couldn't help but smile at the words. Mrs Jonas was just another name to anyone else but to him it was more reason to feel blessed. This marvellous woman was his to claim.

The calm mood was spoilt when Kevin's chirpy ringtone screeched, echoing off the empty walls. Danielle pulled away from the embrace and went back to the kitchen with another one of the boxes. Kevin looked down at the caller ID before answering his phone, "Hey Joe!"

(Danielle smiled to herself as she unpacked the utensils, she could hear parts of the conversation between Kevin and Joe. Sarcasm was used and a light air of humour in the tone. A few minutes later saw Kevin come into the kitchen with another one of the boxes)

"That was Joe." Kevin set the box on the counter and started un-wrapping some bubble-wrapped plates.

"Is he still in L.A.?" Danielle closed the cutlery draw and leant her back against the counter, silently watching her husband snap some of the popping bubbles as he unwrapped the porcelain plates.

"Yeah, he's there for another week. He said he has most of the tracks down, he's just perfecting them now." Kevin, much like the rest of the family, was excited for Joe. He had been working on his debut solo album in Los Angeles for a few months, perfecting the lyrics and the general vibe of the music. The final product was something to be proud of and everyone was looking forward to its eventual release.

(Danielle pealed the sello-tape off the final kitchen accessory box and unwrapped some chocolate and cream mugs. The cream mugs were her preference and the chocolate ones were for Kevin. She stored the cream ones on the bottom shelf so they were within her reach, and turned to Kevin holding one of the chocolate mugs in her hand)

"Can you put these on the top shelf for me? I can't reach."

Kevin took the mugs and started storing them in the over head cupboard. "Yes, Boss!"

****

(Denise took a sip of her iced latte, waiting by the till as Paul paid the cash recipient and then followed behind him as he led them from the coffee shop. "I'll bet he didn't take it with a smile." She cringed at the thought. Paul had been telling her about Michael, a security guard for the family. He had worked for the family for a few months; his position was working alongside Big Rob and controlling heavy crowds. Paul had just dismissed him from his post)

Paul held the door for his wife, letting her pass through first. "You can say that again!" He scoffed. "He practically bit my head off!" He had to laugh though he did feel quite bad. Mike had become one of the team. His nature had kind of ploughed through. He was a rough character and often took a joke a tad too far, resulting in someone getting hurt or upset.

(His manor around the fans too was unacceptable; he would bargee through a crowd and shove at people, never mind their size in comparison to his huge frame. Another negative was his lack of planning efforts. The boys had been late for multiple gigs, meetings and live streaming interviews because a plan had not been organised for their arrival. He was slacking his duties and in the light of their fame... it was simply unacceptable)

"He said..." Paul stopped when a random man walking past them put his hand on Denise's shoulder.

"Denise?" Denise's eyes lit with recognition. The man before her was her class mate in high school. She hid her cringe well and shook the man's hand with a smile. "Denise Jonas!"

"Yes..." She smiled, feeling awkward. "Wow... it's uh... it's been a while."

"It's been too long!" The man seemed genuinely pleased to see her, ecstatic almost. Like a small child on Christmas morning. "You look great!" He looked her up and down.

(Denise turned a shade red and Paul tried not to revel in her embarrassment. He had picked up on her attitude towards this man; she seemed uncomfortable. He found her fake smile quite comical)

Denise took a closer look at the man. His unshaven face looked grubby and his sense of fashion hadn't changed any. His trousers still pulled too high up, giving him an aged appearance. "You haven't changed at all..." The man grinned, taking the comment as a compliment.

Paul cleared his throat passively and Denise jumped at the change in subject, "Oh!" She took Paul's hand, "This is my husband, Paul." She smiled. "Paul, this is David McKinley. We went to high school together."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Paul stuck his hand out to the man. David stared at the hand and then glared at Paul with a displeased scowl.

"Husband?" He turned to Denise. His eyes were accusing but his geeky posture couldn't be taken seriously as threatening. Denise looked down to hide her smile and Paul brought his hand back awkwardly.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" He was a little put off by the man's disapproving glare.

David turned to Paul, "No... No problem at all." He smiled though his distaste towards Paul was obvious. "There is nothing wrong with settling for second best." He commented slyly. Paul laughed but quickly covered it with a cough. He found this situation entirely amusing.

"Oh... You used to be an item?" He pointed between Denise and David.

"We were... friends." Denise wanted nothing more than to melt into the pavement. She was flushed red with embarrassment.

"We were more than friends." David smiled at Paul as if he had won something.

"David... I'm afraid we have to get going." Denise finally looked up. "It was nice seeing you again though!" She didn't wait for a farewell; she tugged at Pauls hand and waved behind her as she dragged her husband away quickly.

Paul laughed as they power-walked down the street away from the unusual man. "Wow! That was.... something special!" He laughed.

Denise turned around, looking over her shoulder as they walked, "He's still watching us!" She sped up, turning into the parking lot behind the strip of shops. Finally out of view she slowed down. "I have never felt so uncomfortable in my life!" Paul opened the car door for her and she climbed in. Paul then trotted round to the driver's side, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Stop laughing!" She scolded him, slapping him playfully as he fastened his seatbelt. "It's not funny!" This only made Paul laugh harder, his eyes were watering and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"So...." Paul calmed himself enough to speak. "What first attracted him to you?" He asked innocently as he revelled. Denise rolled her eyes at his childish behaviour but smiled never the less.

"I felt sorry for him. He used to sit by himself in the cafeteria.... no one spoke to him. So when he asked me to the movies one time, I couldn't say no." She still felt embarrast by the man's hostility towards Paul. "We only went to the movies once and in his mind... that made us a couple." Paul opened his mouth, ready to tease her some more but Denise held her hand up. "Which we weren't!" She pointed at him, her face set. "I was being nice to him. That is all!"

(Paul teased her throughout their journey home but then apologized sweetly as he dropped her at home. He had a meeting with Big Rob and a few other members of their team to discuss a new security guard)

(Denise poured herself a glass of cool filtered water from the fridge; she smiled as she looked out the window. Nick and Frankie were in the pool. She switched the small TV on and sat herself at the marble counter. A re-broadcast of the morning news was on. Police had located Richard Miller, a serial killer known for targeting people with a high profile... or a thick wallet. A high speed chase had broken loose and three totalled cars later, they lost sight of him after he ditched his vehicle in Dallas)

(Denise felt her stomach twist. She couldn't understand people that set out to purposely hurt another... let alone take a life. Eight people had been murdered under his name. She prayed for the families that had been affected and she prayed upon others too)

****

Frankie climbed out of the pool, ball in hand and walked straight up to the hoop, he threw it through the basket and then threw his hands up in victory. "I win!"

"Frankie, that's cheating!" Nick commented from the other end of the pool, the water coming past his stomach.

"How is it cheating? I got it in the hoop." Frankie cannon balled into the pool, the ball popping back up as he went under water.

"Yeah... only because you got out of the pool!" Nick laughed, grabbing the ball and turning to face the hoop; he jumped up and tossed the ball into the air. Frankie watched the ball shoot past the hoop, not even nearing the basket.

"Ha!" He laughed "That was pathetic!" He turned to boast but stopped when he saw Nick's face. He looked stunned... shocked... in pain. Frankie stopped laughing, suddenly concerned for his brother. "Nick?" His brother was holding his chest and the water around him was turning red.

"Nick, you okay?" He followed his older brother as he stumbled to the side of the pool; he was breathing heavily and panting. Frankie stood behind his brother, Nicks back was to him and he put his hand on his shoulder.

"Nick, talk to me!" He side stepped his brother and that's when he saw the blood. The red water finally making sense to him, his brother was bleeding.

"Should I get Mom?" Frankie was already climbing out of the pool, listening as his brother wheezed.

"Mom!" He screamed as he ran into the house, his wet feet skidding on the floor tiles as he slid into the kitchen where Denise was still sat at the counter.

"Frankie, don't run in the house!" Denise scolded him as she turned to push him out of the kitchen, "You're soaking! Go dry off before you come inside." She tutted as she pushed him outside.

"Mom, its Nick!" Frankie was obviously terrified. She looked towards the pool where she saw Nick; he was leaning against the pool wall now trying to breathe.

"Oh my God!" She ran towards him, completely gob-smacked by the amount of blood circulating in the pool.

"What happened?!" She knelt at the pool side, "Come on Nick get out of the pool." He was so out of breath. He was only taking in small puffs of air at a time, his chest jerking as he wheezed.

"I don't know!" Frankie watched as his Mom tried to pull Nick out of the pool, but she couldn't do it by herself. He climbed into the pool and helped her pull Nick out where he flopped down once he was out the pool, his back flat against the tiled concrete, and his feet still in the pool. "He threw the ball... and then he was bleeding!" He was petrified; the blood was making him feel sick. There was so much of it!

"Frankie, go inside and call for an ambulance!" She didn't need to ask him twice, Frankie darted inside.

"Nicholas?" She looked down at her son's face. He was so incredibly pale; his eyes were rolling as he tried to catch his breath. He looked like he was about to pass out.

"I can't...." He patted his chest with his free hand, the other still pressing against his chest. Blood was slipping past his fingers. "... Breathe!" He choked, coughing and sputtering.

Denise tried to move his hand, "Move this hand Nick." She pried his fingers away and her heart sunk. A small hole in his chest was the source to all the blood. Although dazed and light headed, Nick was coherent enough to see his Mom look over her shoulder as though looking for someone.

(Denise's eyes searched all around them, she was looking for someone. She didn't know who... but she knew they were there)

"It hurts!" Nick arched his back as a stabbing pain cracked through him; it was so strong it blinded him for a minute. His eyes watered as the pain only got worst. Denise turned back to him, pulling her cardigan off, leaving her in just her undershirt and she pressed the fabric to Nick's bleeding chest.

"Ahh!" Nick tensed as she pressed the fabric to him. "No, stop!" He tried to move her hand, the pressure hurt too much.

"It's okay!" She watched in horror as the fabric was dyed red within seconds.

"It's going to be okay. Just breathe!" She put his hand to her own chest and told him to copy her breathing, she breathed in deep and let it out slowly. Nick tried to copy her but it only brought him more discomfort and he cried out in agony. His breathing was getting worst.

"Mom!" Frankie ran back outside, the phone still pressed to his ear as he spoke to the 911 operator. "The ambulance is on the way." He sat by his brother. "The lady wants to speak to you?" he handed the phone to his Mom and pressed the towel he had brought from inside to Nicks chest. He was crying as his brother withered on the floor in pain.

"Ma'am can you tell me what happened?" The operator asked on the phone and Denise cried as she watched the blood soak through the towel just as quick. "Ma'am?"

"I think... I think he's been shot." She sobbed into the receiver. Realisation dawning on her as she and Frankie put pressure on Nick's chest; they both ignored his pleas for them to stop, they ignored him as he tried to push their hands off him. Denise cried as she watched her second youngest struggle in front of her, she was stunned by the amount of blood he was losing; surely he has no more to lose.

"Ma'am can you confirm that you're safe? Do you know who the gunman is?" This is what scared her. Here she was, with her two youngest children, one of which has just been shot in the chest and she had no idea who had shot him... were they safe?

"I... I don't know!" She sobbed into the phone. "I don't know!"

(Nick choked, turning his head to the side he spit a mouthful of blood out. He was in so much pain; he didn't think it was possible to feel like this. His chest was splitting with agony, surely someone had ripped his lungs straight from his chest... he couldn't breathe!)

Chapter 2: Emergency

(Frankie jumped out of the ambulance after his Mom, Nicks stretcher had been whisked away already. One of the paramedics and a nurse pushed his bed into the building and down the corridor. Denise grabbed Frankie's hand tightly and pulled him along with her as she ran after her crippled son)

"Mom, slow down!" His little legs could not move any faster, they were burning with the effort to keep up with their sprint. Denise didn't slow down though, she dragged him along as they chased Nick's stretcher as he was wheeled into the emergency room.

"Is he alright?" Denise panicked when they reached the emergency room. Nick's bed had been shifted into the middle of the room and his bare chest was covered in patches as they examined him. Three other nurses and two more Doctors were in the room now. One of the nurses was checking Nick's blood sugar; he didn't have his pump on him as he had been swimming in the pool right before being brought in. Another nurse was monitoring his heart rhythm, and another was inspecting the wound to his chest.

(Denise craned her neck as a nurse stood in her line of view. The amount of people working on her son, the amount of wires and all of the machines, that buzzing sound and rippling beep. It was too much and she cried, trying to see her son. She prayed for him to open his eyes but he didn't)

"Nicholas." Denise's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper and choked, her face messy with tears as she was gently persuaded towards the door by one of the nurses.

"Ma'am, you need to step outside." Denise and Frankie were taken from the room by the nurse in blue uniform.

"Is he going to be alright?" Denise was hysterical though her energy was drained. Nick had lost a lot of blood and had lost consciousness shortly after the ambulance arrived at their home.

"Someone will be out to speak with you as soon as possible." She left them and went back into the room with Nick. Denise pulled Frankie in for a hug, holding him tightly in her arms as she cried.

"Mom, is he going to be okay?" Frankie looked at her with such innocence. He was still pale, his cheeks still wet from his tears. Denise pulled away from the embrace and looked her son in the eyes.

"He'll be okay..." Denise didn't sound convincing to her own ears and she was sure she hadn't assured her son but she couldn't say any more as she cried. She bowed her head down, hiding her face as she broke down. Frankie cried too, his eyes sore and puffy. He couldn't stop thinking about all the blood by the pool. There had been so much blood...

****

(Kevin scratched behind Riley's ear; the small dog had curled into his cushioned lap as he lounged on the leather sofa. A long day of unpacking and sorting rooms had seen him exhausted. His body ached from all the heavy lifting and just sitting on the padded seat with an iced tea was complete bliss)

He heard his phone ring in the kitchen but too tired to move, he let it ring. "You comfortable Riley?" The small dog looked up at him, enjoying the fuss. "Yeah... it would be a shame to move you then wouldn't it?" He rubbed under her chin. "Guess I should just sit here then." He rested his head back, leaning it against the backrest of the chair. His phone silenced and he smiled, feeling content once more.

The quiet was short lived; his phone rang a second time. "I'll get it then!" he heard Danielle from the other room. She had taken a shower to cool down. Kevin smiled at her tone, not bothering to lift his head as he closed his eyes.

"Kevin?" He reluctantly opened his eyes and turned towards Danielle. She was stood in the doorway in her dressing gown and slippers, his phone in her hand. She looked worried which of course, caused Kevin to worry and sit up.

"What's wrong?" He lifted Riley off his lap and stood up.

"It's your Mom." She held the phone out to him and he took it.

"Hello?" He continued to look at Danielle. She looked utterly gob-smacked, her mouth was hung open as she watched him talk to his Mom.

"Kevin?" He could hear the emotion in his Mother's voice and it did nothing to settle him.

"Mom, what's wrong?" He set his iced drink on the cursor.

"Kevin... It's Nicholas."

"What?" Kevin immediately assumed. "Is he okay? Is it his diabetes?" He could hear her uneven breathing, she was crying. "Mom?"

"He's been.... Kevin." She sobbed. "Oh Kevin... he's been shot." She managed to finally choke it out. At first Kevin didn't say anything. Danielle was still stood in the doorway; she stepped forward and took his hand. Kevin didn't know what to say. After all, it's not every day you're told someone you know, better yet... a relative, has been shot. What do you say to that? What do you think? How do you react?

"Kevin?" Denise spoke over the line.

"Kevin... Are you still there?"

Kevin blinked his eyes once, his mouth was open and moving but no sound was coming out. Danielle took the phone from him, "Denise? It's Danielle. Which hospital are you at?"

"We're at the Westlake medical Centre."

"We'll be there as soon as we can."

Danielle hung up the phone. Kevin turned to face her; his face was drained of any colour. He looked as if he might be sick. "Come here." She pulled him in for a hug and she just held him as he let it sink in. His little brother had been shot...

"I'll call our travel agent and get us some tickets to Texas." She pulled away, letting him sit down. Danielle left the room, Kevin watched her leave. The minute she was gone he turned his head away, his breathing picked up without her presence. He began to hyperventilate, his eyes wide as the shock hit him full force and he cried. 

****

"You walked away... From me baby."

Joe, who was lying flat on his back in the middle of the studio, sung with his tone soft and extended.

"Hold it... Hold that note." Chris Brown commented from the sofa where he sat, not far from where Joe lay.

"From me baby..." Joe held the note for a few seconds but then broke it with laughter. He sat up on his elbows and faced Chris, "I don't see how this is supposed to help me." He found it hysterical how he was expected to sing whilst lying on his back, in the middle of a studio.

"It helps you sing from your diaphragm and not your throat." Chris stood up, "I'm going to sing it with my throat first and then my diaphragm.... Spot the difference."

"You walked away... From me baby..." "That's singing with my throat." Chris then dropped down beside Joe on the floor, "Move over." Joe shuffled across the floor to give Chris some more room.

       "You walked away... From me baby... You threw it all away..."
Joe had to admit the vocals did sound different. Chris got up and went back to the sofa, "Now it's your turn." Joe leant back again and took a deep breath in.

"You walked away... From me baby... You threw it all away..."

Chris jumped up with his fists pumping, "That's it!" He did a strut up and down, his diamond chain swaying from side to side as he stepped. "That was it! That's the sound I'm looking for!" Joe stood up and the two shared a 'brother hand shake.'

The door to the booth opened and Tony, Joe's security guard stepped into the small room. "Joe, your phone keeps going off. I thought maybe it's important." He handed Joe his phone. Joe looked at the screen; he had three missed calls from his Mom.

"It's my Mom..." He checked for a voice mail but there was none. Assuming it wasn't that important he put his phone off and shoved it in his pocket. "I'll call her back later. We're almost done here anyways."

****

(Three hours later, Danielle and Kevin were waiting to board their flight. Kevin's shock had progressed into anger. He was angry with whoever had done this, whoever had shot his brother. He was reeling with anger, his jaw was grinding as he and Danielle sat in the airport, waiting to be called to their plane)

"Who would do it?!" His eyes were wide as he stared straight ahead of him, though his entire body was tense, the hand that held Danielle's was gentle.

(He had been trying to list some names, anyone he thought was capable but he was drawn to a blank. Nobody he knew was capable of this, that he was sure of. They had no enemies. Sure, they had haters. People who disapproved of their music but surely distaste to music wouldn't lead to this. Who in the right mind would set out to shoot Nick? Perhaps they hadn't targeted him. Perhaps it was a random target... but they had shot him while he was at home, in a gated community. Whoever had shot Nick.... They knew who they were shooting. Nick had been a target)

Chapter 3: A Blind Surprise

(The air conditioned room was luxurious to walk into and Joe was quick to raid the fridge for a bottle of chilled water. A long day recording in the studio in this muggy air was enough to wear him out. He twisted the lid free and paused to take several greedy gulps. He pulled his phone from his pocket and switched it on. He cruised over to the couch and fell back into it, waiting for his phone to load up)

"Winston!" He called after his companion in the corner who didn't even lift his head, too busy snoozing the day away.  "Yeah..." Joe scoffed, "It's nice to see you too, buddy!" Finally his phone finished loading and he looked down to see a list of missed calls, all from his Mom. A little apprehensive, he dialled her number.

She answered after the second ring, "Joseph! Oh thank God..." she sounded panicked.

"Mom?" He could hear her crying over the line. "Are you okay?"

"I am just so happy you are alright." She was obviously upset about something by her tone.

"Why, what's wrong?" Joe could feel his heart racing with anticipation, he was silently running through the list of possible things that could have gone wrong, that could have upset his Mother like this.

"Joe, Tony is on his way to you right now. Stay in your apartment!" She rambled on, "Oh God, don't go outside Joe!" Joe stood up and walked to his wall length window and looked outside. He was half expecting to see the street falling into the Earth by his Mother's frantic tone but there was nothing out of the ordinary outside, just people getting on with their day.

"Mom, what are you talking about? What is wrong?"

"Joe, it's your brother. Nick. He has been... Oh my God!" She paused and Joe could hear her trying to calm herself down enough to continue. "He was swimming in the pool with Frankie... somebody shot him." She blurted it out finally. Joe stood there, in the middle of his apartment and he didn't move.

"What? I mean, how do you... What?" His chest felt tight and he felt sick, he literally felt sick to his stomach. "No... He can't be... He's not..." Joe grabbed at his hair, needing something to hold on to. "Is he okay?" He ran his hand down his face, rubbing his palm flat against the stubble on his face.

"The Doctor is with him. They um... I don't know anything yet."

Joe nearly jumped out of his skin when somebody knocked at his door, "Hang on." He made sure to look through the peep hole first and saw Tony stood outside his door. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to a flushed looking Tony. "Um... come in." He waved him inside.

"Is that Tony?" His Mom asked, still on the other line.

"Yeah... Where... um, where are you?" He felt deflated as he watched Tony go through to his bedroom, he was packing Joe's travel bag.

"Westlake Medical Center." She was still crying into the receiver.

"I'm leaving now. I love you Mom." He felt his throat tighten and he fought back tears, refusing to frighten his Mother or upset her more than she already was.

"I love you too Joe... I'll see you in a couple hours." and with that said, Joe hung up. When Tony came back into the living area with Joe's bag, Joe was just staring at his phone. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were wet, he was trying so hard not to cry. Tony approached his friend, dropping the bag down by the door, and put his hand on Joe's shoulder.

"Come on." He soothed, pulling Joe in for a hug. "He'll be okay."

You know when you are upset and try so hard not to crack? And then somebody gives you a hug and you come apart almost instantly? Joe choked on the first sob and then he had no control over it, he found himself crying into Tony's shoulder.

"Come on." Tony rubbed Joe's back as his friend cried. A minute later and Joe pulled away from the hug, his cheeks wet and his eyes red and puffy. He looked down and emptied his lungs through half-closed lips.

"You ready?" Joe nodded his head, wiping his face with the back of his arm.

"Yeah." Joe nodded his head again and Tony steered him by his shoulder towards the door.

"Winston... What about Winston?" Joe looked back at his dog, still asleep on his dog pad.

"I'm taking you to the airport. I'll come straight back here and watch him for you." The two left the apartment and piled into the small elevator. The elevator ride from his apartment to the ground floor seemed to take forever, the closed space was suffocating.

(Downstairs there were four other members of security waiting for them. Joe was led out of the apartment building and into the warm air outside, the car was parked a few steps from the front door)

Joe was only a few steps away from the car when chaos broke loose, "Hey!" A member of his security bellowed.

"Get down!" Before Joe had any idea what was happening his body was forced into a crouch as Tony covered him with his large frame.

(A gun was shot and Joe was quickly led into the back of the car by Tony. The door was shut and Joe was left in the car with only the driver and Tony to accompany him. He watched with wide eyes as the four security members surrounded a lone man with a gun. He could hear the men shouting orders and with baited breath he watched the gunman lift the weapon and shoot at the car. His accuracy was tested when one of the guards tackled him, putting him off target)

(Tony held Joe down against the back seat, covering him with his own body. Glass was shattered as the front wind screen was shot, sprinkling the driver with glass shards. Joe could hear people screaming outside and it terrified him)

Tony sat up slowly, "Stay down, Joe!" He looked around. Joe was in no fit state to argue, he was shaken with fear. Absolutely speechless someone had tried to shoot him. Someone had shot his little brother, and now they were after him.

(Joe could hear Tony talking on the phone to the police, he was asking for back-up. Joe timidly sat up, he could see the gunman had been un-armed and was being held down through the smashed window)

"Are you okay?" Joe tapped the driver on the shoulder and the man turned around in his seat. He nodded, speechless. Thankfully the broken window had not done as much damage as it could have. Joe saw the driver's eye spiral in beside Joe's shoulder. Joe looked to the side of him and saw what the man was looking at... a bullet hole in the seat cushion literally centimetres from his head.

(Within minutes police had the man in their custody; he was cuffed and taken away in a police cruiser. The area was secured and between the security guards and the police, a human tunnel was made for Joe to switch vehicles. The driver was taken to be checked by a paramedic and Tony climbed in the second car with Joe)

(Joe watched from inside the car as they pulled away from the scene, people who had seen the shooting were being pulled aside and questioned. Only then did he realise how tense his body was; his shoulders had bunched up and his jaw was clenched tightly as his teeth mashed together. Never before had he felt so afraid and never did he want to feel that way again...)

***

(Paul ran down the hall with a heavy-footed Big Rob running alongside him. He could see Denise just down the hall with Frankie. "Denise!" He quickened his pace, his aging knee's clicking as he tried to speed up. Denise looked up and relief washed over her face and she stood up, taking her husband in when he reached her)

"Has the Doctor been out yet?" She shook her head against his chest.

Big Rob looked past them and saw Frankie sat in one of the chairs lined against the wall, his young eyes were wide and he was crying still. "Hey little man..." He stepped around Denise and Paul and sat in the chair beside Frankie, "Come on, big boys don't cry." He tried to keep a weightless tone but even he couldn't deny the high risen emotion.

Frankie looked up, his face covered in tears. "I saw it." He whispered. "I thought he just..." He impatiently wiped at his face, "I don't know!" He cried. "I didn't think... he was hurt that bad." His sobs broke apart his sentence. It was enough to break the most heartless of hearts.

Frankie frowned when he saw a tear come from Big Rob and he innocently pointed at it as the drop fell down Rob's cheek. "I thought you said big boys don't cry?" He frowned. "You are Big Rob though." He emphasised the 'Big' and without meaning to, lightened the mood. A chorus of broken smiles was earned thanks to the power of innocence.

The door they were sat outside opened and a Doctor stepped out, "I wish I had better news..."

Chapter 4: Final Desiderio

"I wish I had better news..."

(The man was tall and slim, but not lanky. His dark hair was thinning out with age but his hazel eyes seemed young, giving his middle-aged appearance a youthful glow)

"Nick has got what we call a cardiac tamponade." Denise looked at her husband and then back at the Doctor with worry. "Internal bleeding in the membrane around his heart, it is putting pressure on the heart muscles."

"Can you stop it?" Denise had paled considerably; her skin tone resembled that of a sheet of paper with a shade of blusher.

"We are going to operate." Frankie bit his lip to stop it from trembling and Big Rob squeezed his shoulder gently. "We have called for a specialist. He lives some distance away..." Denise brought her shaking hand to cover her running mascara. "We'll keep Nicholas as comfortable as we can but his condition is very serious. So, if you do have things to say... now would be the time to say them."

Paul nodded his head numbly, "Thank you Doctor..." he trailed off, realising he did not know the Doctor's name.

The Doctor stuck his hand out, "Charlton... Doctor Charlton." Paul shook his hand and with one last goodbye, he left them.

Paul turned and pulled Denise towards him, looking over her shoulder at Frankie who had his face buried in Rob's chest. "Rob, why don't you and Frankie wait here while we..."

"No!" Frankie pushed himself away from Rob and looked at his Father desperately. "I want to see Nick too!" He jumped up and quickly wiped his face dry.

Denise pulled away from her husband and turned towards her youngest child, "Frankie, let your Dad and I see Nick first and I promise you, if Nick is feeling up to it, you can see him straight after." She tried to reason with him but Frankie was adamant he see Nick.

"I want to see him too!" He tried not to cry, he wanted them to believe he was big enough but he couldn't stop him lip from quivering.

"You will do as you're told, young man!" Denise did not want to lose her temper with him but given the situation, she was struggling to keep her patience in check and for her son to answer her back, right now was unacceptable in her book.

"Come on Frank, how 'bout I buy you a hot chocolate?" Rob stepped in, "No buts." He added when Frankie opened his mouth to further the argument. "Come on." He gently steered the young boy down the hall, leaving Paul and Denise to themselves. Silence followed their dismissal.

"Denise..." Paul went to console his wife but she shook her head at him and dabbed at her eyes with a soft tissue.

"I'm fine." She did not leave room for an argument and started her way towards Nick's room.

***

(Danielle watched the air hostess' demonstration. She had seen the same demo hundreds of times before but she needed the distraction. Kevin had received a phone call from Joe, a second shooter had been confirmed and a caution was sent to the pair of them encase there was a third)

She looked away from the hostess when Kevin took her hand. "It's going to be okay." He smiled but Dani could see the weight of the world in his eyes. He looked older to her, like he had aged in the last few hours.

(All that mattered now was getting to the hospital)

***

(Twirling his fingers, Denise held Nick's hand. It had come to a shock to the both of them when they first saw him, he was attached to a heart monitor and an oxygen mask had been strapped to his face. The IV stand at his bedside. Nick was unconscious still. He had been stripped from the waist up; his pale skin was covered in patches and wires. It was daunting to look at, a little intimidating)

Nicks head moved to the side, the most he had moved since he had arrived. "Paul!" Denise sat up in her chair, looking between her son and the monitor he was connected to; his heart rate had increased.

"Nicholas?" Paul watched his son open his eyes and both he and Denise let out a sigh of relief.

"You had us going there." Denise smiled down at her boy; her eyes were filled with tears making him seem foggy. Nicks eyes rolled around for a while, he was extremely weak. All he saw was his Mom in tears, hovering over him with his Dad at her side. All he heard was a rhythmic beep as well as his Mother's choked sobs. He felt dazed and weak.... so incredibly weak.

Nick found it hard to breathe, it felt like his lungs were refusing to fill and he choked on his own breaths, "Frank..." He breathed, finding it almost impossible to form actual words. "Frankie." He pulled the oxygen mask away from his face, "Frankie!" He managed with a strangled breath.

(He was in the pool with Frankie. They were playing basketball in the pool. And then he was in pain, he was in so much pain. He could remember it, clear as day. Frankie had been with him but now he could not see his little brother. He was not in the room. Where was he? Had he been hurt too? Nick began to panic, the heart monitor was beeping wildly and he was losing breath)

"Frankie is fine." Paul leant over the bed railing so that his son could see him. "He is with Big Rob."

(Nick continued to struggle, his head rolled from side to side as if he was searching, his eyes were rolling with him. His breathing was almost none effective and it felt like he was suffocating)

"Paul, the monitor is going hay wire!" Denise panicked, watching the erratic lines on the monitor's screen. Paul smacked the call button and left his sons bedside, he ran out of the room and into the hallway, not wasting time enough to run to the nursing station, he yelled.

"Nurse!" He managed to grasp the attention of some of the nurses down the hall, "Nurse!" He hurried back inside the room. Denise was holding his hand tightly in her own, she was bent towards him.

"Nick, you need to calm down." Nick looked at her, his eyes wide. "You're putting too much pressure on your heart."

Nick shook his head, "He was... in the pool." Nick spoke between exaggerated breathes. "He was... with me!"

"Frankie is okay!" Denise tried desperately to soothe him, looking nervously up at the monitor. "He is fine!" she turned to face Paul, "Where is the Doctor?" Paul did not get the chance to respond because the Doctor picked that moment to come into the room with his emergency staff.

"He's arresting." The Doctor side stepped Paul and Denise, pushing through to get to Nick. "Stand back please!" Denise and Paul stepped back to give the Doctor enough room, they watched from the other side of the room as a nurse emptied a syringe into the IV tube.

"We are going to put a needle up, under his ribs. It might help to reduce some of the pressure on his heart." Doctor Charlton spoke.

"We're giving you morphine Nick, for the pain." The young nurse silenced the obnoxious beeping monitor and altered some of the settings on the panel. Denise stepped forward and took Nick's hand again.

"I'm sorry." Nick wheezed, his eyes were rolling but he tried to concentrate on his Mother's face.

"No!" Denise scolded him, unable to stop her tears. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. Do you hear me?" Her voice had gone up an octave or two.

"I love you." Nick gasped as a pain shot through his chest, closing his eyes until the pain subsided. "You too... Dad." He was losing his strength. "Joe... and Kevin..." He moaned and tried to get more air but choked. "I love Frank... Frankie too."

He could feel it; he could feel his body packing in. He was dying...

Chapter 5: A Weight Of A Heavy Heart

(Frankie rocked his legs back and forth while he sat in the chair outside Nick's room, his feet could not quite touch the floor. He listened to Big Rob slurp the remains of his coffee and counted the leaflets on the wall in front of him, there were well over one hundred of them)

The door to Nick's room opened and Denise stepped out, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were puffy and red, it was obvious she had been crying. "Mom?" Frankie slid out of the chair.

(Denise was trying to put a plan together. How do you tell a ten year old boy that his older brother might not survive the night?)

"Mom, is Nick okay?" Frankie stood in front of her, his innocent eyes looking at her in searching.

Denise looked at her son for a minute and then she slowly shook her head, biting her lip. "No, he isn't." She watched with a broken heart as Frankie's face fell. "You know your heart?" She patted her chest lightly and waited for Frankie to nod his head, "Well around your heart you have a sac which protects your heart and holds it in place." She dabbed at her eyes again, they were quite tender from all the tears and rubbing. "Nick's heart is bleeding into the sac and it is putting pressure on his heart." She cleared her throat.

"Can they fix it?"

"They're trying to, yes. They are going to operate in a few hours." Denise wrapped her arms around her son and pulled him close to her, relishing in his childish embrace.  

"Can I see him?"

"I think it would be best if we let Nick rest right now. He is very tired." She kissed the top of his head.

***

(Kevin held Danielle's hand tightly in his as they pushed through the paparazzi, their security were shouting out warnings to the careless men flashing their camera's and shouting out questions to the flushed couple. The four hour flight had seemed much longer and as soon as they were grounded Kevin had called his Mom but he was put straight through to voicemail)

"Move!" The security had built a rather effective fort around Kevin and Danielle but it was not enough to stop the paparazzi at having a go, they each tested their luck by trying to squeeze through the human barrier, camera's flashing in the air. "Come on guys, give them some room!"

"Kevin!"

"Kevin, is it true your brother was shot?"

"Kevin!"

"Mrs Jonas!" One of the photographers who had been running backward in front of the couple tripped when he blindly ran into a luggage trolley. It would have been amusing had the circumstances been different.

(Another photographer tripped, only he fell at the foot of Danielle and Kevin which caused Danielle to trip and fall over him. Her right arm swung out to catch herself and her knee hit the hard floor painfully)

"Hey, back off!" Kevin shouted. His voice was livid as he helped his wife up, "Are you okay?" She nodded, she kept her head low, feeling quite embarrast. She looked up when a hand touched her shoulder and she and Kevin turned to see the man who had tripped her.

"I am sorry for tripping you." Danielle nodded her head in dismissal.

"It's alright...." She held her hand up.

"No, it is not alright!" Kevin glared at the man. The other photographers were still snapping shots, the security trying to distance them from the couple. "You pushed my wife. How dare you!"

Danielle put her hand on Kevin's shoulder, "Kevin, its okay." Kevin shrugged her off of him though and advanced on the man with a venomous look about him.

"No it is not!" Kevin turned to her, "He pushed you." He aimed a pointed finger at the man. Danielle had never seen him this angry before, it was quite intimidating.

"I didn't mean to push you Dani." The man defended himself, holding his hands up in defence.

"Mrs Jonas!" Kevin yelled, turning back to the man and pushing him back with a harsh shove. "You will address her as Mrs Jonas!" Kevin pushed him again, harder this time. "Do you understand?"

"Kevin. That is enough!" Danielle grabbed him and pulled him away from the man. Kevin let her lead him away but he continued to shout over his shoulder. "How would you feel if you had just found out your little brother is in the hospital fighting for his life and then have a low-life-scum bag shooting inappropriate questions at you?" Kevin yelled, "How would you feel if I shoved your wife to the floor?"

"I didn't shove her, she fell!" The paparazzi were having a field day as the argument progressed.

"Kevin, stop it!" Danielle tugged at his hand, thanking God they had reached the car and she pushed her fuming husband inside. The closed door brought a thick silence with it. "What was that?" she stared at him, her eyes wide as she watched him fume in front of her.

"He pushed you!" Kevin was still angry and his loud voice was even more intimidating in the quiet car.

"He did not push me. He fell and I tripped. It was an accident and you know it!" Kevin did not respond, he just looked out his window as they pulled away from the curb. Danielle watched him with concerned eyes, his jaw was clenched and his breathing erratic, adrenaline was obviously driving him.

"I'm sorry." Kevin had calmed down after a few minutes and he had realised his mistake. Not only had he mouthed off without a good reason, he had shouted at his wife in his rage. "It's just..." He folded forward, his seatbelt hugging his chest as he cradled his head in his hands. "My head is all over the place right now."

Danielle reached forward and took his hand, "its okay." Kevin squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stay strong in front of her but his body shook and he cried. "Oh Kevin." Danielle pulled him into a hug.

"I am just so worried about Nick." Kevin felt silly crying into his wife's shoulder in the back of a private car but he did not have it in him to care. All he cared about was getting to Nick...

(Half an hour later and the car pulled up outside the hospital. Kevin and Danielle could not walk down the hallway fast enough. They had been directed to the Intensive Care Unit by the receptionist at the front desk downstairs)

"Kevin!" Frankie saw them and ran down the hall to greet his brother. Kevin sped up and met his brother half way; he wrapped him in a hug, relieved to see him.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" He pulled away from the hug, he was feeling emotional again.

"They're with Nick. Why don't you go back with them?" Rob pointed towards Nick's room, "It's that room there." Kevin didn't waste any time and made his way to the door along with Danielle, they could hear Frankie moaning about why they were allowed to see Nick and not him.

"Oh my God." Kevin's breath left him the minute he saw Nick. His brother looked awful; he literally looked like he was in his death bed.

"Kevin!" Denise was quick to embrace her son and Paul wrapped Danielle in a hug. Kevin slowly approached Nick's bedside after greeting his parents. His eyes followed the wires to each individual machine, making him feel light headed at the quantity of equipment.

"Oh my God." Kevin took Nicks hand in his and squeezed it gently. The touch stirred Nick awake and his exhausted eyes met Kevin's.

"Kevin." He whispered.

"Hey!" Kevin smiled, "how are you holding up?" Kevin watched as Nick's eyes closed and his head tipped to the side, he was just so tired. Kevin looked up at his Mom; "I..." his mouth opened and closed a few times, "I had no idea..." He kicked himself when more tears leaked, "I didn't know what to expect." Paul came round and stood behind Kevin with his hand on his shoulder. Kevin looked back down at Nick, "I didn't expect this..."

Chapter 6: Losing A Fight

Frankie sighed when the screen turned black, "Big Rob, your phone died." He handed the phone back to Big Rob and the slouched back in his seat. Waiting in the hospital for a ten year old little boy with an active personality was torture. The pair looked up when the door down the hall opened and they watched as two police officers approached them. Rob stood up and blocked Nick's door, "Can I help you?"

"Actually yes you can. I am Detective, Sergeant Bumble of West Lake police..." Frankie, who had just taken a sip of his milkshake, snorted into his drink at the man's surname.

Big Rob kept a straight face and nodded his head in pretend-interest. "That's very interesting... really. Now let me introduce myself. I am Robert Feggans, former body guard of Britney Spears and currently the private body guard of the world phenomenon the Jonas Brothers, at your service." Rob saluted the man with a piss-take manor. Frankie tried to cover his laughter with a choked cough at the look on both of the officer's faces.

The man cleared his throat passively, "... and this is my colleague PC Herman. We are looking for Mrs Jonas. Is she in there?" The older and morbidly obese man pointed towards the door behind Big Rob.

"Yes, she is. But I think you and I both know that now is not the time... her son is about to go into surgery." Rob crossed his arms across his chest.

"I understand this is a difficult time but I do have a job to do." The man tossed his head to the side, indicating he wanted Rob to move out of the way. "So, if you wouldn't mind..." He put on a sarcastic smile. Frankie watched, slurping on his drink noisily as Rob stayed where he was while sending the two officers an unimpressed glare.

Officer Bumble took a slow step forward and took in a deep breath before letting it out dramatically. "Listen, Robert Feggans..."

"Oh please, do call me Rob." Big Rob tilted his head to the side, almost daring the officer to challenge him.

Officer Bumble took a deep breath, "I should warn you Sir, you are impeding police enquires."

"Oh I am sorry, my apologize." Rob rolled his eyes, boredom creeping up on him. "Look, it doesn't take a detective with your powers in deduction to figure out she is grieving. Can it not wait until tomorrow?"

Officer Bumble held eye contact with Rob for a minute before giving in, "I suppose it will have to." He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a card, "Will you give this to her for me please? If it isn't too much trouble." Rob took the card and with a false smile upon his face he waved the two gentlemen off.

Frankie laughed and held his hand out, "High five!" Rob slapped his hand gently. He watched the men leave through the door they had just come through and straightened up when the second officer held the door open and Joe rushed through with Tony at his heels.

"Big Rob!" Joe ran up to them, "How is he?" He panted, a little out of breath. "Is he okay?"

"Joe, I don't think it's my place..." Big Rob put a hand on Joe's shoulder.

"Tell me!" Joe demanded, "Is he okay?" Big Rob bowed his head and flicked his eyes towards Frankie quickly. Joe followed his glance and calmed down, taking a deep breath he approached Frankie, "Hey buddy." He pulled his little brother in for a hug and then turned back to Rob, "Where is he?" Joe was pointed to the right room.

He was pulled into a smothering hug as soon as he was inside the room, "Joseph! Oh thank God." Joe's eyes widened when he saw Nick and he felt his heart drop. His eyes flickered from one machine to the next and he numbly made his way towards Nick's bed and took his hand. The room fell quiet while Joe took in the condition of his brother. Kevin noticed Joe had clenched his jaw and he was wringing his hand against the bed rail. He saw a tear fall from Joe's swollen eyes and Joe quickly wiped it away with the palm of his hand, "What have they said?"

"He's got internal bleeding round his heart." Denise stepped forward and rubbed Joe's arm gently.

"They have called for a specialist, they're going to operate." Joe turned to look at his Dad.

"Operate?"

"They are going to try and alleviate the pressure." Joe turned back to Nick, he looked at his face. Nick's face was pale and his lips were kind of blue-ish. He then rolled his eyes towards the heart monitor; he watched the line bob up and down in snappy jerks. He turned to Kevin, "Where is Danielle?"

"She's gone to the bathroom. She isn't feeling too good." Joe nodded.

"So, uh..." he cleared his throat, "What's the prognosis?" He kept his eyes on Nick, watching his brother rest.

"They've told us to prepare for the worst." Joe looked at his Mom in awe for a minute before scoffing, "They obviously don't know Nick." He looked away, refusing eye contact with anybody.

"He's not bullet proof, Joe." Kevin took a seat in the chair across the room.

Joe tried to stop his tears from falling and tried, he tried so hard to silence his sobs but he ended up gasping. "Yeah, but... he's not going to die though..." He shook his head, more to himself than anyone else. "Is he?" He turned and looked at Kevin and shook his head stubbornly. "Not die..." He bit his tongue and tried to compose himself.

Kevin, Paul and Denise watched as Joe struggled to keep his emotions in check, it was obvious he was heartbroken. "He just... wouldn't leave us." Another sob and he bowed his head, leaning against the bed rails as he watched Nick's chest rise and fall. "I know he wouldn't." He shook his head again, "He's not going to die!" He yelled out suddenly, surprising his family at the volume behind his voice.

The noise stirred Nick awake and Joe quickly wiped his eyes as he got closer to Nick, "Hey buddy!" He watched with wide eyes as Nick struggled to look at him, his eyes kept rolling away and his head would occasionally tip to the side. "Nick?"

"Joe." Nick whispered, his lips hardly parting as he spoke. All of a sudden Nicks head rolled to the side and the heart monitor flat lined. Everyone watched the machine run flat in horror and Paul shot forward, hitting the call button.

"Nooo!" Denise screamed, her body folded forward as the wind was knocked out of her by the force of her cry. "Noooo!" She was pulled back by Paul when the nursing staff filled the room along with Doctor Charlton. "Noooo!"

"Clear the room please!"

"Charge the Defibrillator!"

"Nick!" Kevin pulled Joe away from their brother's bed. "No, get off of me!" Joe tried to pull away from Kevin. "Kevin, let go of me!" He cried, absolutely frantic. "Nicholas!"

"Joe." Kevin tried to pull his brother away, the nurses were shooing them out of the room. "Come on. Let them help him." Kevin was crying too as he practically dragged a sobbing Joe away from their dying little brother.

"Nick!" Joe fell to his knees outside the room, "Nooo!" Kevin tried to lift Joe up but he was pushed away. Joe dragged himself across the floor until he was able to rest his back against the wall and he put his forehead against his knees, he felt sick.

"Nooo!" Denise cried into Paul's chest as he rubbed her back, tears in his own eyes. "Not my boy! Not my Nicholas!"

(Frankie and Big Rob were horrified as Denise continued to scream for her child and a sobbing Kevin tried to calm a gutted Joe. Big Rob watched this all transpire and wished the day would just end...)

Chapter 7: Painting The Worst Picture

(The waiting room was quite comfortable, with its lavishing cream decor and its cosy vibe. The furniture complimented the blown up paintings on the wall, giving the plain coloured walls a splash of colour and spirit. The hospital had provided them with a private waiting room. Word had gotten out and now the entire circuit of the hospital was surrounded with fan-girls who were determined to show their support. Extra security was put in place and everybody was on high alert. Two suspects had been confirmed already; the man who had shot at Joe in Los Angeles had been caught and was being questioned by police. It was quite obvious because of the timing that he was not the person who had shot Nick in Texas; the three hour distance was far too great for him to have travelled considering the time in between shootings. There were security guards outside every room the family occupied; this included the operating room Nick would be taken to and the reserved bathroom outside the waiting room. Every precaution was taken and every essential standard was met)

"Doctor Charlton!" The six of them stood when the Doctor made an appearance. "How is he?"

"The bleed has caused Nick's heart to rest." He began, "My main objective is to stem the bleed." Denise noticed the surgical cap in his hands. "My colleague Doctor Stuart has checked in downstairs, he is on his way up right now and Nick is being prepared for surgery as we speak."

"At least he was here when it happened and no time was lost." Denise nodded in agreement with her husband.

Doctor Charlton looked between Paul and Denise considerably, "You should probably prepare yourselves for the worst." The look in his eye could not be mistaken for anything other than sympathy.

"Yeah, we know." Denise bit her lip; she was feeling emotional again. It had been a very long day.

"We will do all we can but... it might not be enough." Doctor Charlton sponged his cap in his hands and left the room. Not a moment later did Fran and Jerry present themselves with flushed cheeks and racing hearts.

"Was that the Doctor?" Fran asked as she and Denise greeted one another, Jerry went over to Paul. "What did he have to say?" Fran pulled back and reached into her purse and pulled out her handkerchief, her eyes were watering and she dabbed them dry.

"That it is a miracle if he makes it." Kevin said dully from across the room before he stood up and greeted his Grandparents. "Mind you, they always paint the worst picture don't they?" He shrugged his shoulders, "It is so that they don't get sued." He stepped aside and let Danielle greet Fran and Jerry.

(The door opened again and one of the officer's from earlier stepped into the room. Big Rob made sure to express his irritation as he stomped across the room and pulled the officer out with him)

(Joe sat next to Frankie on the sofa and within a few seconds he had zoned out. Everyone had noticed his unusual behaviour since he arrived at the hospital. They had been told about the attack on him and sympathised. Joe found himself thinking the day through in his mind, how he had woken up feeling great, he had spent a marvellous day recording with Chris Brown of all people. And now, he was in the hospital for his younger brother who was about to under-go life-saving surgery. He too had been attacked. This had been playing on his mind too, he had been trying to come up with a name but his mind ran blank. He had seen the man who had tried to shoot him, he had seen his face but he did not recognise him. Did this mean it was a blind-stranger attack? His head was all but in one place)

(Big Rob re-emerged from the hallway and waved Denise over, and Paul followed. "These two officers paid a visit earlier today but I sent them away. They have come back to request an immediate meeting with you. Are you feeling up to it? I could always tell them to come back tomorrow." Rob made sure to emphasise his last sentence, loud enough for the two officers in the hallway to hear him)

"No, it is fine. I'll go right now." Denise brushed her blouse with her hand, "Rob, would you mind taking Frankie back home for us? I don't feel comfortable with him being here all night long. I can collect him tomorrow morning if you stay with him tonight, and I could..." Rob held his hand up to silence Denise's wittering.

"I will take Frankie home and I will stay with him for as long as you need me to." His words held the finale of the discussion. Denise smiled at him and rubbed his arm, "Thank you." She looked over her shoulder one last time before stepping into the hallway.

The two officers were stood just outside with their backs leaning against the wall, though they both stood up straight when she stepped outside. "Mrs Jonas, I presume." The older of the two held his hand out and Denise shook it.

"Yes, and this is my husband."

Paul shook the officer's hand, "Paul." He introduced himself and the officers led the couple down the hall and into another secluded room.

"I am Detective, Sergeant Bumble of Westlake police and this is my colleague PC Herman." They each took a seat around an oval table. The room was lit quite bright and the blinds had been drawn to block out the circling news broadcasting helicopter.  "We are going to ask you a few questions and record the session by tape." He tapped a few buttons on the tape recorder on the table. "Are you ready?"

The session started off by introducing each person in the room, "Mrs Jonas, can you confirm who was at the house when Nicholas was shot."

"It was just my son Frankie and I, and of course Nicholas."

"There was nobody else?" He pressed.

Denise shook her head, "No, it was just the three of us. Unless you include Nick's dog Elvis."

"Mr Jonas, you weren't there?" Sergeant Bumble turned to Paul.

"No, I had gone to meet with Rob about employing a new security guard for the boys." Paul removed his spectacles and rubbed his tired eyes. It had been such a long day and the entire family was exhausted.

"A new security guard?" The sergeant sat back in his seat, "Why would you think they needed another guard? Were you expecting something like this to happen?" Sergeant Bumble's manor made him feel like he was in the wrong. It made him feel like he was the person who had shot Nick...  the man's assumptions were disgraceful, it was appalling. Paul was completely taken aback and quite disgusted.

"Of course I didn't expect this!" Paul stared the officer down; he was quite upset by the comment. "Are you seriously accusing me of knowing my son's were in danger?"

"Mr Jonas, it was just a question." Officer Herman tried to calm him. Talk about good-cop and bad-cop...

"You should have nothing to worry about Mr Jonas. That is, of course...If you really don't have anything to hide." Sergeant Bumble tilted his head to the side; it was as if he found Paul's outrage amusing. He wasn't quite as timid as his partner and stepped in all guns blazing by the looks of it.

"I have absolutely nothing to hide!" Paul was not particularly fond of the sergeant already. "With all-do-respect, Sergeant Bumble." Denise stepped in to defend her husband, "Our son is being prepared for surgery and our family is under a great deal of stress right now... Can you bare that in mind please?"  Denise's tone could be compared to that of a Mother scolding a toddler. The sergeant held his hands out in surrender, that stupid smirk still there, and he took a swig of his coffee.

"Why were you in search of a new guard, Mr Jonas?" Officer Herman sat forward and rested his arms on the table. His softer approach was required at this point.

"Because I had just dismissed another from our team for slacking his duties." Paul was still highly risen from the assault. "I'm sorry... I don't see how this is relevant." He shook his head.

"We need to know everything you have to offer if we have any hope of tracking these guys down. So anything that comes to mind, we would appreciate you sharing it with us." Officer Herman seemed to prefer the good-cop label. "The guard you dismissed... what was his name?"

"Michael." Denise took Pauls hand under the table. "His name is Michael."

"And do you think that Michael may have had a part in the attack?" This was the comment that struck Denise and Paul. Michael, although a rough character, had seemed quite friendly and the boys considered him a part of their on-the-road-family. "No... No I wouldn't have thought so." Denise looked toward Paul for back-up.

"Our entire team is like our family. Everyone involved is supportive and friendly with one another. I couldn't imagine anyone we knew would want to hurt the boys..." Paul shook his head to support his view. They had no enemies; they were mellow people who made sure to respect others. As far as they were aware, there was nobody out to get them, nobody with a vengeance.

"Would you mind giving me his full name and phone number so that we can bring him in for questioning?" Denise nodded and fished her phone from her purse. "And if you have an address... that would be very helpful." Officer Herman took the contact down and made a note of the address.

"Did anyone come to the house today?" Sergeant Bumble, who had otherwise been quiet, jumped in. His laid-back posture was beginning to tick Paul off. He already had a scowl put aside for the man and his rude comments, and he found himself growing annoyed by everything he did, even the way he noisily slurped his coffee; it was distracting and inconsiderate.

"Um..." Denise thought for a moment. Her and Paul had left in the morning for a bite to eat and a coffee. Not even the post man had been before they left the house. "No, not that I am aware of... Paul and I went to the coffee shop in town. I was home maybe ten minutes when Nick was..." She stopped there.

"Did you run into anyone while you were out?"

"No, we just..." she paused. "Wait..." She turned to Paul, her forehead was creased. "David." She blurted it out and then turned back to the officers, "We um... An old friend of mine, we bumped into him on our way home but surely he had no part in this." She shook her head, not believing it for a minute.

"You would be surprised Mrs Jonas. A lot of the time the person most trusted is charged." Denise thought about that for a moment; surely David wouldn't do this. "Do you have a phone number? Or even an address?" Herman pulled out the notepad and pen.

"I think he still lives at home with his Mother. I don't have his phone number anymore... we haven't seen one another in such a long time, we lost contact not long after graduating." She turned to Paul in thought, "You don't think David would do this. Do you?" She needed reassuring. Everything in her heart was telling her he was incapable but then again he was an unusual character and she was not entirely sure how much she could trust him.

"I... I don't think he's even capable." She shook her head, trying to shake the thought from her head more like. Throughout the rest of the interview her mind was elsewhere... What if David was capable?

Chapter 8: Never Underestimate A Strong Will

(The entire circuit of the hospital was surrounded by fans, camera men and news reporters. It did not take long for the news stations to broadcast a live feed outside the hospital, none of them knew of any confirmed facts but the speculation was enough to get their attention. The fans were tremendous; they had been singing Jonas Brothers songs for well over an hour outside the hospital, they could be heard from inside and hundreds of patients could be seen looking out their windows at the crowd below)

"They are getting louder." Frankie had been quiet up until then. It had taken some work but eventually Big Rob had convinced him to go home. They did not know how long they would need to wait to hear anything from the Doctor and it was getting late. Big Rob took Frankie by the shoulder and led him out of the elevator; they were led to a side door where the crowd was less wild.

"Stay close to my side." Big Rob kept a firm grip on Frankie when the door was opened for them. The roar from the crowd was deafening, there were fans and photographers being held back by security.

"Frankie! Is it true your brother was shot?" And the assault began. The crowd was fighting against the security, photographers were trying to get past and Big Rob ended up picking Frankie off the ground and carrying him swiftly to the car. As soon as the door was shut people were banging on the windows and screaming through the glass.

"Get out of the way!" Big Rob had shut the door after Frankie was inside and was now clearing a path for the car. "Move!" People were getting desperate and one man actually climbed on the hood of the car. "Hey!" Big Rob grabbed the man by the shirt and pulled him off the car, "Get back!" It took a while but eventually they were able to get the car out and Big Rob climbed into the car with a shaken Frankie in the backseat.

***

Danielle put her phone back in her purse after sending a message update to her Mom. She and Kevin had spent most of their day un-packing furniture and then add a four hour flight from New Jersey; it was only natural that she was tired. "Hey!" She smiled when Joe came back into the room with a tray of coffee. Nick had just been taken into surgery and everyone was on edge.

"Where is Kevin?" He set the tray on the polished wood coffee table and took his pick.

"Bathroom." She took one of the coffee cups; she peeled the lid off and blew the steaming beverage. They both fell silent, it was not uncomfortable but neither had anything to say. Joe took a sip of his coffee and pulled his phone out of his pocket when it vibrated against his denim jeans.

"It's Miley." He opened the message and took another sip of his coffee. "She's asking after Nick." He tapped a response and pressed send. Danielle watched him; she could see just how much this was affecting him.

"Are you okay?" She knew it was a stupid question but she could not deny her concern. Joe looked up from his phone and pocketed it before sighing, "No. But I will be." He offered a small smile but it did not quite reach his eyes. "You know the one thing I've always hated about Nick is his stubbornness." He laughed to himself, but not because he thought it was funny. "He always knows what is best and he can never be told otherwise." He swallowed the lump in his throat; it felt like there was a small ball in his throat. "But that is the one thing I want him to be right now...I want him to be stubborn."

"It is funny what it comes down to." Danielle looked at him with sympathy, "Wanting sheer personality to see him through." She smiled softly though her chest felt tight.

"You should never underestimate it. A strong will is the best medicine out there." He reached over and put his coffee on the table and then leant over and hid his face in his hands, he was feeling overcome with emotion.

"I hope they use the proper stuff too." Danielle smiles and they both look up when the door opens and Kevin, Denise and Paul all come in at once. Paul looks quite agitated while Denise looks like her mind is somewhere else.

"What did the police say?"

"Nothing much, they just asked us some questions." Paul grabbed one of the coffee cups, "They are coming back tomorrow to speak to all of us. They especially want to talk with you Joe, about earlier today." Paul sat next to his wife on the sofa and handed her one of the coffee cups. Joe thought back and cringed, it made him feel sick. He was a very mellow person, as was his family and he could never really understand drastic acts of violence. But to shoot at someone in a crowded area was surely crossing the line. As much as he tried to not think of the what-ifs, he could not help himself. What if he had been shot instead of Nick? Would the circumstances be any different? Probably not, but it did not stop him from wishing it had happened differently. He would trade places with his little brother in a heartbeat if he was given the chance.

(One hour turned into three and the natural light outside was replaced with the glow from the street lights. The fans were still camped outside and they were still singing their hearts out)

(Joe and Kevin had taken it in turns to get coffee; they had each consumed more than could be considered healthy. Jerry and Fran had left one hour before Rob took Frankie to clear the spare rooms, Frankie could not go home because the house was under investigation by the police but Fran and Jerry had insisted that they stay with them. Denise had been on edge until Rob called her to assure her that he and Frankie had gotten to Fran and Jerry's house safely and not to worry, the call seemed to calm her considerably)

"Mrs Jonas?" Doctor Charlton stepped into the room; he was still dressed in his surgical scrubs. Denise shot up from her seat and approached the Doctor with Paul. Kevin stood by Joe with Danielle at his side. Doctor Charlton held his hands up to still any questions, "Nick has survived the surgery." The wind was knocked from Denise at the good news.

"That is fantastic!" Paul pulled Denise against him and she buried her face in his button up shirt, this time her tears were that of relief. Joe and Kevin were both grinning like fools; it was such a weightless moment.

"I could kiss you!" Danielle smiled at the Doctor; it was such a relief to hear some good news.

"So could I." The smile on Kevin's face felt foreign after such a draining day. "But I'm not going to." Doctor Charlton laughed at their comments. These moments were so rewarding for a Doctor.

"Can we see him?"

"Maybe not tonight... I think it would be best to get him settled."

"So he is going to make it?" Kevin asked. He was holding Joe, who was in tears.

"I do not want you to get your hopes up too high. We will have a better idea tomorrow. He is still critical." He made sure to get the severity across. "But we have managed to stop the internal bleeding." He laughed a hearty laugh when Denise pulled him in for a hug.

"Thank you so much Doctor Charlton!" She pulled away and wiped her eyes. She turned to Danielle and pulled her daughter-in-law in for a hug, they swayed from side to side in their joy.

"He's through the worst?" Paul asked, his elated smile was the brightest it had been in a long time.

"He is through round one. For tonight let's be thankful for that." There was no mistaking Doctor Charlton's professionalism.

Joe turned to Danielle, he was smiling from ear to ear, "What did I tell you? Stubborn as a mule."

Chapter 9: Denying The Truth Of Reality   

(Betrayal is something you can never truly forgive. No matter how much you try to forget and move on, no matter how many times you tell yourself it was a mistake, a misunderstanding. There will always be a small part of you that holds a grudge, whether you are aware of it or not, it is there. How one minute you have a list of privileges and the world at your finger tips, you think you have life sussed. But then you are thrown a curve ball and your world metaphorically tips upside down and you are left with nothing but those most nearest and dearest to you. You are forced to learn that you can survive without the unnecessary privileges we all crave. It is a tough reality, but a reality it is. And above all, betrayal is painful. It hurts because you genuinely believe you can trust someone and they throw your trust around, gambling with it and taking chances with something too delicate to play around with. Trust is something that cannot easily be replaced, if at all)

(The thought of David targeting her family, purposely hurting her loved ones out of spite, it made Denise feel sick to her stomach. Of course she had no proof that David was the one to actually shoot her son but after an emotional afternoon free to think about it, running through the possibilities and reasons, though there were not many plausible explanations to consider. But she had somehow convinced herself, more and more as the time passed, that David had been responsible. He had fallen head over heels for her in high school, she had been his childhood crush, I suppose. He had a childish love for her that could never be taken seriously, not in the real world. Perhaps spite towards her marriage with Paul had led him to it. Perhaps he envied their happiness. There were several possible reasons that, in his deluded mind, seemed appropriate. And the more she thought about it, the more she seemed to convince herself he was to blame, and she was riled)

(Nick was still unconscious, the sedatives had worn off over an hour ago but he had yet to open his luscious brown eyes. Doctor Charlton had given mounts of reassurance since the conclusion of Nick's surgery. They had been told he would wake up when he was ready, when his body felt at peace. He had come out of surgery with a ventilator but the nursing staff had exchanged the tube for a mask as the sedative wore off. The heart monitor was screened at the nursing station so that they could monitor every difference in the rhythm. Nicks heart was still under a lot of strain, even though the pressure had been elevated in surgery. Doctor Charlton had warned them to prepare themselves for the worst)

(The ICU was quiet. Most of the patients were either asleep or medicated, Nick included. There were twelve nurses at the nursing station in the centre of the floor, the shape efficient desk and its effective polished wood gave the ward a more modern vibe. The glass wall gave them a clear view of Nick and they regularly popped in to check on him. His heart beat was still not perfect but he had gained more internal strength than when he first was brought in. The nurses were lovely, they all gave genuine care and their presence was almost always reassuring)

(Paul had fallen asleep in the waiting room along with Joe. Kevin and Danielle had fallen asleep in Nick's room as the evening turned to night. Denise studied her eldest son, his head was hung over the back of the chair, and his mouth was open. Danielle was in the pull-up chair beside him with her head against his chest. It was sweet to see them like this. Not very often did she get to see her eldest so vulnerable anymore. He had his own family now, a new life for him and his wife. Though Denise was happy for him, she missed the small things a Mother cherishes. Whether it be preparing their child a home cooked meal, washing their dirty laundry and picking heaps from the floor of their bedroom, or just simply seeing them grow every day. She missed seeing him every morning and bidding him goodnight every night before bed. It was a big step for Kevin to move out. He was still so young and naive; the world was still only seen in a small bubble through his eyes and Denise often worried he had grown up too soon. But the pride she had for him was overbearing. She was so incredibly proud of his success and well-doings. He was a treat to her and her husband. And of course from her perspective, he was perfect)

"You're still awake?" Denise jumped and turned to see Joe behind her. She had been so out of it that she had not heard him come in. "Sorry," He apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you." He sat next to her and looked at Nicks face, he looked peaceful.

"I can't sleep." She kept her eyes on Nick, she had been wishing for his eyes to open.

"Me neither." Joe slouched into his seat and scrubbed his hand down his face, he needed to shave. "I can't stop thinking about today." He thought back to the phone call, how it had left him raw and vulnerable. And then he thought about the attack on him, how it had shaken him to the very core.

"Who would do this?" He looked at Nick again, "And why..." He turned to Denise with questionable eyes, "Why would anyone want to hurt us?"

"Don't torture yourself." Denise soothed him, even though she had been torturing herself too. "I don't know why there are violent people in the world. I don't know what possesses them to hurt people. But one thing I do know, for certain, is that you have done nothing wrong. None of us have."

(Two more hours in the Intensive Care Unit and Nick had still not woken up. The sedatives had worn off completely by now. Doctor Charlton had gone home on call with plans to return in the morning. There had been an emergency with one of the other patients on the ward and through the clear walls the family were forced to watch as the nurses revived the elderly man across from them. It had left them all shaken. Never before had any of them seen such a franticly organised recovery. The nurses were great though, every one of them was on the ball. It was quite reassuring to know the team in charge of your child's care was up to speed with everything)

(Kevin and Danielle had been woken by Denise and Joe's discussion about coffee intake. They had taken themselves to the waiting room where the sofa bed had been pulled open for them. Paul was still resting in the arm chair across from them with the coffee cup still in his hand. Joe and Denise, the two night owls stayed up through the night)

"I am going to take a quick shower while it is still quiet." Denise stood up for the first time all night. She stretcher her aching back out and kissed the top of Joe's head before leaving him with Nick. Joe looked over his shoulder, making sure Denise was out of the room before turning back to Nick.

"She's gone now." He whispered, "You can stop pretending now." He waited for a few minutes, hoping Nick would open his eyes. "Nick, open your eyes." He nodded his head, trying to sound confident but inside he was cracking.

Joe watched Nick for another few minutes; he was waiting for Nicks eyes to flicker, for him to mumble something. Reality was too difficult and Joe refused to admit that something else may be wrong with his brother. Nick was fine, he kept telling himself that. Nick was going to wake up anytime now and be fine. But Nick did not open his eyes and Joe sat there, forever it seemed, begging his brother to wake up and prove him right. "Open your eyes, dammit!" He yelled when Nicks eyes didn't open.

Chapter 10: Third Time Lucky

(The sunrise was positively glowing. The fantastic rays of golden and red blended together in perfect unison. The blue skies complimented the Texas heat along with a mild gust of wind that muted the humidity. The trees shook with the ripples and the playful birds nested in them sung their morning rituals. Looking down at the cars that whizzed along the straight road just outside the hospital had revealed a reminder, that even though one person's life may be put on hold, that the world sometimes feels like it is rotating in slow motion... life goes on)

Kevin's ringtone brought him out of his musings and he patted his jean pockets in search of his phone. He let his eyes circle the room when he realised his phone was absent. He quickly snatched it from the cabinet by the window and looked at the caller ID, it was Dani. "Hey babe!" He was relieved to hear from her. He had sent her home with the protection of two of their most trusted security guards.

"Do you want me to bring you some shaving foam?" Kevin smiled at her predictable approach; she always hopped straight to business. She never was the type of person to pussyfoot around anything.

"Yeah, I think I could use a good shave." Kevin rubbed his scruffy stubble, "Unless you like my caveman impression." He teased. He soaked in her laugh, it was the perfect icebreaker. "Anyway, I don't want you to come back until tomorrow." He sat in the chair closest to Nick and studied his brother with a concerned eye.

"Kevin..."

"No." He did not let her finish, "You need to rest. Husband's orders." There was that laugh again. Kevin kept the conversation with Danielle for another ten minutes before he insisted that she rest. Taking one last fleeting look at his brother, Kevin left the room. Walking down the familiar walls he came across the private waiting room. He gave a quick greeting to Mike who was stood outside the door and went inside where he found Joe stood in front of the hot drink dispenser; his younger brother looked up when he heard the door open. "Hey Kev." He gave a short wave before popping another coin into the machine.

"Hey." Kevin plopped down on the couch and grabbed the news paper from the coffee table, "Is this today's paper?" He read the date and flipped the front page open.

"Yeah..." Joe smacked the machine and added another coin, "Mike brought it up with him this morning." Kevin flipped through the pages until he came across a headline that caught his eye.

(Nick Jonas of the world renowned Jonas Brothers is left in critical condition after being rushed to hospital in Dallas Texas following a bullet wound to the chest)

Kevin skimmed through the article and shook his head when he came across one sentence in particular. "Have you read this?" Kevin held the page up but Joe shook his head. "It says a reliable source has come forward and said that Nick was taken down for surgery for a collapsed lung." Usually he would not let articles like this get to him but given the circumstance, he was a little on edge and his irritation was understandable. "Nick doesn't even have a collapsed lung." He shook his head, annoyed with the rumour. "It is so obvious they have just taken a guess and tried to cover it up by adding, and I quote... a reliable source." He added air quotes and tossed the newspaper on to the coffee table.

"What are you doing anyway?" Kevin questioned, watching his brother add yet another coin into the machine.

"I want a hot chocolate but this stupid thing keeps giving me tomato soup." He points towards the four cups of tomato soup, "And now it has eaten all of my change." He kicked the machine and turned towards Kevin with another cup of tomato soup, "Do you want a tomato soup?" Kevin shook his head with a small smile, it was forced though.

"I don't think I could stomach it."Joe slumped next to him on the couch and grabbed the news paper Kevin had been reading. "I wish people would just keep their noses out of our business for once." Kevin commented from beside his brother, "I mean... it's not something you should gossip about."

"It's just because they have no lead to go off and they have nothing better to write about." Joe folded the paper up and put it back on the table. The pair fell quiet for a moment, "I still can't believe it." Kevin turned to look at his brother, "I mean... when Mom told me over the phone, I... I didn't know how to react." Kevin patted Joe's knee. "How are you supposed to react to something like this?"

"I don't know." It was obvious they were both torn up over the attack. "Let's just be thankful that you're okay." Kevin wrapped his arm over the back of Joe and pulled Joe against him. "I felt sick when I heard you'd been attacked too." Kevin squeezed Joe's shoulder gently. "I don't know what I'd do if you had been hurt as-well." They both looked up when the door opened and their Dad came in, disrupting the heartfelt moment.

"Boys, your Mother and I need to go down to the station for a while. We will be back as soon as we can." Paul left no room for questions as he left the room to catch up with his wife. They needed to see the man who had tried to attack Joe, to see if they recognised him. By the time they arrived at the police station, they were both on edge and it was of no surprise that when Denise saw David being led out of a room by one of the officers, she kicked off.

"How dare you!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She went towards him but Paul held her back. "Was it you?" She screamed and tried to pull out of Pauls grip. "Of course it was!" She scoffed, "You were always so jealous!" She had started to cry again, "You used my marriage as an excuse to hurt my children!" She managed to wiggle lose from Paul's hold and with a firm hand, she slapped David across the face with her polished nails. "You are pathetic!" She screamed when Paul pulled her away again.

"Denise, I swear to you I had nothing to do with this." David seemed sincere but of course Denise refused to buy his act, her mind was made up.

"Well, you are hardly going to say otherwise are you... not with police officer's on your every side." She shook her head at him, utter disgust on her face. "You make me sick!" She was so enraged that even her breathing had picked up. "How could you?" She shook her head and wiped her eyes dry with her hand, "How could you!" She screamed.

"Mrs Jonas?" Sergeant Bumble approached the couple, "We are ready for you." Paul tried to gently persuade her away from David but Denise pulled her arm free and approach David.

"You won't get away with this." She warned before stomping away from him with Paul at her heals.

"Are you okay?" Paul asked her once they were in the identification room.

"Oh yeah." Sarcasm was evident in her sharp tone, "I am just peachy Paul." She turned towards her husband with a furious glare, "And what about you, Paul? Are you okay?" Paul was a little taken back by her sudden hostility towards him. "I can't believe you." She turned away from him in disgust.

"What have I done?" She turned back to him, her adrenaline still running high.

"Nothing!" She shouted, only to be shushed by her husband. "That is exactly my point. You did nothing!" Paul just stared at his wife, confused by her behaviour. "I was trying to defend my son." Her eyes were wide in fury, "Defend him against that sick bastard!" She pointed towards the door angrily.

"Hey!" Paul had had enough, "Calm down." He had always been the peace keeper. A trait Nick had inherited no doubt.

"Calm down?" Her jaw dropped open. "You want me to calm down?" Paul tried to touch her arm but she tugged away stubbornly. "You didn't even say anything." She shook her head at him, proving her disappointment. "The monster who shot your son is out there and you did nothing!" Her lip quivered and she furiously wiped her tears away, "You didn't even back me up. You just stood there." Paul wrapped his arms around her before she could move away and he pulled her against his chest.

"Calm down." He kissed the top of her head and let her cry into his chest.

"You did nothing." She sobbed pathetically against the fabric of his shirt.

"We don't even know it was him." Paul tried to reason with her, "It might have been someone else." He ran his hand through her tangled curls, another feature Nick had inherited. "Calm down." He soothed her and held her until she had calmed down.

Denise pulled away and wiped her face, thankful she had decided against eye make-up this morning. "I'm sorry." She bowed her head in shame.

Paul lifted her head, "For what?"

"For acting stupid."

"You were acting like a Mother." Paul smoothed a stray tear from her cheek, "You have nothing to apologize for." Denise smiled up at him and felt at peace in his company.

"Are we ready?" Sergeant Bumble asked and Denise and Paul turned towards him, having forgotten his presence.

"Yes." Paul wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder. The glass wall separating the two rooms gave them a clear view of the man that was led into the room by two officers. His hands were cuffed and he was dressed in a cell-jumpsuit.

"Do you recognise him?" Sergeant Bumble asked. Officer Herman was at his side with a clip board and pen. Denise and Paul stared at the man in the room across from them before turning towards the two officers.

"No, I've not seen him before." Denise shook her head and turned back to the man in the next room. He had a rather large build and his bald head seemed to be the only piece of skin that had not been marked with tattoos. She was certain that she had not seen him before; you don't forget a face like that.

(Although they were thankful the man was not somebody they knew, they could not deny the disappointment. They had hoped this man would give them some kind of lead to the other attackers. Denise and Paul were taken back to the hospital in the police cruiser and they walked hand in hand to the waiting room)

When they walked in, Kevin was staring at Joe, who was on the phone, with wide eyes and his mouth was open in shock. "What is going on?" Paul came up beside Kevin and Denise went straight to Joe who had just hung up the phone, he had his back towards them. "Joe?"

Joe slowly turned round, his face was as pale as a sheet of paper and his mouth was open, much like Kevin's. "Joe what is wrong?" Denise looked between Joe and Kevin desperately. "Joseph!"

"It... It's Frankie." Joe looked up at his Mom and Dad with wide eyes, "He's been shot."

Chapter 11: Tears Of A Young Boy

(It is something we do when we are nervous, anxious, and sometimes when we are excited. We over-analyse things in our head. We build conclusions, solutions, and every so often, reasons. Though the one thing that is almost always absent is the explanation. When a situation gets hold of you and makes you vulnerable, it is often because we know not of the explanation)

(We have all been granted a life; it is a gift that everybody possesses. Though not a single one of us truly knows why we were blessed with a life. We can believe and we can doubt but we cannot know. In some ways it is what makes life beautiful. The mystery of the world would be ruined if there were an explanation. But we crave knowledge and sometimes the unknown is not enough, sometimes we crave the answers we will never know)

"Denise, come and sit down." She had been pacing up and down the room.

"I cannot understand why someone would..." She shook her head, unable to finish. How could somebody, in the right frame of mind, set out to hurt a child? It disgusted her and she felt physically sick. She had played the blame game. She had made a list, in her head, of people who she thought were to blame. She had put herself on the list. She should have made sure Frankie was safe, not reply on other people like she had done. She should have kept him with her; she should not have let him out of her sight. This all could have been prevented, had she thought it through before the damage was done. 

"What is taking him so long?" She sat in the seat beside her husband and they linked their hands together. Joe and Kevin were sat across the room, Kevin was tapping a text message to Danielle and Joe was flicking through one of the many leaflets.

"Doctor Charlton." They all stood up when the Doctor opened the door. "Is he alright?" They had been waiting too long for answers. Time is like suicide at times like these. Time gives you an opportunity to consider. They had all considered the worst possible outcome. They needed reassurance, not speculation.

"Your son will be just fine." The relief was contagious. Joe dropped back into the seat and hid his face in his hands. It was such a relief to hear good news after thirty minutes of dread. "The bullet passed straight through his shoulder and exited through the right hand side of his back." Doctor Charlton pointed to a spot on his right shoulder.

"Does he need surgery?" Another dangerous thought that the time they had been given caused them to consider.

"No." Doctor Charlton shook his head. "The extent of his injury is a tear to the Deltoid muscle which is located right here." He pointed to his shoulder. "The Deltoid muscle is responsible for extension, flexion, and stretching your arms out to the side..."

"When... When you say tear to the muscle... what exactly do you mean?"

"Basically the impact from the bullet, the speed and the force of it has torn the muscle." The Doctor pushed his thin-framed spectacles higher up his nose. "Think of a block of wood, for example. When you hit it with the axe, the wood will split. Ultimately the concept is the same."

"So... what happens now?" Bring on the dread...

"We will keep him in tonight to monitor his blood pressure. And assuming all goes to plan, he should be able to go home sometime tomorrow." Joe and Kevin exchanged a look of excitement and sheer thrill. "Frankie will need to wear a brace to immobilise his shoulder and he will have to go through an intensive course with a physical therapist. I can recommend some to you unless you have a preference."

(The family was led to the children's ward and directed to Frankie's room. The very second Denise set her eyes on her youngest child she could not contain herself and she threw herself at him, embracing him in a gentle yet firm hug)

"I'll stand outside." Big Rob had followed the family to Frankie's room. He had been just as anxious to see the small Jonas. Joe patted Rob on the back with an affectionate hand. "Feel better Tank." Joe and Kevin couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Rob. It was obvious by his facial expression and quiet demeanour that he was blaming himself. They all knew it was pointless to try and convince him otherwise. Though he was not blood related, he could be mighty stubborn like the rest of them.

"Mom, let him breathe."

Denise released her son and took his boyish face in her hands, smoothing his cheeks with her thumbs, "My boy." She tried to smile through her tears but ended up grimacing instead. "I am so sorry baby." She fed her fingers through his scruffy brown hair. "I am so sorry."

"Frankie, what happened?" Paul was sat on the side of his son's bed, his hand resting on Frankie's shin.

"Someone shot me." Everyone in the room laughed at his bluntness. Sometimes the innocence of a small child can benefit you. Sometimes that innocence is contagious, if only for a moment.

"Are you in any pain?" Denise had Frankie's hand now.

Frankie shook his head, "Nope. The Doctor gave me some magic medicine." The way he spoke, with such certainty and pride was brilliant and gave everyone reason to smile.

"Magic medicine huh?" Joe reached forward and ruffled Frankie's hair affectionately.

"Yep." Frankie looked down at his shoulder. It had been stapled and cleaned with antiseptic cleanser. The brace held his right arm still against his chest with a strap that took most of the weight over his left shoulder. "Do you think I will have a scar?"

"I... I think you might... yes." Denise did not want to upset him and as a result she stumbled over her words.

"Cool!" Frankie's excitement was enough to leave Denise confused. Joe and Kevin shared his enthusiasm and he next few minutes were spent with Frankie bragging about his 'totally awesome' war wound.

(Joe and Kevin went with Big Rob to sit with Nick. Paul and Denise opted to stay with Frankie a while longer. The medicine was beginning to wear off and it was apparent that Frankie was experience quite a lot of discomfort)

"Mom." Denise, who had been skimming over the Doctor's notes at the bottom of Frankie's bed, looked up to see Frankie was trying not to cry. "It really hurts." And with that said, she felt her heart snap.

"I'll go and find Doctor Charlton." Paul stood up, "See if he can't give you some more medicine." Paul left the room to search for the Doctor.

"Frankie, sit still."

"I can't." He kept moving, trying to find a comfortable position. "It hurts too much." All it took was one tear and it was all over. "It hurts!" Frankie sobbed.

Denise, very gently, pulled her son in for a hug, being extremely cautious of where she touched him. "I know... I know." She kissed the top of his curly fro. The door opened and she was relieved to see Paul return with the Doctor.

"Hello Frankie." Doctor Charlton approached the bed. "I hear you are having some pain?" Frankie nodded his head against Denise's shoulder.

"Can you give him something more for pain?" Denise asked.

"I don't want to give him too much." The Doctor shook his head.

"Please." Frankie sobbed. Denise and Paul exchanged a look of heart ache, they both felt helpless.

"Frankie." The Doctor crouched down and looked up so that he could see Frankie's hidden face. "If I give you any more medicine, it will make you very poorly." Frankie wiped his eyes with the back of hand and kept his face hidden in Denise's shoulder. "And we wouldn't want that... would we?"

"I don't care. It hurts too much!" Frankie was trying to breathe through his mouth but he kept choking on his sobs. "Is there not anything you can do?" Paul spoke up.

"I could sedate him." Doctor Charlton stood up, "It is your call."

Denise and Paul looked at one another before turning to the Doctor, "Yeah, okay." Paul agreed and Doctor Charlton left the room to get a sedative.

"Make it stop." Frankie cried. "Please." 

Chapter 12: A Sparkle In The Dark

(The days had begun to blend together, hectically progressing from one nightmare to the next. After Nick was attacked the family could only assume things would get better, but it didn't. Joe was attacked on the very same day, just a few hours after the first attack. The media had been broadcasting news updates throughout and they were all complete non-sense, every article was based on guess-material. There were no facts, they were mistaken rumors)

(Things only got worse when the third and most recent attack hit Frankie head on. It was infuriating to know that there are people out there who would harm a child for no reason what-so-ever. Denise was certain, she had convinced herself there was no doubt, David was behind the attacks. How or why he did it? She had no idea. She did not know if he had done it himself or if he had paid someone to do it for him. Perhaps he did not want to dirty his hands. He had always been a perfectionist; he despised anything that was out of place, anything that had a spot of dirt on it. He had strong beliefs that if he liked something, that it was his to claim. He was possessive. Sure, it was not entirely his fault, he did suffer with a mental disability which made him kind-of clingy, possessive and sometimes cause him to take drastic measures to protect things that he thought were his. It was not his fault that he was mentally unstable but to Denise that did not matter, it was his fault. End of discussion)

(Doctor Charlton had given Frankie a mild sedative. It was not strong enough to knock him out but it was enough to take away his pain. He explained the pain would be quite impossible to ignore for the next few days and that it was their decision whether Frankie stayed in the hospital until the pain was manageable or they could take him home and deal with the discomfort. Taking Frankie's age and vulnerability into account they decided against taking him out of the hospital, having confidence in the nursing staff. They could not go home anyway, their home was a crime scene and it had been sectioned off to everyone other than the private detectives. They would be staying with Big Rob until things calmed down. Although going home would be their first choice, that nagging crave to be in the comfort of your own place had begun to kick in for all of them, staying with Big Rob was reassuring; he was the type you would trust with your life. He is the one and only Big Rob)

(Paul and Denise were sat in Nick's room and Kevin and Joe were sat with Frankie. Joe couldn't help but notice how often Kevin was using his phone; it was message after message between him and Danielle. It was quite amusing to watch how Kevin would become jittery in-between responses, the way he tapped his fingers impatiently or the way he fidgeted in his seat. Joe could tell there was something going on that he had yet to be told about, but he had a pretty good idea...)

(Frankie had long since fallen asleep. The sedative was not strong enough to knock him out completely but it gave him one-hell-of-a kick and within minutes Frankie had drifted off)

"You will get arthritis in your thumbs." The comment was enough to bring Kevin's attention away from his phone and he looked up at his brother in confusion. "If you keep that up, you will get arthritis in your thumbs." Joe pointed to Kevin's phone with a small smile pulling at his chapped lips.

Kevin looked down at his phone and scoffed as he caught on to Joe's comment. "I was texting Dani."

"Yeah... I kind-a figured that one out for myself." Joe watched Kevin tap out another message before he tucked his phone away. "What's up with you anyway?" This caught Kevin's attention again and he looked up at his brother.

"What do you mean?" The way Kevin furrowed his eye brows curiously; it caused Joe's suspicion's to climax. God, he knew his brother so well...

"I mean..." Joe dragged it out and sat forward in his seat, completely involved in the conversation. "What is up with you?" He smiled at Kevin's look of bewilderment. "You've been acting weird for a while. Is there something you want to tell me?" Joe cocked his head to the side and tried to hide his smile. He could read his brother like an open book.

"No... No, not at all." Kevin scoffed and shifted in his seat. "What?" His rambling was not giving his case much justice. "No..." He shook his head. "It's nothing!" He said when Joe did not stop looking at him.

"Are you sure?" Joe pressed on. He had found the button that was begging to be pressed.

Kevin searched his brother's eyes for a moment before looking down at his hands; he began to fiddle with his wedding ring. "It's nothing."

"Are you and Dani okay?" Joe just was not giving in...

"Yeah..." Kevin pulled his phone out of his pocket when another text message came through. "Things have never been better between us." He paused and read the text. "Seriously though, nothing is wrong."

"Okay..." Joe held his hands out to surrender and sat back in his seat casually. "It's just..." God, he was persistent. "You've been acting totally weird lately and I think there is something you're not telling me." Kevin was hesitant for a moment, quite surprised by Joe's digging.

"I just... I was going to..." He paused and collected himself. "Well... Dani and I are..." The door to the room opened and he stood up when he saw Danielle walk in. "What are you doing here?" His mood had suddenly shifted to concern. Bingo.

"Well, I have had better welcomes..." She smiled, closing the door behind her. "Hey Joe." Her pleasant vibe was such a reliever. "How is he?" She approached Frankie's bed. It was tough to see him, so innocent and young, lying in a hospital bed with a shoulder brace and an IV line in his small arm. She smiled when her eyes met the circular sticker on his night gown; it had a smiley face with the words, 'Special Patient' written on it.

"He's been out of it for a while. The Doctor gave him a light sedative." Kevin came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach lightly. Joe smiled when he saw this and Dani noticed his mischievous smirk. "What?" She asked and Joe pointed to the placement of Kevin's hands.

"Oh..." She sighed and then laughed, hiding her face. "You know?"

"I kind of guessed." Joe was pleased and stood up to give his brother a hug. "I'm really happy for you." He patted Kevin on the back. "You're going to be a great Dad."

"How did you know?" Kevin was relieved that Joe knew. He was terrible at keeping secrets, especially from his family and the secrecy had been killing him. More than once had he almost slipped a comment into the open.

"Oh I don't know... Maybe it was the sliced banana you topped your pizza with the other day." Danielle laughed; the comment struck a giggle out of her. "And let's just say Kevin isn't exactly good at being subtle." He teased. Danielle looked up at Kevin and smiled when he bent over her and pressed his lips to hers.

"So... How long until I'm an uncle?" Joe went around the bed and sat in his chair, folding his arms across his chest casually.

"The baby is due in July." Kevin kept his hand on Danielle's stomach; it was fascinating to him still. He had yet to feel a kick but Dani had told him it was a little bit too soon for that yet.

The door opened and Denise made an appearance. "Oh... Dani." She smiled, loving having her gorgeous daughter-in-law back in their company. "What a lovely surprise." She came further into the room and she and Danielle greeted one another with a fond hug. "I thought you weren't coming back until Tomorrow."

"I couldn't stay away."

"Well, it's lovely to have you back." She took a quick look at Frankie and smiled when she saw his peaceful face. "What are you all so cheery about?" She looked between the three of them, they each had smiles of delight plastered over their flushed cheeks. It had been such a stressful few days it was such a nice change to see pleasant expressions rather than the grim ones they had all gotten used to.

"Nothing." Kevin jumped in quickly. "We were just.. We were... umm... We were going to..." Joe laughed at his brother's attempt at coating over the truth.

"Do I want to know?" Denise turned to Joe with a small smile.

Joe shook his head, "No, I don't think so." He chuckled quietly. "It was an inside joke."

Denise smiled and was about to say something else when she remembered, "Oh my." She gasped, "I came here to tell you that Nick is waking up." Joe stood up and Kevin and Danielle stood up straight at the news. "Doctor Charlton is with him now..." The alarming news had taken them by surprise.

Chapter 13: Baby Steps

"The best things always arrive in small packages."

(Some people find it hard to understand that quote because of the world we live in. People seem to only notice the quantity, never mind the effort that has been put in to create the quality. Quantity often seems better than quality because we are a greedy existence, we crave importance and seek the expense. But to some... the small things are a step in the right direction)

(Denise led Joe down the corridor. They had left Frankie with the protection of two bulky security guards who had agreed to stand outside him room in their absence. Kevin and Dani were right behind them, hand in hand, as they made their way to the ICU)

"What is going on?" Denise panicked when they came across Paul and Big Rob just outside the ICU.

Paul looked up when he heard her voice and held his hands out to stop her barging through the Unit doors. "Denise..." He pulled her away from the door, "Doctor Charlton asked us to wait out here, just while they run a few tests." Denise nodded her head and let out a deep sigh of frustration. All she wanted was to see her beautiful son.

"Tests?" Kevin asked. His tone held concern for his younger brother.

"They erm... they just need to make sure everything is alright." Paul kept it short.

"What do you mean?" Joe piped up, sharing the same concern as Kevin. "Is he alright?"

"He's going to be fine." Denise insisted, there was a mixture of denial and dread in her voice.

"The Doctor consulted with me and your Mother yesterday... Because Nick has been unconscious for such a long time after the sedative wore off... there are a few risks that have been highlighted." Even Big Rob, usually poker-faced, wore a look of concern. Kevin and Joe shared a glance, they were both a little ticked-off that they had been kept out of the loop when it regarded their brothers health.

"What kind of risks?" Dani, who had otherwise been quiet, spoke up. Denise and Paul looked at each other; they were in a knot of emotions. They did not want to upset anyone, nor did they want to ignore their concerned questions.

"Nick... There is a risk of... There is a chance that Nick may have suffered some brain damage." The room fell silent; the only sound coming from the buzzing bright over-head lights.

"Brain damage?" Dani was speechless. There were so many questions but she had no way of converting them into words.

"But... No, he doesn't..." Joe felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't seem to wrap his head around the possibility. "He didn't hit his head though... I mean..." He knew he was rambling none-sense but he was in shock.

"Because of the pressure on his heart and the amount of blood he lost... his brain was starved. He... He..." How do you explain to your two eldest son's that their little brother may or may not have a life-altering condition... another one...

"Because his heart was under so much pressure, it was unable to pump enough blood to Nick's brain."

"Well... yeah but... but..." Joe stumbled over his words. He was completely over-come with shock. The past few days had been nothing but bad news and the effect it had taken on him was obvious.

"Oh my God." Kevin whispered. "Why didn't you tell us?" His surprise was rapidly transforming into anger. "What?" He scoffed. "You thought we wouldn't find out? That we wouldn't notice our brother being retarded?" His voice had risen to a shout.

"Kevin." Dani scolded him, trying to let him know where the limits were. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" He scoffed. "You expect me to calm down?" Dani was a little taken back by his sharp tone.

"Kevin, just..." Denise took a step closer to him but Kevin reared backward.

"You had no right to keep this from us... no right!" He didn't mean to lash out at his family, and especially not Dani. But he was angry... fuming in-fact.

"You're right." Always the peace keeper, Paul stepped in before things got too out of hand. "We should have told you right away. But we didn't because we didn't want to give you anything more to worry about." He finished.

Kevin glared at his Father for a moment before he caved. He looked down at his feet and closed his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper." He turned to Danielle, "I'm sorry babe... I shouldn't have snapped at you. You've not done anything wrong." Danielle smiled and wrapped her tanned arms around his waist. Kevin pulled her in closer, being extra cautious of her mid-section. "I'm sorry." He kissed the top of her head.

"Denise!" They all spun round to see Fran and Jerry pacing towards them. "How is he?" She asked. "Nick, is he alright?" Denise met the pair of them with a hug and Paul gave Jerry a firm handshake.

"We're waiting for the Doctor." Somehow, having Fran and Jerry here, Denise suddenly felt vulnerable. "He erm... He might have brain damage." She choked as she tried to hold off the tears.

"Oh, well... we'll have none of that." Fran pulled her in for another hug and Jerry rubbed her back.

"Nick is a strong lad... he'll be fine." Jerry nodded his head and kept his tone level to prove his point.

"Mrs Jonas." Doctor Charlton stepped out of the Unit. "I've done a full examination. Nick has no signs of any brain damage at this stage." The relief was fantastically contagious as it washed through the room like a tsunami wave.

"Thank God for that."

"He's going to be confused for a while... there may be some memory loss, some disorientation. But, we are basically very happy with him." He smiled.

"And what about the erm..." Denise choked on a sob, "I'm sorry." She flapped her hand and took the tissue Fran had offered to her. "What about..." She tapped her chest, "His heart?"

Doctor Charlton opened his mouth to respond but paused as if to re-word his approach. "He will be in quite a lot of pain when he starts to come round. Our goal at the moment is to keep him comfortable and calm. It is essential for him to not move too much."

"Can I see him?" Denise dabbed her eyes dry.

"Yes, of course you can. Let's keep it to two at a time for now though." Doctor Charlton smiled. "He will be very tired and a little weak, don't expect too much." And with that said, he patted Joe on the shoulder as he walked past them and down the hall.

"Go on then." Fran shooed Denise with her hands playfully when she didn't make a move. "And don't spend too long... I want to see him." She smiled and brought Denise in for one last hug.

(Denise laughed and then walked through the doors with Paul behind her. When they reached Nicks cubicle on the ward, his eyes were closed. The oxygen mask looked too big for his face, and the wires and patches around his chest were daunting. As was the heavy bandaging across his chest, guarding the surgical incision)

"My boy." Denise whispered, she stroked Nick's hair away from his face gently. Her smile was hidden by the tears. Her emotions were confusing, even to her. She was happy, she was so happy that he was alright, that he was alive still. But she was upset that this had to happen. He was so young. Frankie too... they were both too young to deal with this.

The sound of her voice stirred Nick awake and he opened his eyes. "Nick." Denise sobbed. She was so relieved to look into those wonderfully brown eyes. "How are you feeling, son?" Paul asked, taking Nicks hand. They watched Nick's eyes roll around for a moment before he closed them again.

(Although they were hoping for more, they were grateful for the small victories. Baby steps)

Chapter 14: Regrets

(Polished wood furniture and waxed floor boards blended elegantly with the fancy potted palm trees. The Stained panelling was accessorised gracefully with golden framed picture frames. The design was similar to their home and that sense of familiarity was bliss. Kevin and Danielle were thankful to Big Rob for letting them stay with him in his lavish Dallas home)

(Leaving the lavish en-suite bathroom with a fresh state of mind Danielle made her way to the floor length mirror in the corner of the room just as Kevin came out of the walk-in-wardrobe with a bare chest and carrying two shirts. Thankfully, they had stayed with Big Rob many times before and for the sake of convenience they had some clothes already stored in the wardrobes, it only made things easier when they were on the road. It was the same at their home in Dallas, Big Rob had a room all his own with a wardrobe filled and packed suitable for a king. A very large king)

"Which shirt should I wear?" Kevin asked, holding the two shirts up. One of them was a pale blue and the other was an off-white colour. Danielle looked away from the mirror and pointed to the one in Kevin's left hand.

"The cream one." Kevin looked down at the two shirts in his hand and tossed the blue one on their bed; he slipped the fine fabric over his shoulders and smoothed it down his chest.

"What are you doing?" He asked when Danielle went back in front of the mirror; she was turning from one side to the other and looking at her stomach.

"Do I look fat?" They knew they would be expecting a change in her figure very soon. She was now eleven weeks pregnant and her waist line had changed a little but her stomach was still flat, a little bloated maybe, but still flat.

"You look beautiful." Kevin came up behind her and snaked his arms around her from behind, he kissed her neck.

"Don't dodge the question." Danielle pulled her shirt up and tried to identify a change. Kevin chuckled and went back into the wardrobe with the blue shirt, putting it back on a hanger.

"Knock knock." Joe's voice came from the door and he stepped into the room with his hands covering his eyes. "Are you decent?" Kevin came out of the wardrobe and grabbed one of the puffed pillows, he tossed it at Joe. Joe laughed and brought his hands down, "Why do you get the en-suite room?" He complained and flopped down on his brother's king sized bed.

"Benefits of rank my young friend." Kevin sat on the other end of the bed and tied his shoe lace.

"I'm going to the hospital in a minute, the car is outside." Joe sat up.

"We'll catch up with you. We're going to grab something to eat on the way." Joe nodded and without many more words, he left the room.

"Babe, you look fine." Danielle was still stood in front of the mirror.

"Fine?" Danielle looked at him with a warning glare.

"Beautiful. You look absolutely beautiful, like always." Kevin corrected himself and smiled when Danielle walked away from the mirror. She sat next to him on the bed, "I think we should tell your parents." They had already told Danielle's family. Danielle had told her Mom almost straight away, she needed the comfort of an experienced Mother.

"Babe," Kevin sighed. "I don't think now is the right time." They were all worried about Nick and Frankie; perhaps it was the wrong time to voice such a big announcement. Kevin understood her frustration, he had been dying to announce their news for weeks but together, they had decided to wait.

"I know." She took his hand in hers, "But we're not going to be able to hide it for much longer. I'm already starting to show." She placed her hand on her stomach, rubbing it gently.

Kevin was quiet for a minute before he sighed, "Okay." He caved. Danielle grinned and wrapped her arms around him. They were a family now, the three of them.

***

(Joe tried to count the white lines as Big Rob drove him to the hospital but the white lines seemed to blend together as the car accelerated as it changed lanes. The hospital wasn't too far away but the journey gave Joe enough time to worry. Assuming everything goes to plan, Frankie should be released this morning. But what if something had gone wrong in his absence? They were warned about infection)

Joe and Big Rob walked in each other's stride down the hall until they arrived outside Frankie's private room. Paul was inside but Frankie was missing. "Where is he?" Joe asked, stepping into the room with Big Rob.

"He's getting changed. The Doctor has given him the all-clear." That was a relief. "Actually, Joe, would you mind checking on him? He's been in there for a while." Joe made his way across the room and tapped his knuckles against the hard wood door.

"Frankie?" There was no response. "Frankie, are you okay in there?" The lock popped and the door opened a few inches. Frankie stood on the other side of the door with no shirt on.

"I can't put my shirt on." Joe smiled and stepped into the bathroom with his brother, closing the door behind him.

"Keep your arm still." Joe managed to slip his brothers arm, brace-and-all, into the shirt sleeve and helped him button it up. "There you go." Joe did the final button.

"Are you feeling any better today?" Joe squatted in front of his brother so that he could look him in the eye. Frankie seemed a little down, not himself.

"My shoulder hurts." He moaned, his childish face pouting. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept.

"I'll bet it does." Joe sympathised. "But think of it this way, you are going to have one hell-of-a scar to show the ladies." The small smile that took over Frankie's face was the victory Joe was looking for.

"Do you want to come and see Nick with me?" Frankie's mood did a complete 180 degree turn and his frown flipped into a smile.

"Yeah!"

"Okay, come on then." Joe stood up and they left the bathroom together. "Dad, I'm going to take Frankie to see Nick." The uncertainty on Pauls face highlighted Joe's concern and he thought that perhaps he had jumped in too soon. They had all, but Frankie, seen Nick the night before and he could barely keep his eyes open. Was it too soon to introduce Frankie to him?

"Are you sure that is a good idea?"

"I want to see him." Frankie jumped in.

"I know. I know you do but Nick is very tired right now Frankie. He may not be ready for visitors just yet." Joe felt guilty now, wishing he hadn't said anything while Paul tried to convince Frankie it was too soon for visitors.

"But you got to see him." Paul didn't have a clever response for that one and with a lot of hesitation, he nodded his head in defeat.

"Alright." Frankie grinned. "But don't expect too much from him. You need to be quiet and if he is awake, do not try and wake him up." Frankie nodded his head with a heart stopping grin on his face. "Frankie." Paul warned his son.

"I promise I won't wake him up." Frankie poked his little finger out and Paul tangled his son's with his own. The pinkie promise was enough to reassure him. Before Joe left with Frankie, Paul pulled Joe to the side. "Make sure you are quiet. Nick was in quite a bit of discomfort this morning and he didn't get much sleep."

Joe stopped Frankie just before they went into the ICU and squatted in front of the boy. Even with his shoulder in a brace, Frankie had practically dragged Joe down the hall in his excitement. "Remember what Dad said, you have to be quiet." Frankie zipped and clicked an imaginary lock, silencing his running mouth. Joe smiled and took Frankie's hand; he led his brother into the ward and towards Nick's cubicle.

Denise was sat with Nick when they got there; she was holding his hand and drifting in and out of sleep. Nick was asleep. "Mom." Joe whispered and tapped her shoulder gently in an effort to not wake his brother. Denise seemed startled when she saw Joe had brought Frankie with him.

"Hello sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Frankie was getting sick of being asked the same question over and over. Sure, he didn't feel too good but he was fine. He was not a little kid anymore, no matter how little numbers supported his age.

"I'm fine, Mom." Denise smiled and stroked his hair away from his face; he was so much like Nick.

"Mom, I don't mind staying with him if you want to step outside. I've got Frankie to keep me company." Denise didn't refuse; she was exhausted and wouldn't miss the chance to rest her eyes. Denise kissed them both on the forehead and left them to sit with Nick.

(Frankie made his way to Nick's bedside and climbed into the chair closest to Nick. Joe went around the bed and sat on Nicks other side. The pair sat in silence for a minute, both of them taking in Nick's appearance. Joe had seen Nick the night before and knew what to expect but Frankie was shocked. The heavy dressing was disturbing and covered a large portion of Nick's lean chest. There were patches and wires attached to him; his arms and his chest were covered. Frankie cringed when he saw the IV, he had been given an IV to keep him hydrated through the night and it had been painful when they inserted the needle. He wondered if Nick had found it painful too. Frankie then noticed his brother had an oxygen tank and mask and he felt rather envious, he had always wanted to wear one of those cool masks)

(Frankie reached forward and took Nicks hand. Although he had been told to be quiet so that they didn't wake Nick... that did not mean he couldn't discreetly squeeze his brother's hand. He kept an eye on Joe, making sure he would not be caught out, and gently squeezed Nicks hand. He squeezed on and off for about two minutes before Nick stirred)

"Nick?" Joe kept his voice quiet. Nick eyes were open but barely parted, he was still so weak.

Frankie immediately regretted waking his brother because Nick looked ten times worse now he was awake. He was sickeningly weak and barely recognised their presence. It took some time for Nick to come round but eventually Frankie felt his brother squeeze his hand in return. "Hi Nick."

Nicks eyes zeroed in on Frankie and he attempted a smile, the oxygen mask ruining his effort. Nick reached up with his hand and tried to pull the mask off but Joe grabbed his hand, "No, you have to keep that on, Nick." He was in no fit state to argue and he closed his eyes without a word. He had fallen asleep again.

(Joe looked up when he heard Frankie sniffle; his little brother was trying to hide his tears. Joe sighed and walked around the bed and took Frankie out of the room and out of the ward)

"I thought that... I didn't think that..." Frankie choked on a sob and rubbed at his eyes with his boyish hands. Joe sighed and crouched down; he pulled his brother close and let Frankie cry into his shoulder. He felt guilty for opening his big gob; he should never have said he would take Frankie to see Nick, not yet at least. It was too soon.

"Shhh." He soothed into Frankie's ear. It was upsetting seeing his little brother this upset.

"He's so sick." Frankie whined into Joe's shoulder, shielding his sore shoulder from the hug.

"I know." Joe tried to calm him down by rubbing his back gently. "But he's going to get better. He will be alright." Joe wished he could believe that too. He was so worried about his brother that he felt sick to his stomach. He needed reassuring, he needed to be comforted too. He was scared.

Chapter 15: Dread and Headaches

(You know that feeling you get when you wake up from a deep sleep. The one where you are not entirely confident if you are awake or asleep, it is a realistic dream state of mind that leaves you disoriented. This was the only way Nick could describe how he felt. It was as if he was present but disconnected from the world all at once. It felt like he had slept for hours, days even. His body was stiff and sore. The mattress had moulded to his body and with it was warmth. He was warm, no; he was hot, too hot, his skin felt clammy. When he opened his eyes he saw light, lots and lots of light. Although the ceiling light had been dimmed down to a dull glow, the sheer force of the bulb was too much for his groggy-mood)

(He could hear something... it was the sound of humming. It was consistent and organised. The tune was the same every time. Concentrating solely on the sound Nick realised it was a voice, or was it something else?)

"Nick." There is was again, only this time it made sense. Someone was calling a name; it was his name, wasn't it? Yes, his name is Nick. Someone was calling him. He tried to look for the person but his vision was blurry, perhaps he could use Joe's glasses. He squinted his eyes and saw a shadow, it was hovering over him. "Nicholas." He lifted his arm up to touch the shadow, to see if it was real or a figure of his imagination, but when he lifted his arm up, just a few inches off the bed, the skin across his chest tightened and by God, it hurt. The pain was sudden but even the ache afterward took his breath away. It felt like someone was sat on his chest, a heavy someone, holding a very heavy object. The weight on his chest was intense and he couldn't breathe, his chest was too heavy.

***

"Nick." They had been coaxing him for ten minutes now. Kevin and Danielle had arrived not thirty minutes ago and after paying some attention to Frankie before Paul took him home to Big Rob's house, they had come straight to see Nick. Danielle was hesitant to stay in the room, insisting Kevin had other priorities than her and their child, but Kevin had been adamant that she stay with him. She was, after all, a part of their family.

"I think he is waking up." Danielle whispered. They had been trying to wake Nick because the nurse had brought a filter of water and a glass in for him, she made sure to express just how important it was for him to drink. Although the drip was keeping him hydrated, the ventilator he had been on had left his throat and lungs dry and a wheeze had been noticed in his breathing, and that, on top of everything else was not a good thing.

"Nicholas." Kevin leant over his brother, trying to get a closer look, Nicks eyes were most definitely moving beneath his lids, he was waking up. "Nick, do you think you could wake up for me?" Nicks right arm, the one with the drip, lifted off the bed sheets and he gasped. His eyes were still shut; he was still semi-conscious but apparently in some pain. Nicks breathing was erratic. Kevin whizzed around the bed and poked his head out of the room, "Nurse!"

One of the nurses at the station was quick to get to him. "He's breathing funny. I don't know if... I don't know umm..." Kevin was panicked. He was worried that Nick was struggling because of him; he would not have tried waking him if he knew. He felt awful and he felt scared. Nick was still breathing erratically while the nurse read the numbers on the monitor, his blood pressure had peaked, a sure sign his pain level was bothering him. She worked quickly, emptying a dose of medication into his IV. She stayed in the room until Nick was breathing normally again. "Is he alright?" Kevin stopped her before she left the room; he was still in elder-sibling-panic-mode.

"He's fine." She smiled and left the room, keeping the details to herself. Kevin went back to Nick's side and sat down with his hands in his lap. Danielle came to join him and she took his hand, "I've told everyone that I'm going to cook a meal tonight." She watched him carefully; she could tell he was nervous. He would always nibble his lip and frown when he was nervous. "Kevin, are you sure you're okay with this?" Kevin looked up at her and smiled, it was forced.

"Yeah, of course." He tried to sound enthusiastic but instead he sounded like he was in dread. "I'm just a bit nervous, I've not done this before." Danielle laughed lightly.

"Neither have I." She reminded him. "Come on, what's this really about?" Kevin looked her in the eye for a moment, debating in his head.

"I just..." he sighed. "I don't think the timing is right." He admitted in guilt, he knew how excited Dani was to announce her pregnancy. She had already told her parents and they were chuffed, her Mom had even claimed their spare room as their Grandchild's. He had been just as excited about the announcement until three days ago. But now he felt uncertain. The timing didn't seem right, not with everything that had happened.

"I know... It's not ideal." Danielle sighed, she too was worried. "But you and I both know that we can't keep it a secret for much longer. I'm already starting to show and Joe has already guessed." Kevin didn't respond for a minute. He stared down at Nick, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He could feel that ache in his chest. You know the ache you get when you are upset about something and try not to let it show... it feels like your heart is failing, like someone has a hold of your heart and they are squeezing it mercilessly.

"Look at him." Kevin whispered. "How could someone do this to another person?" He shook his head, feeling nothing but hatred for whom ever inflicted this upon his younger brother. "He's just a kid." He choked and his face was squashed into itself as he cried ungracefully.

"Kevin." Danielle sighed, she pulled him towards her and wrapped her arms around him, and she just held him.

"He's just a kid." Kevin sobbed. "He has his whole life ahead of him still." He was borderline hysterical. "I swear, when I find out who's done this..." He threatened. "I may be charged with murder as well." Danielle shook her head.

"Don't say that." She threaded her polished finger nails through the short hairs at the back of his neck. "He'll be fine. And whoever did this will get what's coming to them. We'll make sure of it." She kissed his cheek gently.

"Kevin?" Danielle let go of Kevin when he jumped forward in his seat, he wiped his eyes quickly and looked at Nick. Nick's eyes were open and he was slowly turning his head towards them, his eyes fell on the two of them and he saw the tears on both of their faces.

"What's wrong?" His voice was quiet and there was no oomph behind him. Kevin choked on a laugh and smiled down at his brother.

"You're the one lying in a hospital bed and you're worried about us?" Nick didn't respond straight away, he licked his lips absentmindedly. "Are you thirsty?" Kevin was already moving, grabbing the glass and filling it with water. He popped a straw into the cup and walked back to Nick's side. "Here you go." He held the straw still until Nick had his lips wrapped round it. Nick gulped the water, he was so thirsty.

"Mmm." Nick moaned and Kevin pulled the straw away.

"You done?" Nick nodded his head and closed his eyes; he was tired all the time. Kevin put the cup on the cursor. "How are you feeling?" Kevin sighed, annoyed with himself. "Well, that has to be one of the stupidest questions in history." He muttered and looked down at Nick again. There was a question he had been dying to ask but he felt weary of it.

"Do you... do you umm..." He had the attention of both Danielle and Nick, though Nick was half asleep. "Do you remember it?" The room was quiet after that, not one person spoke and Kevin was beginning to regret even bringing it up.

"Kind of." Nick admitted, it was blurry but he could remember being in the pool with Frankie, they were playing basketball. Frankie had cheated. "I remember being in the pool with Frankie." Both Kevin and Danielle kept quiet; it was one of those moments where it was their turn to listen.

"I can remember feeling pain but... I can't remember... Not after. I can't remember anything after that. I think I might have passed out or something, it's just blank." Kevin nodded his head and turned to look at Dani. They both knew Nick had been conscious up until the paramedics had arrived; he hadn't passed out until then. Denise had given them an in-sight of things, though it put neither of their minds at rest.

"I was..." Nick stopped abruptly to catch his breath. "My chest hurts." He gasped through his heavy breathing.

"Should I get the nurse?" Danielle stood up.

"Nick?" The heart monitor's regular beat had sped up to twice its normal speed. "What's happening?" Kevin reached forward and took Nicks hand, "Nick, look at me." Kevin waited until Nicks eyes met his and he took in exaggerated breathes, breathing in deeply and then slowly exhaling. "Just breathe."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Nick snapped, his voice dripped with sarcasm. Danielle was about to call for help but two nurses were already rushing into the room.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step outside." Kevin was pushed away from Nick and the nurse silenced the monitor's loud siren. Nick felt light headed, like someone had put him in one of those hamster balls, he was spinning.

"Is he okay?" Kevin asked and tried to refuse the nurse as she pushed him out of the room.

"Please Sir, we will come and get you in a minute." Kevin and Danielle stood outside Nick's room and looked through the glass window at him.

"He'll be alright." Danielle tried to reassure Kevin but he scoffed at her naivety.

"He could be having a heart attack for all we know." He snapped. He covered his mouth with his hand and watched the nurse's move around his brother; he watched them with wide eyes. One of the nurses from inside the room stepped out, "Is he going to be okay?"

"Nick is experiencing an irregular heart rhythm. I have paged Doctor Charlton; he should be on his way." She turned back into the room when her colleague called her name. Kevin and Danielle watched through the glass window as Nick writhed on the bed, his discomfort was obvious and it was heart breaking to witness. Doctor Charlton darted across the ward and straight into Nick's room.

(It happened so fast, Kevin didn't know how to react. The noise was piercing, not the volume but rather the meaning. Nicks heart monitor had flat lined)

*** B-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-p ***

Chapter 16: Accusations

*Beep – Beep – Beep – Beep*

(Although the rhythm was hasty, it was controlled and active. A good sign)

(Doctor Charlton was known by his staff as a hands-on superior member of the medical team. He was thorough with his work and the patient's well-being was always his number one priority. Sometimes he stayed all through the night, whether he was on-call or not, to guarantee his patients were given the care they required)

"Give him a bed bath but make sure to keep his site dry and find him a fresh gown." He looked down at Nick, he was unconscious but breathing. His heart had stuttered and as a result he suffered an irregular heart rhythm. Fortunately, the nurses were quick to assess the situation and before his heart and brain could be starved of oxygen enough to cause damage, they had taken control of the situation and they had avoided a tragedy. "And change out his IV fluid. I want a fresh bag on there." He left the orders behind him as he left the room; he made his way to the private waiting room located just beyond the doors to the ward.

"Doctor Charlton." Kevin had called his Mom, telling her to come upstairs as soon as possible; she had come straight away, leaving her steaming mug of coffee and muffin downstairs. Joe had found Danielle and Kevin in the waiting room, they had both been on their toes and Kevin filled him in on the events. They had been waiting for fifteen minutes to hear news on Nick's current condition.

"Is he okay?"

"What happened?"

"Will he be alright?" Doctor Charlton held up his hands to silence them all, he had expected a welcome similar to this.

"Nick is stable." The relief swept through the room like a gust of wind, they all let out a sigh of relief. They had all prepared and expected the worst, with Nick's condition as serious as it is, they surely had no other expectation.

"Nick suffered what we call an Atrial Flutter, an abnormal heart rhythm. These types of abnormality are known as Arrhythmias." He explained. "The beating of the heart is controlled by electrical impulses. Under normal circumstances, these impulses are generated by the heart's natural pacemaker, the sinoatrial or the sinus node, which is located in the right atrium." He walked across the room to the leaflet board and grabbed one about cardiac care. He opened the front page and found a reasonable diagram of the heart. "The heart is divided into four cavities, open spaces that fill with blood." He pointed out each chamber on the diagram. "These two cavities are called atria, and these two are called ventricles." He pointed them out, indicating that the two atria's were located at the top of the heart, they created the curved hood. The ventricle chambers met at the bottom of the heart diagram, they formed a pointed base which points to the left side of the chest. "And this is the septum." He pointed to what separated the two sides from one another and then the aorta and the arteries. He pointed out the valves and explained there use and performance. It seemed like wasted knowledge the Doctor was giving them but they all listened and tried to take in what he was saying without interrupting.

"The electric impulse travels across the atria, generating a contraction of the atria. The impulse pauses very briefly at the atrioventricular node. This delay gives the blood time to move from the atria to the ventricles." He moved his finger across the diagram to show them the route. "The impulse then moves down and through the ventricles, generating the ventricular contraction, which pumps the blood out of the ventricles." Doctor Charlton looked up, "Are you following so far?"

"I think so, yes." Denise nodded her head in confirmation.

"The Atrial flutter occurs when these electrical impulses take an abnormal path through the atria, typically circulating around the tricuspid valve in the right atrium. The abnormal path of the impulses makes the atria contract very rapidly, typically about two-hundred and fifty to three-hundred and fifty beats per minute. The normal heart rate is fifty to one-hundred beats per minute." Kevin thought back to the rapid race of the heart monitor.

"These rapid contractions are slowed when they reach the AV node often with every second or third contraction reaching the ventricle." Denise followed his explanation with a deep frown; her worries had yet to diminish.

"The heart beats in a regular rhythm, but it beats rapidly. This type of rhythm is called tachycardia. Because atrial flutter comes from the atria, it is sometimes called a supraventricular tachycardia." Doctor Charlton pronounced the uncomfortable words with practiced ease.

"The main danger of atrial flutter is that the heart is not able to pump blood well when it is beating so fast. When blood is not pumped well, vital organs, such as the heart and the brain, may not get enough oxygen from the blood." He held up his hands, "Don't worry, Nick has not suffered any further complications. Fortunately my team was on the ball today." He injected before Denise could flap.

"Atrial flutter can come and go. If it does occur a second time, it is then known as paroxysmal atrial flutter. More often, atrial flutter lasts for days to weeks and is known as persistent atrial flutter."

"Will he need treatment for it?" Joe asked.

"There are some serious complications of atrial flutter, one of them being stroke." That one word set the room into a heart dropping panic. "But they can be prevented with blood thinners such as warfarin. Warfarin blocks the action of certain factors in the blood that promote clotting." The Doctor noticed their concern, "I assure you Nick is receiving the best possible care. His chances of stroke are low." He folded the leaflet away and slipped it back into the board.

"What caused it?" Danielle, who had been quiet through the Doctor's explanation, asked.

"A condition of this nature can be caused by one of many reasons. Heart disease being the most common cause, diseases in other sections of the body which may affect the heart, unhealthy substance intake, and in this case, after open heart surgery." He explained. "Our goal is to prevent this type of thing happening again by controlling the heart rate and monitoring the rhythm." He concluded. "Do you have any questions for me?"

"Erm..." Denise thought a moment, "I... I don't think so." She was still in shock.

"Well, if you do, please don't hesitate to ask me." He smiled at them all, "I have another patient waiting..." he excused himself from the room. Danielle squeezed Kevin's hand, they were both still shaken up, having witnessed it; they were left on edge, even after the diagnosis. Kevin turned and pulled her against his chest; he kissed the top of her head and buried his face in her hair.

"I'm going to sit with Nick." Joe broke the silence and made his way to the door.

Denise cleared her throat and trotted to her purse, she grabbed her phone. "I need to call your Father, he will be worried."

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked, craning his neck to see his wife.

"Me?" Danielle looked up, "I'm fine." She smiled at him, "What about you?" Kevin nodded his head, biting his lip.

"I erm... I think erm..." He stumbled over his words and turned to look at his Mother. She was going through with Paul what Doctor Charlton had done with them not even five minutes ago. "Come with me." He grabbed her hand and pulled Danielle from the room.

"Babe?" Danielle asked, worried when she saw Kevin's eyes were watering. Kevin shut the door to the waiting room and together they took a few steps away, out of ear shot.

"I'm not ready." Kevin was trying desperately not to cry, "I don't think we should mention anything about the baby, not yet at least, especially not after what just happened." Danielle looked down.

"You're right." She nodded her head and kept her head down. Kevin tried to lift her chin up but she moved her face away.

"Dani?" She looked up, her eyes were watering and her thin layer of mascara dampened and soggy. "I'm sorry." Danielle shook her head and tried to smile, it crumbled.

"No, you're right. I know the timing is wrong, I just... I thought that... oh..." She sighed and wiped her eyes, suddenly overcome with emotion. "I'm sorry, I'm just disappointed." Kevin was about to speak but Dani cut him off, "I'm just being silly."

"No, you're not." Kevin kissed her forehead.

"Its just so hard, not being able to tell anybody. Not having anyone to talk to... I mean, I know I'll always have you but I need someone who's been through it before."

"And that's why we told your parents." Kevin wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"I know but she's not here right now." Kevin understood, he could see it in her teary eyes, Dani was scared.

"Come here." He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly in his arms. He held her for a minute before letting her go and he bent down and kissed her face over and over.

"Kevin!" Dani tried to shy her face away but Kevin was persistent. "Kevin, stop it!" She laughed. Kevin stopped and pulled away with a smile.

"There we go." He loved seeing her smile. "You're too pretty to cry." His compliments, although sweet and charming, were too much and Danielle laughed, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment.

***

"How is he?" Big Rob asked when Paul hung up the phone with his wife. Fran and Jerry were in the other room with Frankie.

"She said he's alright. He had an atrial flutter, an irregular heart beat apparently." Paul grabbed his car keys, "I'm going to go to the hospital. Are you alright to stay here with..."

"I'll hold the fort here; you go and take care of your son." Paul smiled and Big Rob pulled Paul in for a hug, a Big Rob hug was smothering but wonderfully reassuring.

"Alright." Paul pulled away, heading towards the door. "I'll call you with more news when I get there." Paul opened the door to see Officer Herman and Sergeant Bumble walking up the drive way. "Oh for pities sake..." Paul sighed, annoyed at their timing.

"Mr Jonas, just the man we came to see." Sergeant Bumble's voice was irritatingly cheerful.

"Well, not right now. I'm on my way to see my son." He tried to push past them but PC Herman held out his arm in front of Paul.

"We'd like to ask you some more questions Mr Jonas." Big Rob was stood at the door; he too was losing his patience with these two pests.

"Not now." Paul tried again to push past them but was stopped a second time by PC Herman. Sergeant Bumble stepped in front of Mr Jonas, and pulled a set of handcuffs from his belt.

"Mr Jonas, I believe you may have had some part in the attack on Nicholas and Franklin Jonas, I am arresting you under the suspicion of attempted murder." Paul's mouth fell open, utterly gob-smacked.

"What?" Big Rob was appalled, "You can't seriously believe he had any part in this." He thundered down the steps. Sergeant Bumble went to cuff Paul but Big Rob stepped in-between them, "I don't think you want to do that." Big Rob warned the man with a threatening posture. He was absolutely livid. They were wasting valuable time blaming Paul when the real criminal was on the loose, how stupid could they be?

"Mr Feggans, am I going to need to arrest you aswell?" Sergeant Bumble and his cocky mouth spoke. Big Rob clenched his jaw and fists when Sergeant Bumble stepped around him and cuffed Paul's behind his back.

"You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence." Paul was led to the cruiser by Sergeant Bumble and Officer Herman.

Chapter 17: No Rest For The Worried   

(Everyone who knew Paul knew that he was a genuine man with genuine beliefs. His kind heart and knowledgeable approach gave people a reason to trust him. Over the years people had turned to him for advice and for reassurance because he was always there with an open mind and a dozen words of wisdom. He was a phenomenal husband and an ever greater Father)

(Paul had always carried a calm and composed vibe but all he felt was anxiety, heartache, and confusion. He had been questioned for over an hour already and the questions were beginning to repeat. He was sat beside Jeff, his private attorney and across from Detective Bumble and his colleague PC Herman)

"Mr Jonas, I will ask you once more... where were you between five and six PM on December the fifth, two thousand and eleven?" Detective Bumble enquired for the third time.

"I have already told you." Paul sighed; he was beginning to lose his patience as they continued to spin in circles. "I had taken my wife for a coffee at Starbucks before I dropped her at home on my way to visit Robert Feggans." He was struggling to understand their approach. The fact that he was being accused of the attempted murder of two of his children was baffling.

"Are you sure there was nothing else?" PC Herman enquired and Paul shook his head. "Did you, by any chance, pop in to visit your neighbours Mr and Mrs Brooke?"

"No, they're away on vacation." Paul shook his head. "They're visiting New York for the holidays."

"But you have a key, am I right?"

"I have a spare key, yes." Paul squinted his eyes, confused at the sudden turn in conversation. "I'm sorry but what does this have to do with anything?" PC Herman and Detective Bumble exchanged a glance of contemplation.

"Thanks to the information your wife gave us about the attack on your son Nicholas, we know his whereabouts and facial front when he was attacked." Detective Bumble held eye contact with Paul as he spoke, both he and PC Herman watched Paul's reaction. "Taking into account the angle of the wound, we have reason to believe that the person who shot your son was stood on the second story balcony of Mr and Mrs Brooke's property." Paul's jaw fell open, taken back.

(Paul was kept in the room for another thirty minutes before Detective Bumble decided enough was enough and ended the interview. Paul followed the hallway into the front of the station where Denise and Rob were sat side by side)

"Paul!" Denise and Rob stood up when they saw him. "What is going on?" Rob had called her and told her to come down to the station, that Paul had been arrested.

"I'm on bail." Paul felt deflated. The interview was spinning, word to word, in his head. Rob had organised a car to take them to the hospital and on the way Paul talked them through the interview. At first Denise was surprised and confused but given more than five minutes to think about it, she managed to convince herself that David was to blame.

"The way he acted towards you... I should have known." She shook her head. Paul tried to calm her down, he tried to defend the man's innocence but Denise had her mind set on it. Every new revelation pointed towards David. She felt angry and defensive, and David was her only target.

By the time they reached the hospital Danielle and Kevin were in the room with Joe. Nick was still resting. "Dani, it is the same one I've been using for the past like, year or whatever." Kevin smiled when Danielle shook her head stubbornly.

"What's going on?" Denise asked, trying to take her mind away from David.

"Don't you think he smells different?" Danielle asked her face completely serious. "His aftershave."  Denise leant forward and sniffed near Kevin's collar before pulling away and she shook her head.

"Ha!" Kevin teased and Danielle leant forward again, sniffing his collar.

"It is different." Kevin laughed at her persistence. Denise turned to Joe for an explanation but he just shrugged his shoulders.

"They've been at it for ten minutes." Denise smiled and sat next to Joe. "Where is Dad?"

"He's in the waiting room with Rob." Denise hadn't told them about the arrest.

"Where are you going?" Kevin asked when Danielle stood up.

"To the bathroom." She said as she walked around Nick's bed towards the door.

"Again?" Joe asked, surprised. "You only went fifteen minutes ago."

"Well, I have to go again." Dani turned towards Joe and pointed towards Denise who was looking down at Nick. Joe looked at his Mom and then back at Dani, confused. Dani pointed to her stomach and Joe's eyes widened and he mouthed an 'O' as he finally caught up. Joe silently apologised and Dani left the room with a smile on her face. Joe turned back to Kevin who was glaring at him.

"What?" Joe mouthed so that his Mom wouldn't hear him. Kevin just shook his head and glared at his brother.

"Has the nurse been in?" Denise turned away from Nick.

"Erm... Yeah, a couple times." Kevin nodded his head. Denise turned back to Nick and was surprised to see his eyes fluttering beneath his eye lids. "Nick?" She spoke and both Kevin and Joe stood up to come closer. They all watched with baited breath as Nick's eyes began to open, he had yet to wake since his incident earlier and they were all still on edge.

"I'm... thirsty." Nick's voice barely made it past a whisper. Joe grabbed the flask and filled the cup with some of the water; he popped a straw into the cup and brought it to Nick.

"Here you go Nick." Joe held the cup in front of his brothers propped up head and faced the straw to his lips. "Do you want me to hold it for you?" Nick reached up and took the cup with weak hands and drank deeply.

"How are you feeling?" Kevin asked. Joe took the cup from his brother when it was emptied. Nick took a moment to look around him; he was like a zoo-kept animal being held on display. Joe, Kevin, and his Mom were all looking at him like he could break at any moment.

"I'm alright. I wish everyone would stop asking me that." Kevin smiled at his younger brother; he still kept that stubborn streak.

"You gave us quite the scare earlier." Denise moved closer and stroked his head lovingly, moving his curls back.

"Sorry." Denise smiled down at him. "Mom?"

"What is it sweetheart?" She leant forward, coming closer to hear his quiet words.

"Can you stop staring at me?" Joe chuckled and Kevin smiled. "You're freaking me out." Denise reared back and straightened her shirt out awkwardly.

"I'm just worried about you." Nick looked at her fondly.

"I know." They all looked up when Danielle walked back into the room.

"Hey, you're awake." She smiled and came to stand beside Kevin. "How are you feeling?" Nick rolled his tired eyes and everyone in the room laughed, everyone but Danielle who was slightly confused.

"What?" Kevin pulled his wife towards him and kissed her temple.

"Does it hurt?" Joe asked and Nick shook his head slowly.

"Not really, it feels tingly." Everyone watched as his eyes drifted shut before he popped them open again.

"Well, you are on a lot of medication." Denise watched his eyes drift again and soon enough he was back asleep. "I'm going to hunt down Doctor Charlton, see if he can't give me anymore details." Denise left the room and approached the nursing station.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" The blonde haired nurse asked.

"Yes, I am looking for Doctor Charlton. Is he around?" The nurse with the name tag Rachelle scanned the computer.

"He's out of surgery. Would you like me to page him?" The woman looked up at Denise from the computer screen.

"If you would." Denise smiled and waited patiently while the nurse paged Doctor Charlton. A few minutes later the door to the ward opened and Doctor Charlton made an appearance.

"Mrs Jonas." He smiled, "How may I help you?" He approached her.

"I was just wondering if I could have a word about Nicholas." Doctor Charlton nodded his head and brought Denise into a conference room. The room was like all of the others, white and bland. There was a long table with twelve chairs in the room and one or two palms. Doctor Charlton and Denise sat at the table.

"You said Nick suffered an Atrian..." She paused, forgetting the name of the condition.

"An Atrial Flutter." Doctor Charlton assisted her.

"Yes... I suppose I just want to know if he is at risk of having another episode?"

"He is at risk of another flutter but with the drugs we have him on, the chances aren't too high."

"What caused it?" Denise asked, "I know you said it may have been from the surgery but... I mean, what caused it, exactly?" Denise asked.

"The heart was put under an extreme amount of pressure due to the pericardial leak into the sack surrounding the heart. A tear was put into the wall of the heart because of that build up. We were able to patch that up in surgery... I explained this to you and your husband in more detail earlier." Denise nodded her head. "And basically, as the heart heals from the surgery... the function of the heart is not quite as reliable as a healthy heart which is why Nick suffered an Atrial Flutter." Doctor Charlton tried to word it down simply so that Denise could keep up with his explanation.

"And how dangerous is it? The flutter."

"It only becomes a problem if the condition persists. We have already started Nick on the Warfarin drug which should help prevent another episode." Doctor Charlton had explained the effects of the drug in conference with Denise earlier.

"And what if it does happen again?" Denise couldn't help but worry.

"Let's face that bridge if we come to it, okay?" Doctor Charlton was polite when he excused himself from the room, leaving Denise by herself where she was most vulnerable.

Chapter 18: Timing Is Everything

(Every Mother knows what it is like in the early stages of their first pregnancy. Even though you are beside yourself with joy and all you want to do is tell the world your good news and celebrate the existence of your first child, timing is the key)

"Good morning." Denise said when Frankie walked into the kitchen with a depressed pout. He had been in quite a lot of discomfort through the night and hadn't managed to get much sleep; Denise had stayed with him all night long.

"Morning." Frankie mumbled and climbed into the stool next to his Mom at the counter, he winced when his shoulder ached.

"Would you like me to make you some hot chocolate?" Denise stroked his hair affectionately and then cherished his cheek gently. Frankie nodded and Denise made him a cup of hot chocolate. "Let it cool down first." She said when Frankie went straight for the marshmallows on top. She looked at the clock on the wall and noticed it was time for his medicine which was scheduled on a four hour basis. Reaching into her purse she pulled out the bottle of pink medicine.

"I don't want it." Frankie said when he saw the bottle of medicine. He had been prescribed a liquid medicine for children under twelve years old and much to Frankie's disappointment it was disgusting.

"Frankie, you need to take your medicine." Denise grabbed a table spoon from the draw and then came to stand in front of Frankie; she opened the child-safety lid and poured a spoonful of the medicine.

"I don't like it. It tastes horrible." Denise looked at the bottle.

"Its strawberry and banana flavour." She read the label. Frankie wrinkled his nose up when the spoon was held in front of him; even the smell of it was vile. "Franklin." Denise warned him and Frankie took his medicine, cringing at the bitter taste. He touched his cup, feeling the temperature of his hot chocolate, it was still too hot. Hopping down, Frankie grabbed himself an orange juice from the fridge and washed the taste from his mouth.

"I can still taste it." He whined and Denise laughed, packing the medicine away.

"What tastes horrible?" Kevin walked into the kitchen along with Big Rob.

"Hey little man." Big Rob ruffled Frankie's hair and opened the fridge, pulling out some cheese and ham. "Gonna get me some cheese and ham." Big Rob pulled the loaf out of the bread bin and buttered it.

"I want one of those!" Frankie watched Big Rob butter the bread.

"May I have one of those?" Kevin corrected his younger brother and watched, amused, as Frankie rolled his eyes.

"May I..." Frankie said it so dramatically Kevin couldn't help but smile, ignoring the cheek. "Have one of those?" Big Rob slapped two more slices down and made Frankie a sandwidge.

"Where's Dani?" Denise looked to her right when Kevin sat beside her at the counter.

"She's right here." Dani walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning sweat heart." Denise smiled at her daughter-in-law and got up to give her a hug, "Can I get you something to eat?"

"No, thank you." Dani politely refused but Denise wasn't satisfied.

"Well, you've got to have something. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Denise made her way to the fridge and pulled out some eggs and bacon.

"Actually, I'm not feeling too good this morning. I think I'm going to go back to bed for a little while." Kevin turned to his wife, he looked worried.

"Are you okay?" He asked, coming up to her. "Do you want me to get you anything?" He flapped. "Perhaps I should take you to the Doctor..." He was rambling, his words coming faster as he went on.

"Kevin." Dani interrupted, smiling at his wittering. "I'm fine. I'm just not feeling one hundred percent today." Kevin did not feel reassured.

"Why don't you go back to bed and I'll make you some chicken soup." Denise said from across the room, she too was amused by Kevin's behaviour, wondering why he was so panicked. "Are you sure you're okay?" Dani nodded her head.

"I'm fine, just a bit of a headache is all." She smiled and left the room. Kevin followed her out of the room and up to their room.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as soon as the door was shut and they were out of ear shot. "We shouldn't take any risks. I'm going to call the Doctor." Kevin fumbled with his phone, searching his contacts for the mid-wife.

"Kevin!" Danielle grabbed his phone and laughed, "I really am fine. It's just a bit of morning sickness is all."

"And is that normal? I mean, your eleven weeks. What if it's something else? What if there's something wrong with the baby?"

"Kevin." Kevin stopped talking and bowed his head, he knew it was probably nothing but it was their first child, it is natural to worry.

"I'm sorry." Danielle smiled and brought him to the bathroom; she lifted her over-sized shirt and pointed to her stomach. Kevin's eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped, she had a very small bump. It went un-noticed when her stomach was covered but uncovered you could see a definite change in shape. "Ha Ha!" he laughed, not because he thought it was funny but because he was so happy. Seeing the beginning stages of the baby bump made it all real, he was going to be a Dad.

"Oh my God." He put his hand on her stomach, his eyes were watering. "I'm going to be a Dad." His smile was so big and Danielle loved how enthusiastic and excited he was. Although Kevin was grinning like a fool, he was also sobbing like one. "I'm going to be a Dad." It was almost like he was just realizing it.

"Yes you are. You're going to be the best Dad ever." Danielle pecked his lips and Kevin embraced her. It was such a wonderful moment for the both of them and neither one of them wanted it to end.

"We have to tell them." Kevin nodded his head, it was unavoidable now.

"Okay... Okay." Kevin knelt down in front of her stomach and looked up at his wife. "Do you think he can hear us?" Danielle smiled. This is what she loved about Kevin, his enthusiasm and kind nature made her weak at the knees.

"He?" Kevin looked up at her again.

"I don't want to call him or her an it." Kevin said and looked back down at her stomach, rubbing it very gently with his thumb. "Hey there little buddy, its Daddy." Danielle laughed, finding it funny seeing Kevin talking to her stomach but the bitter sweetness of it made her blush.

"When should we tell your parents?" Danielle asked and Kevin stood up.

"Today." Danielle was surprised he was willing to announce it so soon when just the day before he was panicked about the timing being wrong. "We'll do it tonight."

***

(Opening his eyes Nick looked around the room groggily, Paul was the only one in the room with him. He was sat in one of the visiting chairs with his head craned backwards, he was snoring quietly. Nick looked at his phone on the bedside table, he timidly reached over, wincing when his incision site pulled, and grabbed his phone. He turned it on and realized it was later than he thought, 1pm)

"Hey, sleeping beauty is awake." He looked up when Joe walked in and held a finger to his lips and pointed to their Dad who was still snoring. Joe walked round to his other side and pulled a chair up.

"Are you planning an escape?" He said, gesturing to Nick's phone.

"Yeah, my get-away car is waiting outside." Nick smiled; he was feeling a lot more alert today due to a decrease in medication loads. Though along with every step forward comes two steps back, his pain level was a little more noticeable today. His side stung horribly when he moved and ached when he was still. His chest felt heavy still and it felt weird to breathe in, like his lungs weren't able to take enough air in. His head felt fuzzy but much clearer than previous days. Although he felt awful, it was a step in the right direction... every cloud.

"Do you want to sit up?" They kept their voices low so that they didn't wake their Dad. Nick nodded his head and Joe helped him by slowly raising the bed and positioning the pillows behind Nick's back. "Is that alright?" Nick winced; sitting up had pulled his side.

"Can I get another pillow?" He tried to shift but winced again, his breathing was a little shaky as he tried to catch his breath.

"Yeah, I'll go and get you one. I'll be right back." Joe left the room and came back minutes later with another white covered pillow. "Here you go." He helped his brother sit forward and slipped the pillow behind him. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah... thanks Joe." Nick rested his head back against the pillow, he was so sore. They both looked up when a nurse came into the room for his morning assessment.

"How's my favourite patient doing today?" She kept her voice quiet, noticing Paul was still sleeping.

"Favourite patient, hey?" Joe nudged his brother gently, teasing him. Nick rolled his eyes at his brother and turned to the nurse.

"Can I get something more for pain?" Joe's mood dimmed slightly, feeling a pang of sympathy for his little brother. He could see the discomfort in his facial expression.

"Yes, of course. I'll just check you over real quick." She checked his blood pressure and jotted down his pulse history through the night. "Can you check your blood sugar for me? Or do you want me to do it for you?"

"I can do it." Nick said. "Joe, can you pass me my kit?" Joe grabbed the black case from the bedside stand and gave it to his brother. Nick opened the case and wiped his finger clean with an alcohol wipe before pricking his finger with the spring loaded needle. He squeezed his finger until the drop of blood was big enough before touching it to the test strip that he had slipped into his meter. His blood sugar was a little bit high but not too bad considering the amount of medication he was on; 180 mg/dl.

Nick gave himself a corrective dose of insulin before his breakfast was brought up, fresh fruit and some toast left his stomach satisfied. "This is really good." Joe said. Nick hadn't eaten much of his breakfast, his appetite still low and Joe had taken it upon himself to finish his brother's plate.

"Its fruit."

"Yes but I am hungry and it is nice fruit." Joe said with a mouthful of melon. Paul stirred and opened his eyes; he sat up when he saw that Nick was awake.

"Good morning." He rubbed his eyes and slipped his glasses on. "Has the nurse been in already?"

"Yes, my therapy starts today." Nick felt tired again, it was annoying feeling so tired after sleeping for so long. He wanted to stay awake and feel better but he knew it wasn't that simple.

"So soon?" Paul was caught off guard. They hadn't expected the therapy to start for another few days.

"I'm actually kind of glad." Nick said. "It will give me something to do, this place is so boring." Joe snorted.

"Says you, you've been asleep the whole time you've been here." Nick smiled, it was true he had slept a lot but he was still so tired. The day passed by quite quickly with only the one drama when Nick's blood sugar dropped too low. Other than that not a lot had happened and everyone was relieved to see Nick spending more of his time awake. It was nice to be able to have a conversation with him and not have him fall asleep half way through a sentence. Doctor Charlton had stopped the sedatives all together and Nick was now only medicated with a strong pain killer, some anti-nausea medication and the blood thinners.

(Denise had spent the day with Nick at the hospital while Danielle and Kevin stayed home with Frankie and Big Rob; they said they would be swinging by later though. Fran and Jerry were sat with Nick in the ICU and Denise and Paul, and Joe were in the waiting room. The visitor limit was somewhat of a bother)

"Hello!" Danielle cheerfully greeted as she and Kevin walked in hand-in-hand followed by Big Rob and Frankie. Frankie was scheduled for a check up with Doctor Charlton in two hours time but he had wanted to see Nick before then.

"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon." Paul stood up and gently hugged Frankie, making sure to mind his shoulder and sling. Joe gave his younger brother a high five when he came to sit beside him.

"I'll be right back." Kevin said and slipped into the ward. Danielle smiled and took a seat beside Denise. Kevin came out a few minutes later, "Guys, can you come through to Nick's room?" Immediately everyone was on their feet, worried and Kevin realized he could have worded it better. "Nothing is wrong." He assured them and led them all into Nick's room, passing the nursing station.

"There are too many of us in here, we're supposed to keep it to three at a time." Kevin held his hands up to reassure his Mom everything was alright.

"I've cleared it with the nurses. This won't take too long." Every one piled into Nick's room.

"What's this, A party?" Fran stood up and smiled when she saw Paul and Denise come into the room aswell as Big Rob and Frankie, Joe was behind them. Nick shifted to get more comfortable, he was just falling asleep when they came in.

"What's going on?" He asked. Danielle came to stand beside Kevin and they linked their hands together. She reached into her purse and pulled out a card for everyone in the room, she handed them out one by one.

"Open them." She and Kevin smiled; Kevin wrapped his arm around the back of Danielle's waist and pulled her towards him. His heart was racing in anticipation; he was excited but nervous at the same time. Danielle wasn't much different, she had been thinking about this for weeks and it was finally happening.

(Frankie was the first to open his card)

To my Uncle Frankie, from your niece/nephew.

"Uncle?" He asked, looking up with a face that held only confusion.

"Great Grandpa?" Jerry asked and looked up at Kevin and Danielle, realization coming to him slowly.

"Oh my God!" Denise gasped and looked at her son and daughter-in-law with wide eyes, excitement written all over his awe-struck face. "Grandma?" She covered her mouth and looked down at the card in her hands once more before shooting forward and engulfing Kevin in a Motherly embrace.

"You're pregnant?" Fran had tears in her eyes and when Dani nodded her head with tears of her own Fran came forward and wrapped her in a hug. "We're going to be great-grand parents." She said to Jerry. "My goodness, that makes me feel old." She laughed and pulled her eldest Grandson into a hug.

"I'm really happy for you, son." Paul patted Kevin on the back. Kevin was close to tears; his smile had lit up his whole face. Kevin turned to Nick, he was falling asleep. Kevin came close to Nick's side and took his hand, feeling emotional all of a sudden.

"Congratulations dude." Nick smiled up at him tiredly; his eye lids only half way open. "You'll make an awesome Dad." Nicks eyes closed.

Chapter 19: Fast Life 

(People live their lives in the fast lane. They're always rushing from one place to another, ignoring stop signs and forgetting the minor details in their past. Have you ever wanted to just cruise in the slow lane for a while? Perhaps not forever, no, that would just get boring... but sometimes slowing down just enough to take in your surroundings and truly get a feel of what life represents, take some time to try and understand the purpose of life... now that doesn't sound too bad at all)

(Joe had spent the last hour sat by him, aside from Nick who had been sleeping since the announcement earlier that day. Being alone is the most toxic crowd say some people because time gives you the opportunity to think and observe, sometimes your mind will run ahead of you, leaving you open to fear in the distance)

"Nick?" Joe asked when his brother stirred. Nothing happened. He waited a minute encase Nick decided to wake up but he didn't. Joe slouched into his seat, crossing his arms across his chest; his backside was numb from sitting down all day. Right now he envied his family, he had agreed to stay behind with Nick whilst they went to grab something to eat downstairs, none of them wanted Nick to be left by himself.

(Nick had hardly moved since falling asleep during Kevin and Danielle's celebratory cheer. Though it was expected for him to be tired, after all he was still on a lot of heavy medication even though the sedatives had worn off. Pain medication dominated all and with the ghastly side effects came the anti-nausea drugs which left him drowsy and clouded. It was a shame to see Nick, usually full of life and enthusiastic about life, so drained of energy that a conversation was classed as progress)

(Joe thought back to 2005 when Nick had been diagnosed with Diabetes. He could vividly remember the Doctor that had broken the news to them as a family; he could remember how solemn her face had been. They knew before the Doctor confirmed anything that the diagnosis was bad)

(Nick had always been a proud person, aged well beyond his years, nothing could ever bring him down, some would say not even gravity effected him. He was a mystery. How someone so young could be so powerfully talented and knowledgeable... so wise and considerate baffled some people. He was a gem to his parents and a credit to his entire family. Not even a chronic illness was enough to bring him down. At first it had affected him of course, it would be even more concerning had it not but Nick got through it. He managed to turn a nightmare situation into an opportunity to inspire people. And he had done just that. Even Joe felt inspired by his younger brother's courage)

(As the older brother Joe felt he should be the inspirational one, the one Nick and Frankie could both look up to and admire but he could feel no less pride than when people, younger and older, came up to Nick and thanked him for his courage, for his inspirational speeches which left diabetics and even non-diabetics in tears, and for being so open about such a personal matter. Not once had they done a meet and greet where someone hadn't come up to Nick to thank him and admire their role model. He was an inspirational piece in so many hearts and for Joe it was something to be proud of. He was proud of his little brother and he only wished he had said it more often)

"I love you Nick." Joe whispered, feeling choked up. He sat and watched Nick sleep, thinking about how fast he had grown up, no longer was he the little six year old boy who kept disappearing into the woods behind their house. He could still remember his Mother's lectures when Nick would come home. She would stress how dangerous it was to walk through the woods alone and that there were snakes and poison ivy. Of course Nick being the stubborn kid that he was and still is didn't listen and he kept going back to the woods to find new adventures.

(Kevin had grown up too, he was starting a family. It made Joe feel weird thinking about it. Of course he was happy for his brother and his sister-in-law, he couldn't be more happy for them. They were the perfect couple and they would both make exceptional parents, even a blind man could see that. But a part of him felt sad, it was like confirmation that his childhood was over and he had grown up. No longer the geeky high school kid who fussed about pole vaulting Kevin was married and expecting his first child. And Joe realised that he too had grown up. Thinking back to the good old days brought a smile to his face but thinking about the future left him cringing and racked with fear. He was known for his cool manor, some people even considered him emotionless but he wasn't... he was scared stiff)

(Life had been moving so fast that he hadn't even seen it pass him by and all of a sudden here he was, twenty two years old and getting ready to release a solo record away from the band that started them off. He could still remember how excited he and his brothers had been when they first hit number one, how pumped they were when they saw the sold out signs outside their concert venues. It seemed such a long time ago now, it was a memory.)

"Joe." He jumped at the sound of his name and brought his head up to see Nick was awake and trying to find the button to raise his bed.

"Here, I'll do that." Joe grabbed the remote and raised his brother's bed. It did not go unnoticed by Joe when Nick winced, the sudden change in position left his side aching. "You okay?" Nick nodded his head and caught his breath.

"How long have I been sleeping?" Joe looked up at the clock on the wall.

"About two hours." Nick seemed surprised and raised his eye brows.

"Where is everyone?" Nick noticed Joe was the only one in the room with him.

"They got bored of your snoring." Joe tried to joke but it fell flat. "They're downstairs at the cafeteria." Nick flexed his fingers, the IV made his arm ache.

"Why aren't you with them?"

"Someone had to keep an eye on you and make sure you keep out of trouble." Joe smiled when Nick rolled his eyes, admiring that legendary Jonas-stubborn trait.

"Do you want me to get the nurse?" Joe asked when Nick held his hand to his chest, wincing in pain. Nick shook his head though and brought his hand down.

"No, I don't want any more medication. It makes me sleepy." Joe watched his brother for a moment, studying his facial expression and contemplating getting the nurse regardless of Nick's preference.

"Does it hurt?" Nick nodded his head.

"It feels like someone is squeezing me. Like one of your ninja hugs or something." Joe chuckled but cringed at the same time, feeling sad for his brother.

"I still can't believe I was shot." Nick mumbled, rubbing his tired eyes. It amazed him how he could still feel tired after sleeping on and off for days. He hadn't exerted any real energy yet he felt like he'd run two marathons back to back.

"Me neither." Joe stayed quiet for a moment. "You know when Mom called me..." He shook his head and took a deep breath. He hadn't spoken to anyone about how he felt, not really. "Nick, I was so scared." A tear ran down his cheek and he wiped it away and kept his head bowed down, facing his lap.

"I thought that... maybe we'd lost you." Joe shook his head and bit his lip to stop it from trembling. "I've never felt like that before. Not even when you were diagnosed with Diabetes." Joe looked up at Nick. "I've never been so afraid." Joe cleared his throat and rubbed his face, trying to stop the tears.

"Joe..." Nick began but Joe carried on, he hadn't been given the chance to talk to someone and now that Nick was awake he was going to use him as a listening ear. Nick had always been a good listener; it was one of the traits Joe admired most about his younger brother. They could talk about anything, anything at all and it would never be awkward between the two of them.

"And then when I was attacked..." Nick's face paled. "I should have been scared but I felt... relieved, like I wouldn't have to deal with losing you."

"You were attacked?" Nick asked and Joe looked up, mentally kicking himself for slipping up in front of his brother. They had decided, as a family to keep any details away from Nick, at least whilst he recovered.

"What?" Joe blurted. "No, what I meant was that I..."

"You were attacked too." Nick wasn't asking anymore, he had figured it out. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, you haven't exactly been awake much." Joe tried to lighten things up but he felt undeniable guilt for slipping up, he knew Nick was in no fit state to deal with anymore. He was still so poorly.

"Joe." Nicks tone was enough to let Joe know that he wanted answers, real ones, not excuses or painted versions. Joe sighed and nodded his head; his brother had a right to know.

"When I was leaving my apartment after Mom told me you were in the hospital a man tried to shoot me but the guys were amazing." Joe recalled back to when Tony had pretty much threw his stunned body into the car, shielding him from harm. He thought about how brave his team were to overpower an armed man to protect him. It was all quite overwhelming.

"Did they catch him?" Nick asked.

"Yeah... yeah they got him." Joe nodded his head.

"And?" Nick waited for his brother to continue. "Who was he?" Joe shook his head.

"Nobody we know. His name is Gavin Anderson, he's not telling the police anything." Nick sighed, he was surprised there had been another attack and he had not been told. That is three attacks. What if there were more? His mind started racing and his heart picked up, it was readable on the monitor.

"Nick, calm down. Everything is okay." Joe stood up and placed his hand on Nicks arm, making sure not to knock the IV tubing. Nicks heart was beating rapidly and his breathing was coming in quickly. He was panicking.

"Nick!" Joe tried to calm his brother down, more than two of the machines hooked to his brother were blaring now, beeps and shrines filled the room. "Nick please." Nicks face was pale and his eyes were wide, he was staring straight ahead of him. Nurses filled the room and Joe felt himself beign pulled from the room.

"No, please." Joe shrugged their arms off him and he came up to his brother again, taking Nicks hand in his own and squeezing it gently. "Nicholas, you need to calm down, you are putting too much pressure on your heart." Joe heard the nurse address his brother.

"Nick, you need to calm down." Joe managed to get Nick to look at him. "Calm down." Nick nodded his head but he couldn't catch his breath and his heart was still beating abnormally quickly. "Nick, breathe with me." Joe took in one exaggerated long breath in and then exhaled; Nick copied him.

"That's it Nick." Joe said a silent prayer when the heart monitor calmed down and Nick collapsed back on to his pillow, exhausted. Joe couldn't believe how quickly things had gone from calm to mayhem. Again he was reminded just how fast life passes you by. There is no pause button in the real world.

Chapter 20: Question The Inappropriate

(If you were to ask me to describe what fame meant to me I would tell you a two sided story. The first being the glamorous side with the diamond quality and rich expectations. Most people only get to dream of fame and fortune, never mind how delusional their view is. People assume that those in the media have a life with no worries. Footballers for example do not even have to worry if their washing machine were to break down because their management team has it sorted out for them with no financial cost because they want the player's mind to be completely one hundred percent focused on the next game. For some simplicity sounds like a dream land)

(The simplicity must get boring though, which brings me to my second point of view. Living a life in the spotlight must be lonely. Not knowing who to trust and who is only interested in their five minutes of fame. Can you imagine not being able to tell whether a person likes hanging around you for your company or for your stage name and bank balance? You would have to second guess every step you took and every move you made. To be criticised for every little thing, to be hated on at the same time as being loved. It makes the air brushed version seem a little less perfect when you think of the negative perks. And so, if you were to ask me to choose between a normal life and the glamorous one in front of the camera... I would choose the life I was given, full steam ahead)

(Having dismissed herself from everyone else Denise locked herself in the bathroom. The small room was clinically sickening; the smell of bleach was grossly thick and left a flavour at the back of her throat. She stood in front of the sink and rested her palms on the porcelain. She and her husband had returned to Nick's room to find Doctor Charlton giving him a thorough check, there had been concern that Nick had suffered a second Atrial flutter but thankfully he dismissed the abnormal beat of Nicks heart to be caused by a brief panic attack and nothing more)

(Then Nick had his first therapy session and it was brutal. Although the session would have been painfully easy for the average person, Nick struggled to catch his breath when he was asked to sit up and lift a very light weight. Because he was still attached to the chest tube Nick was unable to leave the bed and the session was done in his hospital room. Denise stayed in the room with Joe and Paul until Nick asked them to leave. She hadn't said anything at the time but she knew Nick had asked them to leave because he was embarrast. He could hardly lift the two lightest weights on the muscular triangle and by looking at his facial expression she could clearly see he was ashamed, and wrongfully so)

(The day was cherry-topped with another visit from Sergeant Bumble and Officer Herman; they brought Denise to the station after bringing Michael in for questioning. His name had come up in Paul's interview more than once and it was their job to question him. Denise sat in the blind screened room and listened to the interview. Paul had wanted to tag along, to hear what was being said about his son's case, but he was refused permission considering he was a potential suspect in the eyes of the law)

"Can you tell me about your experience working for the Jonas Brothers?" Mike, who was sat stone-faced, shifted uncomfortably in his chair. His supper with his long-term girlfriend had been unpleasantly interrupted by a knock on the door and a far-fetched request to be brought to the station. Mike was a little ticked off and his attitude, the one which seemed to get him into trouble on more than one occasion, began to spike.

"I was their body guard." His answer was short and sweet but honest. His well-paid attorney, recommended by his Girlfriend's Father, wrote down every word he said to help with their case, should Mike be taken to court later on.

"And?" Sergeant Bumble pressed, he made sure to keep his short temper in check.

"Would you like to elaborate?" Officer Herman spoke and Mr Cole, Mike's attorney, looked between his client and the officers. Mike groaned and rolled his eyes, his famous cocky attitude surfacing with an irritable edge.

"Yes Mr Bumble Bee." Sergeant Bumble clenched his jaw; he was forming a rather strong distaste for the inapproachable bloke sat across from him. "I worked for them from 2009 up until a week ago." Mike smirked when he saw the irritation on Sergeant Bumble's face.

"And what exactly was your role?" Officer Herman asked.

"I was their body guard." Mike said it as though Officer Herman was thick. "What do you think my role was?" He spat. "I was paid to protect them, make sure they got from A to B without getting eaten alive by crazed teenage girls." Officer Herman didn't say anything for a moment; he just stared at Mike with obvious disapproval at his disrespectful tone towards both he and his colleague.

"Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer." Officer Herman did not look away, even after the childish comment, reading. After a minute Officer Herman looked down at his port folio on Mike and read the first three bullet points on the first page.

"It says here you live with your girlfriend... Rebecca Phillips, is that true?"

"Yeah." Mike replied without the added pleasure of sarcasm.
"And what is your relationship with Miss Phillips like?" Officer Herman asked and scowled when Mike laughed, mocking him.

"I'm assuming you don't have a girlfriend." Mike laughed. "Basically when a girl and a boy like each other..."

"Mr Garcia!" Sergeant Bumble raised his voice which caught Mike off guard. So far the two officers had been reasonably calm, especially so considering Mike's unapproachable attitude.

"Please just answer the question." Mike felt a wash of pride, he was getting to them.

"We have a very good relationship." He mocked them in a sappy voice and tilted his head to the side. "We're both always up for a good time... something the two of you should try sometime. I mean there is nothing wrong with masturbation but..." He began his sarcastic insults but he was interrupted before he could finish.

"Mr Garcia need I remind you that if you are taken to court that this tape will be played to a judge and jury." Mike reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of chewing gum, he popped one in his mouth a rudely snapped his lips, successfully winding the two men up. Even Mr Cole was growing impatient with Mike's behaviour.

To Mike, he was being funny but to everyone else in the room he was being a royal pain in the backside.
"It says here that you were in the army from the age of sixteen up until you were signed to the Jonas Brothers security team, is that true?" Sergeant Bumble remained professional and kept his voice calm throughout the interview. Mike nodded his head, growing bored with the interview.

"Yeah."

"What made you leave the army?" Mike did not say anything for a moment, his face no longer held that characteristic smirk, something both Officer Herman and Sergeant Bumble picked up on. Even Mike's attorney noticed his sudden change in demeanour.

"I was dismissed from the army." Was his eventual response and both Officer Herman and Sergeant Bumble sat up straight at the revelation, this could work in their favour in the presence of a judge.

"You were dismissed?" Sergeant Bumble asked. Mr Cole was on edge, readying himself encase he needed to stop Mike in order to protect their case.

"Mike, I would advise you not to say anything which you haven't already spoken with me about." Mr Cole addressed his client professionally.

"Mr Cole, whatever is or isn't said in this particular interview will be brought up in court at a later date. I suggest you get it all out in the open now Mr Garcia." Sergeant Bumble addressed the attorney whose strict face had twisted in concern. Mike kept his head bowed low, trying to mask any sign of emotion but his eyes remained focused solely on the two officers across from him at the dinky table, and he glared at them with eyes that no doubt were meant to be threatening.

"I was kicked out." He spoke with confidence and brought his head up, showing less sign of shame.
"Under what cause?" Mr Cole twirled his biro pen in his finger tips, his nerves were being stamped on.

"Fighting." Mike was not a detail giving person, he preferred to keep people on their toes, keep them guessing by keeping everything short and snappy. Never did he give more information than he had to.

"Fighting? I thought that's what they paid you to do." It wasn't a question per say; Officer Herman was trying to reveal the truth by sneaking into the topic with a sideways step approach.

"Not in the army you fool." Mike growled. "I got kicked out because I was arrested for fighting on the streets." Now they were getting somewhere. Officer Herman and Sergeant finished the interview with a sense of accomplishment.

(They were given the task of driving Mike to say something which may or may not give them some hope of evidence. They now had three potential suspects awaiting trial. A job well done deserves a pat on the back)

(Denise was left in question after the interview. Having sat in the blind screened room she felt no more reassured than she had when she first arrived at the station prior to the interview)

(Of course her mind was still set dead on David being the guilty suspect; the other's were just speculation in her eyes. But perhaps she was wrong. She tortured herself by summing up every possibility, what if Mike had done it in order to claim revenge over her family?)

(What if David had done it to get to her? She couldn't bear the thought of either one and so she didn't... she didn't think. Pushing everything to the back of her mind, she dabbed her damp eyes and fixed her hair in the mirror before unlocking the bathroom door, and she made her way back to Nick's room with an empty head)

(Fame has another negative branch... haters. For any ordinary case the list of suspects is limited but for a famous family the list is endless. Perhaps the real criminal was someone overlooked)