Synopsis: Ben and Adam seek shelter from the relentless rain in an abandoned mine. When the floor collapses it is up to Adam’s German Shepherd – Zeus to find help.
Rating: G
Word Count: 4,600

Man’s Best Friend Series:

Man’s Best Friend
If Tomorrow Never Comes

 

Sometimes late at night
I lay awake and watch him sleeping
He’s lost in peaceful dream
So I turn down the lights and watch him in the dark
And the thought that crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would he ever doubt the way I feel
About him in my heart
(From the song of the same name by Garth Brooks)

If Tomorrow Never Comes

 

“Let’s get out of this rain,” Ben Cartwright said as he reined his buckskin coloured horse to a halt. “Over there,” he pointed, “looks like an abandoned mine. Should give us some protection.” Wiping the water from his face he once again urged his mount forward and watched as his oldest son and travelling companion followed suit.

Adam merely nodded to where his father had pointed, grateful for small mercies. The abandoned mine was the only thing around that look capable of affording them some shelter. As the thunder crashed in its majestic symphony overhead, Adam clucked his own horse on.

Earlier in the day both man and beast had taken an unexpected swim in the swollen river when Sport had lost his footing. Adam’s clothes were soaked; he was chilled to the bone and the heavy persistent rain made him feel totally miserable. He was the picture of abject misery as he sneezed, coughed and shivered.

On reaching the mine, Ben ushered Adam inside while he tethered the horses as best he could out of the weather. He sighed to himself when he saw the redness of Adam’s eyes and debated whether or not they should continue on home to the Ponderosa. Immediately he banished the thought from his mind – the torrential downpour quashing any notion of spending another six hours in the saddle.

“Thanks, Pa,” Adam coughed. His chest ached; he was tired and wanted to be where it was warm and dry. Not stuck out in the middle of one of the worst storms he’d ever had the privilege of experiencing. Although the mineshaft was their only source of shelter than sustained both father and son from the atrocious weather it did nothing to enhance Adam’s mood.

“Great,” he sniffed, wearing the water that his four-legged companion had shaken from his wet coat. “Zeus, you couldn’t think to go and spread that water over there,” he said, gesturing towards the far wall, “no, you had to go and share it with me.”

Chastised Zeus looked up at his beloved master with a sorrowful expression. Obediently he sat down at Adam’s left side and continued to look up at him.

“Oh come ‘ere you rascal. Next time why don’t you just go and shake somewhere else,” sniffed Adam. He was still coughing and sniffling when his father finally made his way into the mine.

Ben sighed and shook his head when he saw Adam leaning against the shoring with his knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting on them. He noted that Zeus lay attentively beside Adam and smiled to himself at how loyal the big German Shepherd was.

“Sorry, son. I couldn’t find anything dry in your saddle bags.” Ben had rummaged through them in the hopes of finding something warm for his son to put on. He cast aside Adam’s sodden saddlebags and looked in his own. He found a shirt that was slightly damp, but much drier than what Adam had on at present. “Put this on,” he said.

Adam looked up at his father, his eyes bloodshot, tired and his face a waxen complexion. “To cold to move,” he sniffed, then lowered his head back to rest on his knees once again, his right hand rested on Zeus’ back.

Ben chuckled quietly to himself. “Come on, you’ll feel much better once you’re warmer and dry.”

“I’ll feel much better once I’m at home in my own bed and I’ve slept for a week without cows and rain to keep me awake. Next time take Hoss or Joe on one of your trips,” grumped Adam.

“Adam, you know what you sound like?” Ben asked, trying his best to stifle a chuckle that threatened to erupt into a full-scale deep-throated laugh. It had been a long time since he’d seen his son pout. If Adam hadn’t been so miserable it would have been comical.

Adam wiped his hand under his nose and sniffed. “Yeah, an unhappy camper.” He then took the proffered shirt and exchanged it for his own black one that was soaked.

While he helped Adam to dress into the dryer shirt, Ben flinched at the touch of Adam’s cold skin. ‘The sooner we get a fire started, the sooner we can get you warm,” he said as he tried to alleviate his son’s discomfort.

“Sorry, Pa. didn’t mean to carry on like a prize jerk. Just not feeling to good right now,” apologized Adam. He knew that his father was trying his best to make light of a bad situation and that his attitude had not helped any towards the cause. “I’ll give you a hand to get the fire going.”

“Now that’s the spirit,” Ben said, clapping his hands together. He suggested that they go deeper into the mine to search for any timber that they could use.

They hadn’t gone far when the earth below them gave way to a pit of darkness. Adam had heard his father call out to him. Telling him to go back. Then the sensation of falling. Blindly grabbing for something to hold on to. Darkness. Nothing.

“Adam. Adam,” Ben called again. He’d been trying to rouse his son since he himself awoke a while ago. Again his words fell on deaf ears and a body that wasn’t ready to respond.

‘Please don’t take him from me yet. I can’t bear to lose another loved one in my life. There are so many things I haven’t told him. How much I need him. What he means to me. What he means to his brothers. I’m not ready to lose him. We’re not ready to lose him,’ Ben silently pleaded with God almighty. He’d come as close to out-and-out begging as he’d ever been.

For what seemed like an eternity Ben waited and watched. “Come on Adam, wake up. This can’t be happening. Not again. I’ve lost three wives, I’m not going to lose you as well.”

A soft moan stopped his self-imposed litany in its tracks. Tentatively he squeezed his son’s right hand and waited. For the first time in hours Ben felt himself breathe a little easier. Had that actually been dam moan or was it the creaking of the timbers or perhaps Zeus whimpering from above.

He closed his eyes and cautiously squeezed his son’s hand again. Praying for a response. This time the moan was a little louder and he felt his heart soar when he felt his own simple gesture returned, albeit weakly.

“Adam?” he asked, and hoped against hope that his son had come back to him.

“Pa,” Adam gasped. His voice was edged with pain. “Pa, where are you?”

“I’m right here son,” Ben choked. He had to forcibly restrain his emotions that threatened to release the wall of unshed tears. “You don’t know how good it is to hear your voice. Can you tell em where you’re hurt?”

“Pa… Where are you? I can’t see you,” Adam said, the panic evident in his voice. All that he could see were the small silver sparks that danced before his eyes when he sought out his father.

“Shh,” whispered Ben, wanting to calm his son. “Take it easy. It’ll take a while for your eyes to adjust,” he continued to assure him. “Just tell me where you’re hurt.”

Normally one not to reveal how much he hurt, Adam knew that it was important for his father to know the extent of his injuries in order to help him. “My back.. Left shoulder … and arm … my chest and … my hip. Pa, my whole left side aches,” answered Adam in between bouts of painful coughing. “Pa, what about you?”

“Apart from a sore ankle I’m fine. Had something soft to land on,” Ben replied and grasped Adam’s hand firmly in his own.

“Huh?” Adam asked bewilderedly.

Ben hung his head low, the feeling of guilt that eh had caused moist of his son’s injuries resurfaced. “I’m sorry son. I didn’t know until I woke up … that I found out I was lying on top of you.”

Adam nodded his understanding and with a deep relieved sigh, sank back onto the cavern floor. “S’not you fault,” he mumbled. His voice trailed off for a moment; he was clearly fighting sleep as his father watched over him. “Zeus?”

Before Ben could answer his son to let him know that Zeus was all right, Adam had succumbed once again to nature’s comforting power of sleep.

It was some time later when Adam awoke again, much to the relief of his father. His feeble moans caught the attention of his father. “Adam!” His voce was a mixture of relief and concern.

Pain was the first sensation that Adam felt when consciousness began to return. “Pa,” Adam croaked, and blindly reached out with his right hand towards his father’s voice.

“I’m right here. Welcome back,” said Ben, his mood somewhat better now that Adam was awake again.

“Argh!” Adam moaned, automatically raising his right hand to his chest.

“Is that all you can say?” lightly chastised Ben.

Adam licked his lips, and tried to moisten them. “I feel awful and I’m thirsty.”

Ben chuckled at his son’s remark. “Well, that’s better but not by much.” Instinctively he placed his hand on Adam’s forehead and was disheartened to feel the heat that emanated from the clammy skin.

“Where’s Zeus?” Adam asked, frantic with worry. The last time he’d seen his beloved dog was just before the world underneath his feet fell away and plunged both he and his father into the dark cavern below. He struggled to get himself to an upright position but conceded defeat when eh pressure became too much to sustain.

“He’s fine,” Ben assured him, supporting Adam in his arms and holding him close to his chest. “When I came to I heard him barking from the top of the shaft. He must’ve jumped clear when the timbers started to fall.”

“Good,” Adam whispered and leaned back against his father’s chest.

Ben knew how much his son loved his dog and how much the dog loved his son. He reflected on how much Adam had changed since the four-legged member of the family had entered his life. The caring, compassionate, fun loving and at times whimsical nature of Adam had emerged from deep within and was shared with those around him. Zeus had succeeded in breaking down the walls that Adam held built around himself as a defensive mechanism – walls that not even Ben had been able to fully break through.

He recalled what Sheriff Roy Coffee had told him. That Adam has been less quick to anger when his youngest brother provoked him as he had on many occasions. Roy had often had the unenviable task of placing the oldest and youngest of the Cartwright brothers under arrest for disturbing the peace with their barroom brawls, which had been amongst some of the best that Virginia City had ever been witness to.

Although Roy did his job by having them incarcerated as punishment for their unruly behavior, Ben always had the final say. He would not suffer fools lightly. His word was the last on any subject – no matter how old his sons were. Each of them had come to accept it as an unwritten law.

“He’s a good dog,” mumbled Adam, the meager amount of strength he’d just shown seemed to suddenly leave. Pain once more making itself known to him. He sighed deeply and tried to get himself comfortable.

Ben felt his son’s weight shift and knew that he had to work fast before Adam fell asleep again. “Do you still have the small tin of matches on you?” he asked, hopeful that Adam had them. He’d searched as best he could for them but had halted his search when Adam had moaned.

“Hmmm,” responded Adam, unsure of what his father had just asked him.

“The matches.”

“Oh yeah … in my jeans pocket, I think.” With his right hand he felt into his pocket and pulled out a small cylindrical tin, which contained the wax matches. “Here,” he said, handing them over. Once again he let his mind drift on the calm waves of darkness that rolled towards him.

“… Need to check your shoulder.” He heard a voice say. It sounded so far away. In vain he tried to push Ben’s probing hands away. “Leave me alone,” he begged. “Hurts to much.”

“I know it does son and I’m sorry. Once I’m done then you can relax.”

“We gotta get outta here,” Adam slurred. Stringing a comprehendible sentence together had become too much for him.

“Not much chance of that right now. Not until we can see what we’re doing. I’m going to get a fire started; I found some wood before while you were out to it. All I needed were the matches.” He gently laid Adam back against the dirt floor while he maneuvered himself to a standing position, careful not to jar his ankle too much.

A short while later he returned with his valuable bounty – wood. The resource that would help provide them with warmth and light. With a small fire lit he could now see the extent of Adam’s injuries. He felt his son flinch at his slight touch on his shoulder. “I’m sorry son,” he apologized. These words were repeated several times over before Ben had completed his brief examination.

He felt the distinct break of Adam’s shoulder blade and the broken tibia in his left leg. As Adam had told him before his injuries were confined to the left side of his body, indicative of the way that he had fallen. Using his own belt and two slats of wood he splinted Adam’s left leg. With Adam’s belt he wrapped it around Adam’s chest to secure his left arm firmly against his chest. “Sorry son, it’s the best I can do for now,” he said, his voice tight.

“It’s okay. I know you did your best, thank you.” He looked up at his father, his eyes saying what he couldn’t. The love, devotion and admiration that he held for the man meant so much to him.

Ben threw another piece of wood onto the fire and rubbed his arms, willing them to warm sufficiently. He could see that Adam was having difficulty breathing and pulled his to a sitting position with his back against the shaft wall.

“Pa,” Adam rasped, his voice sounded labored. “Zeus. Where is he?”

Concerned that his son had repeated the same question he’d asked not more than ten minutes beforehand, Ben held a match near Adam’s eyes, the light it cast aided in checking his pupils. His suspicions had been confirmed, on top of everything else Adam had suffered a concussion. Now as much as he wanted to let his son sleep, he couldn’t. He’d heard of people that had been concussed falling into a coma and sometimes death while they slept. He wouldn’t risk losing his son something that eh couldn’t see and prayed that he had the energy to kept not only himself going but also Adam.

*******

Zeus had run on through the rain, he knew that he had to find help. His human was hurt and the human’s father had been unable to help. Before he left he barked to the victims trapped in the mineshaft below.

Cold and hungry he’d waited under some low hanging branches of a sycamore and watched as a lone wolf began to eat its freshly killed prey. Driven by hunger, Zeus advanced towards the wolf. The Grey sensed a new predator and growled a warning. It’s hackles raised, it bared its blood stained teeth at Zeus. Unnerved by the ferociousness of the wolf’s appearance, Zeus advanced his own teethed bared, the top lip drawn upwards revealing two dangerous fangs. His footing was slow and sure, his dark eyes boring into the soul of the wolf’s green eyes. He circled the wolf, sizing it up.

Both wolf and dog lunged at each other. As the rain continued to pour the air was filled with the savage snarls and pain filled yelps as the two animals fought. They sparred with each other exchanging vicious bites. On their hind legs they continued to fight, Zeus easily towered above the wolf and had the advantage. When the wolf threw its head back Zeus made one final lunge at it. Within seconds the fight had gone from both as the wolf lay dead on the ground. Blood dripped from its neck and pooled underneath it. Zeus gave the wolf one last sniff before he claimed his prize. His hunger sated he drank greedily from a large puddle of water before he moved on.

A curl of smoke trailed up against the moonlit deep blue of the sky. He sniffed the air and pushed his exhausted and beaten body onwards.

 

“Hey, Joe, ya think Pa will be angry with us for coming out in this weather to meet him and Adam?” Hoss asked and rubbed his hand through his hair.

“Nah. He’s probably as bored with Adam’s company as I am with yours.” Joe said, trying to stifle the small laugh that had started.

“Yeah, he probably is.” Hoss agreed and paused as he thought about what Joe had said. “Hey you just watch what you’re sayin’. You should be honored that you had me all to yourself this past week.”

“I would rather have been with Susan,” Joe grumbled quietly to himself.

“What was that?”

“I said that after a week of putting up with you I’m ready for a change of scenery.”

“Any more of your smart comments ‘short shanks’ and I’ll put ya outside in the rain.”

Hoss and Joe had left earlier on in the afternoon to meet with their father and brother who had been away for a week buying new breeding stock for the ranch. Four hours into their ride the heavens had opened and had drenched them both in its torrential downpour. They had taken refuge at a line shack near the eastern boundary of the Ponderosa as they waited out the storm.

“Think Pa and Adam will think to stop here on their way back to the ranch?” Joe asked and pulled his green jacket tighter around his cold chest.

“If they’ve got any sense they will. Wouldn’t hurt to cook up a bit of fresh grub,” Hoss said as he put some wood into the small potbelly stove. “Ol’ Charlie certainly keeps this shack well stocked. Got enough food in here to keep a man going for a couple of weeks.”

“Or you for one,” laughed Joe, his emerald green eyes danced as a slow smile spread across his features. His laughter came to an abrupt halt and he raised his hand to signal Hoss to be quiet when he tried to rebuke. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Hoss asked and scrunched up his face. He gave up trying to listen a few seconds later and shrugged his shoulders. “You’re hearin’ things.”

“No I’m not. Listen, it sounds like something scratching against the door.”

“Well gee, Joe why don’t you go and invite whoever is out there inside,” Hoss grinned when he saw his younger brother’s face pale slightly. “Maybe it’s a headless horseman come to look for a new head.”

Joe shot Hoss a glance that said that he was not impressed by his observation while Hoss continued to smile. “Look are you gonna come and see what it is or not?”

“Or not.” Hoss responded and turned back towards the stove. He hadn’t gotten very far when he felt himself being pulled backwards. Together both brothers walked towards the door of the shack, Hoss’ gun was drawn and ready. He nodded for Joe to open the door while he took a defensive position.

“It’s Zeus!” Joe cried on recognition of the bedraggled German Shepherd that stood before them.

“Get him in here. He looks like he’s been through hell.”

“You take care of him… if he’s here then Pa and Adam can’t be too far behind.” Joe’s search proved fruitless. There was no sign of either man or their horses. Down heartened he returned to the shack.

“Anything?” Hoss asked.

“Nothing. We’ve got to go looking for them.” He pulled on his slicker and pulled his hat down, snug on his head. “They can’t be to far from here.”

“How about we wait a spell and give this little fella some food before we get movin’”

“Little?” Joe asked incredulously, his voiced squeaked as he spoke. “He’s hurt,” Joe added when he saw the blood that stained the dog’s coat of gold and black hair.

*******

Adam’s violent coughing woke Ben from his uncomfortable slumber. Annoyed with himself for falling asleep, Ben placed his hand on Adam’s head and tried to keep him still. “Dear God,” he prayed when he felt the heat radiate from Adam, “send help. Look after Zeus and give him the strength to bring back help.

“Pa?” Adam called. “It hurts,” he added, his voice etched with pain.

Ben looked upward and shuddered. He felt hopeless; there was nothing he could do to ease his son’s suffering. “I know it does, son. We’ll be out of here soon. I promise.”

“Ya think Zeus went to get help?”

“Yeah. I reckon he did,” agreed Ben and pulled Adam back against his chest once more. “He’s quite a special dog isn’t he?” He asked, trying to stimulate some conversation. It worked for which Ben was grateful. Now his next task was keeping his own eyes open and not giving in to sleep.

*******

“Someone must a been lookin’ out for you Zeus, with those wounds you should a been a goner.” Remarked Hoss as he set a bowl of food on the floor. “Don’t you worry boy, Ol’ Hoss will look after ya and fix you up as good as new.”

While they waited for Zeus to finish his meal and his drink, Joe saddled the horses. He rubbed Cochise on his nose and apologized to him for having to ride him again so soon. Just as Adam was close to Zeus, Joe shared that same closeness with Cochise.

The rain had eased to scattered showers as Hoss and Joe followed Zeus back to where he’d come from. On the way they passed the carcass of the wolf. Joe blew out a long whistle when he saw the blood that covered it. “This must have been where Zeus got hurt,” he said. Hoss merely nodded his head and clucked his horse forward.

“Over there!” exclaimed Joe and pointed to where Buck and Sport were still tethered. He knew that his father and Adam couldn’t be to far away when Zeus bounded into the tunnel. “PA! ADAM!” he called at the top of his lungs. He continued to call as he cautiously made his way into the mine.

“Down here.” Came a weak reply. “Be careful, the boards are rotten.”

“Hoss, bring some ropes. Pa and Adam are down the shaft,” Joe yelled. When he heard Hoss turn and walk out of the tunnel again he leaned over the edge. “We’ll have you both out real soon.”

“Okay are you ready?” Hoss called and took up the slack on the rope.

Ben took a moment before answering and gave Adam some words of encouragement. “Just stay awake for a few more minutes and then you can rest. Your brothers are going to get us out of here.”

“I thought we weren’t going to make it this time,” mumbled Adam, he was fast losing his battle with alertness and sagged heavily against his father.

“Pull us up, Hoss. Your brother doesn’t feel like staying down here any longer.”

The extraction from the floor of the mine was slow. Ben put his body between the wall and his son, taking the brunt of any protruding pieces of wood and rock. “Easy with him,” cautioned Ben when he and Adam were finally topside. “He’s got a few broken bones.”

“We’ll take care of him, Pa. You just let us do what we hafta do.”

“Yeah Pa, me and Hoss’ll take care of him,” seconded Joe as he helped his father to stand up.

It still hadn’t occurred to Ben how Hoss and Joe could’ve gotten to the mine so quickly and began to ask when Zeus barked. “Zeus found you? How did you get from the ..”

“We were already on our way to meet you both,” Joe forestalled his father. “We’d stopped over at Charlie’s shack to get out of the rain. Pa, can we tell you all about it later?”

 

Epilogue

The morning sun sent shards of brilliant white-gold light across the tall pines, washing the interior of Adam’s room with it’s light. Adam’s leg was set inside a heavy cast and had been propped up on pillows, while his shoulder had been immobilized and his ribs tape. Next to Adam lay his dog. Hoss had taken care of Zeus as promised and now several bandages adorned the dog’s body.

“They’ll both be fine with rest,” assured Paul Martin, the family doctor. “And as long as you keep off your ankle, you’ll do as well.”

“I’ll make sure he does,” called a weak voice. Adam looked up and grinned at his father. “When I’m feeling better I’ll challenge you to a race using our crutches.”

“You’ll do no such thing – either of you,” admonished Paul and pointed his index finger at them. “That sort of behavior I expect from Joe.”

“What do you expect from me?” asked Joe as he entered the room followed by Hoss.

“I still think it is mighty fortunate that you two decided to go out and meet the invalids when you did,” Paul said as he packed away the last of his medical equipment. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you’d been any longer in that hole.”

“Zeus would’ve found his way home,” replied Adam with a strong conviction in his voice. “He would’ve gotten us help.” His right hand drifted down to rest on Zeus’ head, as he felt his eyelids grow heavy.

“C’mon everyone out and leave the boy and his dog to get some sleep,” Ben smiled and hobbled out the door on his crutches.

Paul ushered the two younger Cartwrights out of the room and with one final check of his patient he joined the men in the hall. “How about that cup of coffee and breakfast that you promised me.”

“Hey I’ve got an idea,” said Joe, “when you and Adam are more active you should have races using your crutches.”

“JOE!” scolded three voices in unison, while on the other side of the door Adam smiled contentedly to himself. ‘Wonder where Joe would’ve ever got such an idea,’ he chuckled before he closed his eyes and resigned himself to sleep.

 

THE END

 

By Starbuck © October 2000