Summary:  One day in the life of Joseph Francis Cartwright, or is it just a moment, or a week, or a year, who knows he doesn’t…the day started well and then rapidly tumbled downhill…there will be trouble, a gal and of course some SJS…

Rated:  MA (18,250 words)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

 

Invisible Mending

Chapter 1:

Reluctantly l hauled myself through the doors of the ‘Bucket’, yeah, O.K., as usual l was pushing time, silently l cursed as l gazed up at the forming storm clouds, l gave Cooch a quick pat on the neck and scratched behind her left ear for good luck, she kinda likes that, as l swung into the saddle she tossed her head and snorted her agreement as if she already knew that once more she was going to have to save my hide, another toss of her head and a half rear signaled her disagreement to my blowing a kiss over the swing door to the prettiest of the new saloon gal’s, Lily’s sad smile at my early departure forced a pang of regret, but the longing look in her eyes bade well for my next and definitely longer visit.

Well at least l’d remembered the mail, so l had something going for me, soon as Virginia City was a distant memory, l let Cooch have her head and we fairly flew non stop until the ranch house was in sight.

Bending low to caress the sweating neck of my equine saviour, l was completely taken by surprise, Cooch slithered, twisting to a dead stop, unseated l catapulted from the saddle, sailing through the air, l remember thinking, ‘this is gonna hurt’ and yeah, that was something else l got right.

l reckon l must a blacked out, for how long l can’t say, a selection of mumbled voices, none that l could recognise brought me to my senses, one voice, definitely a woman’s was pitched higher than the others, for once l remembered elder brothers advice, l took my time, l lay there trying to piece together what had happened, what had caused my horse to react so violently, it was not like Cooch to put in such a dirty stop, the voices became more distinct, l also got the distinct feeling, a sort of goose bumpy, creeping sensation up my back, which l add was nothing to do with the fall, a feeling that something was not quite right, l dunno how to explain it…only that it was a strange, peculiar feeling, l continued to follow bossy boot’s instructions, which l do regret he wasn’t around to see, as he always complains l take little and no notice of his words of wisdom.

“OMG, OMG, l didn’t see him, he came out of nowhere, l didn’t see him,”

“Weren’t your fault lady, l was right behind ya, saw everything, he seemed to fall right out of the sky,”

“Nah, he threw himself over them bushes, came sailing right over and onto the highway…some kind of nutter, what ya think drugs or drink?”

“Gotta be a druggy,”

“He aint dead is he?”

Apart from the voices there were other noises and sounds that l just could not make out, l wondered if they were connected to the pounding in my head, l felt a hand on my shoulder thankfully it was my right shoulder as l had landed on my left side and l felt sure from the throbbing from my head down to my knee that l must have broken something.

“Mister, Mister you OK, can you move?”

The voice seemed to be right at my ear so l reckoned who ever she was must be kneeling beside me,

“Careful there sister you don’t know how he’s gonna react, he could be dangerous, you want me to get the cops?”

“He is hurt and unconscious you melon head it’s not as if he’s gonna leap up an rape me is it?”

“Ya never know with these weirdo’s, just look at him sister he don’t look all the ticket to me, you should get the cops?”

“You telling me HE don’t look all the ticket, if a lump on the head would improve your appearance you’d still would be first choice to lead the ugly, parade,”

“You know you got one smart mouth sister, l’m only trying to help here, trying to add some positive input,”

“Well bruuthuur you know where you can stick your input, coz your being about as useful as a bacon baguette at a Bar Mitzvha,”

It seemed to me by the heavy stressed pronunciation of the word ‘brother’ that the gal possible had a similar thing going on between her kin as l did with mine.

“Here Lady take my card, case ya might need a witness, ya can’t break wind in the wrong place nowadays without someone wanting to sue the pants off ya,”

Another voice had joined in the conversation, l reckoned it was about time to ‘make an appearance’ anyway l had to get a look at this feisty gal, slowly l flicked open my lids, l could feel my eyes saucering so wide they began to hurt, l snapped them shut, apart from the bright, blue, sunlit sky, which shouldn’t no way…unless l had been out of it all night, unconscious longer than l had thought, much, much longer than l thought, dang, now l would get it in the neck; the several heads and staring eyes looking down on me were nothing less than scary, and the gal at my shoulder, oh l very much knew it was a she, even though the hair cropped close to her scalp, and the rings, like the ring in a bulls nose, hanging from her ears, as well as the tattoos, much like the sailors in San Francisco adorned their bodies with, bade to disagree, those slender, decorated legs were most definitely female, and more so the two round, deliciously curved, palm sized breasts that were barely contained in a purple bandage swathed around her chest, quite why the completely transparent white blouse was necessary, l had no idea, in fact to be truthful l had no idea at all what was going on or where l was…l knew very well where l wasn’t, on the Ponderosa that’s where l wasn’t, there was not a tree, well apart from the stand of bushes l was supposed to have thrown myself over, a blade of grass, the ranch house and even more worrying…

“Where’s Cooch?” the words croaked out of my dry mouth brought about a minutes silence, then everyone began talking at once…