Summary:<\/b> A provocative story of love between two brothers.\u00a0 Adam realizes just how much he loves his kid brother when death comes knocking at Joe’s door.<\/p>\n
Rated PG13 \u00a0WC 12,100<\/p>\n
The Sound of His Weeping<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The late afternoon sun had just began to dip behind the tall<\/strong>, snow-capped mountains as Little Joe Cartwright guided his sure-footed pinto deeply into the forest.\u00a0 The woods were dark and dreary looking, with the setting sun and thin layer of fog that had developed, the trees and bushes, vines and such as, cast long, almost grotesque shadows along the trail where Joe pulled his mount to a stop.\u00a0 He cocked his head to one side, listening; it was so quiet, almost too quiet as he urged his horse forward and continued on his way.\u00a0 Deeper into the forest Joe rode, watchful, ever watchful.\u00a0 The large tracks he had been following lured him like a duck to open water and his blood seemed to surge through his veins and deep within his chest, his heart hammered, beating rapidly in anticipation of what was to come.\u00a0 His left hand gripped tightly to his Winchester, as he guided Cochise with his right hand and used his knees to make his signals.<\/p>\n Moss covered trees lay crumbled about, some laying on the ground, others locked and entwined with one another.\u00a0 Strong wind storms and heavy snows had toppled the trees over the course of time.\u00a0 Pouring rainstorms had weakened the soil where tall Ponderosa pines and aged old oak and hickory, maple, beech and sweet gum trees had for centuries sank their deep roots into the rich, dark earth but had now fallen away with the erosion that had held their roots.\u00a0 Rhododendrons and mountain laurels were thick, May apples were just pushing up from the earth, bright green forest ferns added to the multiple hues of greens and yellows, reds and oranges.\u00a0 The forest was a mystical place, luring, exciting and frightening at times, but Joe loved the sweet smells of pine, mixed with the musty scent of the woods.\u00a0 It was, to the boy\u2019s senses, like icing on one of Hop Sing\u2019s home baked cakes that the youngest Cartwright son loved so well, and Joe inhaled deeply, filling his lungs to capacity.<\/p>\n Yards ahead, a newly fallen pine lay entrapped among two more, older pines.\u00a0 Its branches broken and jagged resembled the sharp forks of the hay rake stored in the Cartwright barn.\u00a0 It\u2019s spikes sharpened as if honed to perfection, were lethal weapons, to anyone or anything that might happen to carelessly scrape by.\u00a0 The bark had been stripped from the pointed spear shaped branches, making them smooth and slick and giving one the idea that they had been purposely shaped into the harpoons they resembled.\u00a0 Dangers of enormous proportions waited for the unsuspecting, but seventeen year old Joseph had grown up with these dangers.\u00a0 He had roamed over every inch of the land where he had been born.\u00a0 He knew every rock and tree and had learned at an early age, taught well by his father and two older brothers, how to hunt and survive in the wilderness and how to live in harmony with God\u2019s creatures that made up his world. Thus he pushed ahead; unaware that soon, his destiny would take him totally in opposite directions from everything he had been taught and thought he had learned so well.\u00a0 Death stalked him; much like Joseph stalked the trophy buck he had been tracking for the last several hours.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be gone most of the week,\u201d Ben stated, turning toward his three sons who waited as he mounted his buckskin stallion.\u00a0 \u201cI expect things to carry on as usual\u2026or maybe I should rephrase that\u2026carry on as normally as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben gave a light laugh, casting his eyes at his youngest son.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, please, try to stay out of trouble this time, will ya?\u201d smiled Ben.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of work to be done, you shouldn\u2019t have time on your hands for anything else. I expect those strays rounded up and that fence over in the south pasture repaired by the time I get back.\u00a0 Oh, and don\u2019t forget, I want you to take inventory of line shacks one, two and three, make sure everything is counted, repaired and then restocked, we\u2019ll be needing them before much longer.\u201d\u00a0 Ben flashed a smile at his youngest.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019ll do a good job, son,\u201d he added as a show of his faith in his son\u2019s ability.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry Pa, I\u2019ll do my best,\u201d Joe returned the smile, though the thoughts of his father being gone for a whole week disturbed him.\u00a0 He had been having nightmares, waking almost nightly for over a week, and he had wanted to speak to his father about them, but it seemed that Ben had been so busy with so many different things, that the time had never been right.\u00a0 Now it was too late, Ben was leaving again, just three days after returning from Genoa, his father was having to go to Sacramento on mining business.<\/p>\n \u201cI know you will, son,\u201d nodded Ben as he turned to his older sons.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAdam, Hoss, you both know what you are to do, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYessir, Pa,\u201d smiled Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry Pa, I\u2019ll try to have those books straightened out by the time you get home.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s lip curled into a fine line and he couldn\u2019t help but add to his statement.\u00a0 \u201cI still say if you had let me do them in the first place, I wouldn\u2019t have to be spending hours, possibly days, working on them now, while you\u2019re gone.\u00a0 I could be doing something constructive, like watching out for this little bear cub of yours.\u201d\u00a0 Adam gently jabbed his thumb into his kid brother\u2019s shoulder and waited for his father\u2019s response, his dark eyes dancing mischievously.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d squealed Joe.<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s dark eyes darted from Adam\u2019s face to the innocent face of his youngest offspring, and Ben smiled.\u00a0 The boy was the joy of his heart, and everyone knew it, even the boy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll be watching out for him regardless as to whether or not those books get corrected.\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s smile turned to Adam, his oldest, and his partner in everything that he had ever undertaken since Adam\u2019s birth.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s your responsibility for the next few days, I hold you liable.\u00a0 Have a good week, boys, be safe,\u201d Ben called out, as Joe\u2019s high-pitched giggles sounded in his ears.\u00a0 Ben shook his head, those boys of mine, he thought with pride.<\/p>\n Adam glanced at his brother and sighed deeply.\u00a0 \u201cGet going Joe, might as well not waste time standing there daydreaming.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure thing older brother,\u201d Joe called teasingly.<\/p>\n Joe gave one swift glance at his father\u2019s retreating back as Ben\u2019s horse moved over the rise.\u00a0 His smile disappeared from his face and unseen by his brothers, was replaced with a frown; he had certainly needed to speak with his father about his sudden unease, for he had felt a sure cloud of doom wash over him and linger now for several days.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be in the house, working on the books if either of you need anything,\u201d called Adam heading in to begin the dubious task his father had set before him.<\/p>\n Hoss tightened the cinch on his saddle and mounted up, he had work to do down at the corrals.\u00a0 Some mustangs needed his attention and he had promised his father that he would get right to it and thus the middle son\u2019s day was set.<\/p>\n Joe entered the barn feeling a mite gloomy.\u00a0 He hated that it was his time to muck out the stalls, he hated shoveling all the manure and then carrying it all the way out to the manure pile behind the barn to dump.\u00a0 He grumbled under his breath that his father should hire a man just to tend to the barn, but knew that would never happen, Ben expected each of his sons to take their turn doing the dirty work, as Joe fondly referred to the mucking.\u00a0 He finished sooner than he had expected.\u00a0 Hoss had mucked last and Joe found a bit of comfort in the fact that Hoss always did a better job than he or Adam; and so when Joe could manage, he tried to be next in line, behind Hoss, because it made his own job somewhat easier.\u00a0 Once the barn chores were finished, Joe loaded what fencing he needed onto the back of the wagon, hitched up the team and headed for the south pasture.\u00a0 Glancing at the sky, he figured that if he were lucky, he could complete the assigned task well before dinnertime, and still make it home in plenty of time to perhaps convince his older brother to allow him to do a little fishing.<\/p>\n Tomorrow, he would round up those strays that had knocked down the fence and head them back where they belonged.\u00a0 That should take most of the day, muttered Joe to himself, not relishing a long hard day in the saddle chasing obnoxious bovine that had neither brain nor brawn to think for themselves.<\/p>\n The line shacks would have to wait until the end of the week.\u00a0 In fact, reasoned Joe, it might take him three days to inventory, repair and restock the cabins, as his father had desired.\u00a0 Joe couldn\u2019t help the tiny smile that creased his face; some time away from his older brothers was just what he had been hoping for.\u00a0 With his father away, Joe hoped to squeeze in a little hunting along with his fishing.\u00a0 Once up at the shacks, he was basically free to do as he wished, once the inventory was taken and a list of needed supplies was made, Joe thought that he might find that free time his father and brother had tried so hard to fill for him.<\/p>\n Cochise stood unmoving as his rider twisted and turned in the saddle, searching for what lay ahead.\u00a0 A fly buzzed around the pinto\u2019s ear, causing the appendage to twitch nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cEasy big fella,\u201d whispered the boy softly, in a muted voice.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes studied the thick growth around him, searching deeply into the dense new extensions that sprang up from the forest floor.\u00a0 His deep hazel eyes seemed to peer beyond the layers of greenery that tried to bar his search.\u00a0 A movement to his right drew the boy\u2019s attention in that direction.\u00a0 A chipmunk darted across a downed log and scurried to the ground where Joe lost sight of it as he slipped beneath the natural carpet that covered the earth.\u00a0 Above, a black crow called out to his mate and flew onto a branch high in a pine, thick with dark green needles and laden with heavy cones.<\/p>\n Cochise\u2019s shoulder flickered as he pawed the soft earth with his hoof, impatient to be moving on.\u00a0 Joe petted the long silky neck, and with a soft touch of his knees, urged the horse forward.\u00a0 Man and horse had only taken a few steps when Joe suddenly pulled back on the reins, bringing the horse to a dead standstill.\u00a0 Loud thrashing and pounding hooves barreled toward him.\u00a0 Bushes parted, the forest appeared to rip open right in front of Joe as five large white-tailed deer leapt over the fallen trees in their attempt to distance themselves from whatever it was that had startled them.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t the only ones startled.\u00a0 The black and white pinto snorted loudly and then jumped in open-eyed surprise at the unexpected company as he tried to side step the deer in an effort to keep from being run down.\u00a0 In his terror, Cochise startled a covey of quail nesting beneath mountain laurel near the horse\u2019s legs.\u00a0 The birds flew upward, their wings flapping as they raced for safety.\u00a0 Cochise whinnied loudly and stumbled backward, nearly sitting on his haunches.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s arm flung outward, sending his Winchester sailing through the air.\u00a0 In a last ditch effort to keep from falling, Joe grabbed the saddle horn tightly with both hands as he felt Cochise\u2019s body spring upward.<\/p>\n The deer darted past; their large, dark almond shaped eyes wide with fear.\u00a0 The tip of one buck\u2019s antler scraped the horse\u2019s shoulder, slicing through the thick skin.\u00a0 Cochise screamed out in fright and jerked his massive body around, heading, in his confusion, after the small herd of deer.<\/p>\n Joe had no time to collect his thoughts; everything happened so fast.\u00a0 His body shot from the saddle as if it had been catapulted from a cannon, separating him from his horse.\u00a0 His mind clouded momentarily by his dizziness but then cleared sharply, just as he felt the agonizing stab of pain assault his body.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Little Brother, it\u2019s about time you got back.\u00a0 I was thinking maybe I\u2019d have to come looking for you,\u201d greeted Adam as he stood towering over his younger brother and watched while Joe removed his hat and gunbelt.<\/p>\n Joe cut his eyes upward at Adam\u2019s face, not sure whether his brother meant what he had said or was just teasing him.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s own eyes danced in amusement at the look on the younger boy\u2019s face and his lips twisted into a grin as he rested his hand on his brother\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t look so worried, kid, I was just joshing you,\u201d laughed Adam.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, supper\u2019s ready, you hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s face brightened, \u201cstarved,\u201d he laughed and followed Adam to the table.\u00a0 Joe pulled out his chair and started to sit down, but stopped at the gruffness of the family servant\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n \u201cBoy wash hands, no eat at Hop Sing\u2019s table with dirt and cow dung under fingernails!\u201d chanted the little oriental.<\/p>\n \u201cAw\u2026dadburnitall, Hop Sing, can\u2019t ya call it sumthin\u2019 else?\u201d moaned Hoss, his fork nearly to his mouth, which he had scrunched up at the servant\u2019s description of what lay trapped under Little Joe\u2019s fingernails.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing call it what it is\u2026dirt, dung or worm bait\u2026it not comin\u2019 to my table.\u00a0 Scoot\u2026boy go NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, okay, Hoppy, I\u2019m going, I\u2019m going,\u201d giggled Little Joe over his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cHey Adam, don\u2019t let Hoss eat it all, I dun told ya, I\u2019m starved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you get that fence repaired Joe?\u201d Adam asked much later that evening when supper was over and the three brothers sat leisurely around the great room.<\/p>\n Joe looked up from his checker game where he was winning, a satisfied smile on his face.\u00a0 \u201cSure did, even managed to fix a couple other places that Pa didn\u2019t find earlier.\u00a0 Everything\u2019s ready for those strays, once I get them rounded up tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, that checker wasn\u2019t there a minute ago!\u201d grumbled Hoss, giving his little brother an evil eye.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, of course it was\u2026ya don\u2019t think I\u2019d cheat, do ya?\u201d smiled Little Joe, bewitchingly.<\/p>\n Hoss studied the young handsome face, trying to determine if he had just been asked one of those questions when it was best not to even bother.\u00a0 \u201cHuh\u2026I dun know\u2026would ya?\u201d he barked sharply, causing Joe to giggle.<\/p>\n \u201cAw Hoss, what d\u2019ya take me for, a cheat, a liar, a sneak?\u00a0 Come on, now you\u2019ve hurt my feelings,\u201d pouted Joe, lowering his long lashes to add affect to his sorrowful look.<\/p>\n \u201cDadburnit Joe, I didn\u2019t say that.\u00a0 How\u2019s come ya always manage to turn every word I say around to make it sound like sumthin\u2019 I dun said, but what I ain\u2019t dun said, in the first place?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss stared into the face of his baby brother, seeing the confused look cloud the hazel eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure little brother got you\u2019re meaning, Hoss,\u201d Adam laughed loudly.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, I\u2019m not quite sure what you just said either.\u201d\u00a0 Adam held his hand up to stop any further discussion of the matter.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s time we called it a night.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m beat anyway,\u201d smiled Joe, willing to let Hoss\u2019 remarks go for now.<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t really mad, nor were his feelings hurt, he just like to make his big brother think they were.\u00a0 Joe liked the attention, and though he would never admit it to either of his brothers, he thrived on it, especially now, with his father absent from home.<\/p>\n \u201cNight Joe,\u201d called Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cNight Adam, night Hoss,\u201d smiled Joe when his middle brother turned his blue eyes up toward him.<\/p>\n \u201cNight, punkin, sleep tight,\u201d Hoss grinned.<\/p>\n Joe woke with a sudden start.\u00a0 His brow was beaded with tiny droplets of perspiration and his skin felt cold and clammy.\u00a0 Large hazel eyes, frightened by the cabalistic shadows and imaginary visions, sought for something familiar as the eyes darted about in the dimly lit room.\u00a0 His breathing was labored as he struggled to regain some measure of control and slowly he crawled from his bed where the linens lay heaped at his feet, and inched his way to the window.\u00a0 Brushing aside the heavy drapes, Joe pushed the window up and allowed the cool night breeze to gently caress his bare skin.\u00a0 He breathed deeply, letting his air out more slowly until his breathing had returned to normal.\u00a0 Joe turned from the opened window and poured himself a glass of water from the bedside table and gulped the entire glass without stopping.\u00a0 Unexpectedly he shivered and looking up at the window hurried across the room and closed it.\u00a0 Joe stood in the middle of the room for several moments, arguing with his inner thoughts about the strange, unexplained dream he had just had.\u00a0 Shaking himself free from his thoughts, Joe returned to his bed and buried himself beneath the thick pile of blankets.<\/p>\n The pointed spear shaped branch dripped with bright red drops of blood.\u00a0 The sticky substance covered the tip, coating its long length until it stopped, just above the flesh, where the skin had been pierced and ripped opened, inches above the knee.\u00a0 A boy moaned, agonizingly painful as the guttural pleas for help slipped past his lips.\u00a0 He tried to move, but his left arm, twisted and bent, was pinned beneath him.\u00a0 He lay face down across the fallen tree, his body lodged tightly between the twisted branches that acted as arms, refusing to renounce their hold on him.\u00a0 Joe tried to move his right arm, but the pain shot through his shoulder until he screamed loudly, shattering the silent repose of the dense forest and relinquishing himself to the eerie murkiness of his subconscious.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be back way before dark, Adam,\u201d said Joe, swinging himself up onto his pinto\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cI only counted about a dozen or so steers that needed to be put back in the south pasture.\u00a0 Wanna go fishing, later?\u201d Joe smiled, hopefully.<\/p>\n Adam studied his brother\u2019s face and couldn\u2019t help but return the smile.\u00a0 The kid was always telling them how much of a man he was, yet given half a chance, the boy was just that, in his brother\u2019s eyes, a boy.\u00a0 Adam laughed softly and placed his hand on Joe\u2019s knee.\u00a0 \u201cI would think that you would have plenty to do besides fish, if you did everything that Pa instructed for you to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, come on Adam, what\u2019s it gonna hurt to do a little fishin?\u00a0 Ain\u2019t you tired of staying cooped up in the house, straining your brain over those ole books? Let\u2019s have a little fun, what\u2019d ya say?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam seemed to be pondering his brother\u2019s words.\u00a0 He was tired of staying inside, it was much to nice to be locked away staring at the crudely scribbled numbers and letters his father had managed to enter into the ledgers.\u00a0 Adam met his brother\u2019s steady gaze and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see.\u00a0 I\u2019ll let you know when you get home tonight.\u00a0 Now get going.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam slapped Cochise\u2019s rump and the pinto darted forward.\u00a0 Joe giggled and turned the horse back around to face his brother.\u00a0 \u201cYou must be getting old Adam, you\u2019re beginning to sound just like Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, get out of here, you little scamp,\u201d shouted Adam, laughing to himself as he headed back to the dreaded ledgers once again.<\/p>\n It took Little Joe much more time than he had thought.\u00a0 The confused steers deemed it their privilege to roam free, to seek greener pastures than what the rancher\u2019s youngest son was forcing upon them.\u00a0 Joe would no sooner get one steer back on the right side of the fence, when two more would make their escape and he\u2019d be forced into repeating his actions, over and over.\u00a0 The midday sun loomed overhead; its bright rays nearly blinding his eyes, as Joe finally herded the last of the steers into the south pasture.\u00a0 He glanced upward, shielding his face from the hot sunbeams and groaned inwardly.\u00a0 It would take him at least two hours to ride back to the ranch.\u00a0 By then it would be time for supper and much, much too late to ride up to the lake and do any fishing.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t even try to mask his disappointment, he was alone, and besides, there was no one to pity him but himself.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on Cooch, might as well get home, ain\u2019t no fishing goin\u2019 to happen tonight.\u201d\u00a0 Joe kicked gently at his mount\u2019s side and allowed his weary body to sway in time to his horse\u2019s gentle movements.\u00a0 Had anyone been watching, one would think that the horse and his rider were one.<\/p>\n His vision blurred by pain, Joe moved his head ever so slightly until he could see over his shoulder.\u00a0 His eyes widened in fear at what he saw.\u00a0 Tears filled the deep wells and rolled unceremoniously down his battered face, stinging the scrapes and cuts that had disfigured his face.\u00a0 He groaned and looked away, felt his stomach heave and then spewed the hot bile from his mouth where his stomach had sent it, erupting, and dotting the ground below his head.<\/p>\n Joe took several deep breaths and clinching his teeth tightly; tried to unlock his body from the tangle of branches that hid him with their thick pine needles.\u00a0 It was useless; it was much too painful for the spear shaped branch had harpooned his upper leg, driving the long pointed length completely through his leg, from the front to the back.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t move his body, his pinned arm was useless, numb to all feeling; his other arm, from what Joe could see, had also been pierced by a much smaller branch.\u00a0 There was no way of moving it, no way to free himself from the agonizing death that beckoned him.<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2026\u201d whimpered Joe.\u00a0 Seeing before him, his father\u2019s face, Joe cried out again and then softly closed his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Short Shanks,\u201d called Hoss, hurrying from the house to catch up with his little brother.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d go with ya, to the line shacks, but I got more work down at the corrals.\u00a0 Them mustangs are getting\u2019 harder and harder for the men to break and Adam says I gotta stay down there and make sure them ole boys does it right.\u00a0 Pa wants them animals ready for the Army by the end of the month.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s okay Hoss.\u00a0 I can manage.\u00a0 Tell Adam it might be late before I get in, maybe even after dark.\u00a0 I wanna get all three shacks ready if I can so that tomorrow all I have to do is stock them and then, maybe we can go fishin\u2019 at least once before Pa gets home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, just do it right, so\u2019s Pa can\u2019t bawl ya out for nuthin.\u00a0 You\u2019re doin\u2019 good job, Joe, he\u2019d be mighty proud of ya,\u201d beamed Hoss, his own pride in his little brother showing in his clear blue eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Hoss, I promised Pa I would do my best, and that\u2019s what I aim to do.\u00a0 With any luck, maybe he\u2019ll give us all a day off\u2026I saw some monster deer tracks at the edge of the woods by the south pasture.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t mind checking them out\u2026I\u2019d love to bag a big one and surprise Pa when he got home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow ya listen Joe, no huntin\u2019 or fishin\u2019 til everythin\u2019s dun.\u00a0 \u2018Member what ole Adam said, work first\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know Hoss, I know.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll make sure it\u2019s all finished before I even think about asking Adam to let me go.\u00a0 See ya, I gotta get going before ole stuffy pants finds out I\u2019m still here,\u201d laughed Joe, tipping his hat at his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cTake care punkin,\u201d Hoss called, watching Joe gallop away.\u00a0 \u201cDadburn fool kid,\u201d muttered Hoss, though his voice held no malice for his kid brother, only affection.<\/p>\n The fog seemed to descend quickly and shroud the dark forest in a fine mist.\u00a0 The soft whimpering sounds were muted, almost inaudible.\u00a0 A hare sat on his haunches, his nose twitching, ears tilted upward, listening, then hopping away to burrow beneath the ground and snuggle with its family.\u00a0 The blood caked body shivered violently as spasms of pain surged throughout the trembling body.\u00a0 Eyelids and lashes laden with the dew of collected tears flickered and opened, making tiny, thin slits from which to view the world around him.\u00a0 Ghostly phantoms and eerie silhouettes danced about in the white fog, boggling the mind of the young boy who clung desperately to life.\u00a0 His lips, parched and dry, struggled to form words, words that sought to beseech God for mercy from his tormented world, from his suffering and pain.<\/p>\n \u201cPapa\u2026please,\u201d his unspoken words cried out in anguish, \u201chelp\u2026me.\u201d\u00a0 His wretchedness clothed him like a tight fitting corset.\u00a0 His body ached, his head throbbed, and blood continued to seep from the opened wounds, Joe Cartwright, just six months shy of his eighteenth birthday, lay dying, slowly, painfully and regrettably for those who loved him and had yet to learn of his fate.<\/p>\n \u201cI figured he\u2019d be home before now,\u201d mused Adam, glancing again at the sunset before entering the house and closing the door.\u00a0 \u201cWonder what\u2019s keeping him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow Adam, Joe\u2019s just tryin\u2019 to do everythin\u2019 right.\u00a0 He aims on askin\u2019 Pa for a day or two off to do some huntin\u2019 and fishin\u2019 when Pa gets home.\u00a0 Don\u2019t blame him none either, I could use a couple\u2019la free days myself.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss tossed his oversized hat onto the credenza and headed for the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cSumthin\u2019 sure \u2018nough smells good,\u201d he called over his shoulder.<\/p>\n Adam tossed his own hat down and followed after his brother.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, and if that little scamp doesn\u2019t get back pretty soon, we\u2019re not holding supper for him tonight.\u00a0 I need food for thought; you\u2019d never believe what a mess Pa made of those books.\u00a0 The whole year\u2019s worth of figures was off because of one little number.\u00a0 Pa should have entered it as a 3 but the ink must have run and it looked like an 8.\u00a0 Took me four days to find that blasted mistake!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam paced back and forth in front of the massive stone fireplace and glanced for the hundredth time at the old grandfather clock and then continued on with his pacing.\u00a0 Hoss peeked over the top of his newspaper, watching his brother, and then turned to check the time for himself.\u00a0 It was late.\u00a0 His stomach had begun to churn, making him slightly nauseous, but he didn\u2019t bring it to his older brother\u2019s attention; it was easy to see that Adam was worried as well, and a little more than angry.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere in thunder could that boy be and why is it taking him so long to do one little thing?\u201d stormed Adam suddenly, surprising Hoss with his loud voice that shattered the quiet solitude of the house.<\/p>\n \u201cAw Adam, simmer down, boy.\u00a0 Joe\u2019ll be along soon\u2026I hope,\u201d muttered Hoss under his breath.<\/p>\n Adam turned dark, angry eyes at his middle brother.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss tossed his newspaper onto the wide table and stood to his feet, shoving his fingertips deeply into his pants pocket.\u00a0 \u201cNuthin\u2019, nuthin\u2019 a\u2019tall.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam took a deep breath and dropped his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry Hoss, I don\u2019t mean to take it out on you.\u00a0 But you have no idea how it makes me feel when Pa goes away for days at a time like this and leaves that rascal in my care.\u00a0 The boy is forever getting himself into some kind of trouble and usually ends up with me having to bail his ornery little butt out of it.\u00a0 Then, Pa comes home, and I\u2019m the one in trouble!\u00a0 God\u2026sometimes I wish I\u2019d been a woman!\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss burst into laughter and tried to imagine his older brother as a woman.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d he sputtered, slapping his brother on the shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cSure you are, you big lug,\u201d said Adam as a smile crept across his face, relaxing his features.\u00a0 \u201cBut I just hate it when Pa goes off and says what he always says to me, \u2018You\u2019re in charge while I\u2019m gone son, I hold you liable\u2019.\u00a0 He has no idea what stress that puts me in, especially where Ben Cartwright\u2019s youngest son is concerned!\u201d<\/p>\n The night dragged on for what seemed an eternity to the boy, paralyzed with fear and prisoner of his agony.\u00a0 Hot flashes caused his tortured body to shiver violently.\u00a0 Joe screamed in pain, silent, unvoiced, as his body quivered and jerked, sending arrows of suffering through his legs and arms.\u00a0 His throat, so dry that his sobbing seemed unreal, Joe fought to stay awake.\u00a0 His tormented mind had seen strange and unexplainable images, silhouetted against the white fog, shadowed behind by the blackness of night.\u00a0 Tree sap had dripped onto the boy\u2019s face, burning the abrasions and coating one eye, which now refused to open.\u00a0 Flapping of wings stirred the visions to life, as an owl winged its way to the high pine growing inches from where the wounded boy remained.\u00a0 The wise old bird hooted, startling Joe, filling him with more fear as his mind played cruel and vicious games with his heart and soul.<\/p>\n \u201cOh please\u2026Adam\u2026Hoss\u2026someone\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam stopped laughing and teasing and listened to the sounds of slow moving hooves that clamored noisily against the hard earth outside their home.\u00a0 The brothers exchanged relieved expressions and stepped as one, toward the thick oak door.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about time,\u201d muttered Adam softly to Hoss who followed closely on his heels.<\/p>\n \u201cI told ya, the boy would be okay,\u201d Hoss laughed softly, stopping suddenly and bumping into his brother\u2019s back when Adam stopped in his tracks.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in the world?\u201d Hoss stammered veering around his brother in order to grab the pinto\u2019s reins that dangled on the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cEasy boy,\u201d Adam soothed the frightened horse.<\/p>\n Quickly, his skilled hands ran over the horse\u2019s flesh, searching for anything that might tell them what had happened to its rider.\u00a0 The long slender fingers touched the deep cut and Cochise shied away, his eyes wide with fear.\u00a0 Hoss held tightly to the reins, steadying the animal with his calm, demure and soft words.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, look,\u201d whispered Adam, running his hand gently over the cut.\u00a0 Adam glanced over his shoulder and met his brother\u2019s frightened blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cHoss\u2026\u201d Adam was at a loss for words, but the frightened light in his eyes, told Hoss everything he needed to know about how worried his oldest brother was.<\/p>\n \u201cHave one of the hands take Cochise and tend to this, I\u2019ll saddle our horses. It could be that the boy has to walk home.\u201d\u00a0 Adam shrugged his shoulders, \u201cwould serve him right for being so late.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw Adam, ya don\u2019t mean that do ya?\u00a0 What if the kid\u2019s hurt?\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget, Pa said ya was liable for him.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss couldn\u2019t help the tiny smile that crossed his face when Adam turned dark eyes on him.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, of course I don\u2019t mean it. Let\u2019s saddle up and go look for him.\u00a0 I don\u2019t relish him staying out all night, especially since we both know he\u2019s on foot.\u201d<\/p>\n The two brothers returned shortly after daybreak, tired, dirty and hungry.\u00a0 They had tried backtracking Cochise, but had lost the trail with the darkening of night.\u00a0 Now they hurried to refresh themselves, eat, grab fresh mounts and head out again.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m worried Adam, I got this terrible ache in my gut that tells me somethin\u2019s wrong, bad wrong,\u201d Hoss said, voicing his fears aloud for the first time.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid for him, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam turned and faced his gentle spirited brother and placed a reassuring hand on the massive shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI am too, Hoss.\u00a0 I\u2019d hate to think of something bad happening to the boy.\u00a0 I\u2019d sure hate having to face Pa with bad news; it would crush him.\u00a0 We both know how he feels about Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, let\u2019s get a move on.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam heard Hoss sniff his nose and watched as the big man swiped away tears that had filled his eyes, trying not to let them slip down his face.<\/p>\n Twilight had just begun to awaken the forest.\u00a0 Tiny creatures now scampered about, searching for morsels to fill their hungry bellies.\u00a0 Two wood mice played a game of hide- and-seek, while a snake slithered along silently, unnoticed by its victims who continued to dash about carelessly.\u00a0 Seconds later, only one tiny mouse remained, staring wildly at the snake that turned and carried away its companion, to enjoy as its breakfast.<\/p>\n The blood had dried and had turned to a dull shade of brown that was common, hours later.\u00a0 Particles of fine pollen coated the clothing that clung damply to the boy\u2019s body.\u00a0 Fragments of dirt had entrapped themselves in the dampness, covering the body in a grayish layer, and blending the comatose body with its surroundings.\u00a0 No sound or movement did the boy make; life was inching toward death.\u00a0 Death waited on the border between the natural and the supernatural, luring, enticing the boy to move nearer with its promise of peace, free from fear and pain, and slowly, ever so slowly, the lifeblood flowed in that direction.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, hold up a minute,\u201d ordered Adam, reining his mount to a standstill.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s obvious that Joe\u2019s covered all three line shacks.\u00a0 He\u2019s been there, made his repairs, and I\u2019m sure inventoried everything.\u00a0 That means that he must have started home, yet there\u2019s nothing to show us that he has.\u00a0 You don\u2019t think he could have taken the long way home, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss pushed back his tall hat and brushed his brow with his shirtsleeve.\u00a0 \u201cCould have, but why head back to the south pasture?\u00a0 Would have been much faster for him to go the other way\u2026unless\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pushed the cork back into his canteen and gave his brother a sharp look.\u00a0 \u201cUnless, what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I ain\u2019t fur sure, ya understand.\u00a0 But the other day, Joe said somethin\u2019 about findin\u2019 some deer tracks, just up a little ways from the south pasture.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss pressed his lips tightly together and stared at Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cThe boy mentioned how he\u2019d sure like to take a look at\u2019em.\u00a0 Ya don\u2019t reckon he would have, not without askin\u2019 first, I mean?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 blue eyes looked doubtful, as he said the words aloud.<\/p>\n The boy was known for his impetuous nature and nothing that the lad did ever really surprised his family.\u00a0 It shocked them at times, but they managed to survive and carry on, oft as not, bailing the boy out of some unknown danger or trouble.<\/p>\n Adam shook his head and made a face that showed his dismay.\u00a0 \u201cOf course he would have, if Joe thought for one minute that he could get away with something like that, hell yes, he would have tried it.\u00a0 You just wait until I get my hands on his skinny little butt; he won\u2019t sit for a week!\u00a0 Come on, let\u2019s ride.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss stared in shock at Adam\u2019s back, sighing deeply to himself; he gently nudged his big stallion into step beside his brother\u2019s horse.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take the two riders long to work their way around to the south pasture.\u00a0 Adam pulled to a stop and glanced around him and then turned to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cAny idea where to begin looking?\u201d he asked, his voice thick with a mixture of anger and uncommon fear that had quite suddenly swallowed him up.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, guess we could split up though,\u201d Hoss suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll start over here and work south, why don\u2019t you start over there and work your way back toward me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, fire off three shots if you find anything.\u00a0 And that little brother of ours, better hope that you find him first, instead of me!\u201d growled Adam, turning and urging his horse onward.<\/p>\n Three shots filled the air and Adam yanked back on his reins.\u00a0 Sport slid to a stop, rearing slightly into the air as his rider turned him in the opposite direction.\u00a0 \u201cCome on buddy, Hoss must have found him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFind something?\u201d Adam yelled even before reaching his brother\u2019s side.<\/p>\n \u201cJust where Joe\u2019s horse entered the woods, here.\u00a0 See?\u201d asked Hoss, dismounting and showing Adam the signs left by their brother\u2019s horse.<\/p>\n Adam glanced up, veering into the dense forest.\u00a0 \u201cNaturally, he couldn\u2019t have made it easier for us; why does he always have to do things the hard way?\u201d grumbled Adam.\u00a0 His words were not as angry sounding as they had been earlier in the day when he had first thought that perhaps his kid brother was goofing off again; but rather were filled with worry that something might have actually happened to the youngest Cartwright.<\/p>\n Hoss hid his smile from his older brother.\u00a0 No use adding to Joe\u2019s misery, he told himself.\u00a0 If the boy were doing something that he was not supposed to be doing, Hoss thought that he\u2019d sure hate to be in his kid brother\u2019s place when old stiff neck Adam got his hands on him.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s take a look,\u201d ordered Adam as he waited for Hoss to mount up.\u00a0 \u201cYou lead, just be careful, if he\u2019s hunting, he might mistake one of us for that buck he\u2019s thinking about.\u00a0 I\u2019d hate to end up with a bullet in my gut.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss snickered and squeezed Chubb\u2019s sides.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, Joe ain\u2019t trigger happy and ya know it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight now I don\u2019t know anything!\u201d Adam called to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cJust keep your eyes opened.\u201d<\/p>\n Twigs snapped and popped. Leaves rustled noisily as the sure-footed horses crept along the narrow trail.\u00a0 A squirrel barked angrily at them for disturbing his nap while a second gray squirrel darted into a hole in an old oak tree, an acorn wedged between its teeth.<\/p>\n A skunk scampered across the path; its long black tail cocked and ready to spray, should danger prove unavoidable. Chubb snorted, the skunk\u2019s scent offending his nostrils.\u00a0 Adam laughed and held his nose as the rodent scurried into the thick ground growth.<\/p>\n \u201cPhew,\u201d Hoss snarled, glancing over his shoulder and laughing at the picture his brother made, holding his nose and pursing his lips tightly together.<\/p>\n After clearing the area, Hoss stopped.\u00a0 His keen hearing had picked up on a strange sound. Nothing seemed to be moving, not even the horses; everything was at a stand still.<\/p>\n \u201cYou hear that, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam hesitated, knowing that he could trust his middle brother\u2019s instincts.\u00a0 After several moments, he ventured his horse along side of Hoss\u2019.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t hear anything, just the normal sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss slipped from his saddle and squatted on the ground.\u00a0 His fingers gently dusted back the newly fallen pine needles, unearthing the ground beneath them.\u00a0 For several long seconds he remained poised, his ears listening again for the undefined sounds he had heard minutes before.\u00a0 The big man stood to his feet and cupped his hands around his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cJOSEPH!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s horse jerked back his head, startled by the booming voice.\u00a0 Quickly Adam steadied his mount and dismounted, and moved to stand beside his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you just shoot me instead?\u201d he growled.\u00a0 \u201cBe more merciful than scaring the hell out of me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe quiet Adam and stop your fussin\u2019.\u00a0 He\u2019s here, and he\u2019s hurt\u2026badly,\u201d he added, cutting his fearful eyes at his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, go slow,\u201d Hoss cautioned.\u00a0 \u201cJOSEPH?\u00a0 WHERE ARE YA, PUNKIN?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss suddenly felt a strong grip on his arm and stopped, turning to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cLook,\u201d Adam pointed his finger at something shiny, lying on the ground just ahead of them.<\/p>\n Hoss hurried to retrieve the item that had caught the sun\u2019s rays through the tall pines where the sun struggled to light the dark forest floor.\u00a0 His hands brushed away the leaves and twigs that had fallen overnight and which had practically made the object invisible to the naked eye.<\/p>\n \u201cOh Lordy, Adam, it\u2019s Little Joe\u2019s rifle.\u201d\u00a0 His head darted in all directions, his eyes searching for some sign of his brother.\u00a0 \u201cJOE!\u201d he bellowed, his heart racing with fear at what he might find.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s eyes sought the woods around him.\u00a0 Dark with dread and left with a feeling of impending doom, his eyes scanned every inch of a full range of view.\u00a0 \u201cCome on Hoss, move ahead some,\u201d he said, looking at the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cHold up, look Adam,\u201d Hoss pointed at some broken twigs, fingering them carefully.\u00a0 \u201cLook at these.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss handed Adam one of the twigs; dry, dark blood had coated the tip.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like this, Hoss,\u201d muttered Adam, his stomach beginning to churn deep within.\u00a0 He took a deep breath to steady himself.\u00a0 \u201cHey, what\u2019s that?\u201d\u00a0 Quickly Adam dropped his horse\u2019s reins and moved slightly behind a mountain laurel and stooped to retrieve his treasure.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe\u2019s hat!\u201d Hoss almost screamed.\u00a0 His face turned a pasty white as he took his brother\u2019s hat from Adam\u2019s hand and lovingly caressed the brim.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m scared, Adam,\u201d whispered Hoss, choking back tears that threatened to overflow.<\/p>\n A soft breeze stirred the air, sending a small whirlwind of leaves scooting across the path in front of the brothers.\u00a0 The air lay heavy with the scent of laurel, sweet, almost sickening so in the tight confines of the forest walls.\u00a0 Blue jays and robins fluttered overhead, bickering at each other.\u00a0 The soft hum of bees told of a nearby nest where rich dark honey gathered, just waiting for mama bear to harvest for her young.\u00a0 A fly buzzed Hoss\u2019 head and he swatted at it.<\/p>\n \u201cDadburn green fly,\u201d he cursed.\u00a0 Suddenly his eyes flashed dark, searching his brother\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no Adam, not that,\u201d he groaned weakly.<\/p>\n \u201cTake it easy brother, it\u2019s just an old fly,\u201d Adam said with more assurance than what he actually felt.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you know what that means\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up Hoss!\u201d yelled Adam.\u00a0 Adam instantly regretted his statement and hurried to comfort his brother whose eyes had suddenly pooled with tears.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry Hoss, I didn\u2019t mean to yell at you,\u201d Adam admitted, glancing away to hide his own fear that was written into every crease in his handsome face.<\/p>\n \u201cOH DEAR GOD!\u201d he sputtered, in broken words.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Hoss nearly screamed and followed Adam into an extremely dense section of growth.<\/p>\n Adam had fallen to his knees, his head bowed lowly and Hoss could hear the sounds of his brother\u2019s weeping.\u00a0 Hoss dropped to his knees as well, his eyes wide with fear as large beads of water dripped down his face.\u00a0 He struggled to pull air into his lungs, his head began to swim and for the first time in his twenty-three years, Hoss thought he might faint.<\/p>\n \u201cUmm\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss\u2019 heads jerked upward at the near unintelligible sound.\u00a0 Adam quickly placed his hand to his baby brother\u2019s neck, searching frantically for a sign of life.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s alive, Hoss\u2026he\u2019s alive,\u201d whispered Adam, turning to face Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to get him down from here,\u201d Adam added, quickly surveying the damage.<\/p>\n \u201cBut how?\u00a0 He looks like someone stuck a fork through his leg,\u201d Hoss said softly, his eyes refusing to look again at how badly his brother was injured.\u00a0 The sight of the spear shaped branch holding his brother\u2019s leg against the rough bark of the tree and the arm as though it had been placed that way on purpose, turned the big man\u2019s stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cThat branch is too big to just break off, it\u2019ll kill him sure \u2018nough if\u2019n we were to do that,\u201d worried Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I know Hoss, give me minute to think,\u201d groaned Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cGet me the blankets, Hoss, he\u2019s freezing,\u201d ordered Adam, his hand resting on his little brother\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cJoe\u2026Joe\u2026can you hear me buddy?\u201d cooed Adam when Hoss had gone to get the blankets.<\/p>\n \u201cHow in the world did you get yourself into this mess?\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s words were choked, broken as he tried to turn his brother\u2019s face toward him.\u00a0 His large gentle hands moved tenderly over his brother\u2019s fevered flesh, brushing away the soil and fine grains of dirt that had become glued to the battered face.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease little buddy, hold on\u2026don\u2019t give up,\u201d stammered Adam, holding the cherubic face in his hands with as much care as if it had been a fine piece of China.\u00a0 Adam leaned down, his lips brushing his brother\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cTry Joe\u2026try\u2026I know you can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam heard Hoss\u2019 footsteps behind him and quickly wiped the dampness from his face and took a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cHelp me cover him up, be careful not to jar him,\u201d Adam advised in a steady voice that revealed nothing of the inner turmoil that was wreaking havoc with his fears.<\/p>\n Once Adam had Joe wrapped as best he could within the warm folds of the blankets, he placed a hand on Hoss\u2019 shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cListen Hoss, there\u2019s no way we can break that branch free without causing him excruciating pain, you\u2019re going to have to go for help.\u00a0 Bring back the medical supplies and fix the wagon so that we can transport him and bring something to cut this harpoon away with.\u00a0 Send one of the men for Doc Martin and tell him to have the doctor meet us back at the house.\u00a0 Now get going.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam turned his attention back to Joe, unaware that Hoss had yet to move from the spot next to him.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it Hoss?\u201d Adam whispered softly, afraid to look into the blue eyes that he knew were watching him.\u00a0 Adam swallowed hard, recognizing the fear in his own voice but hoping that Hoss had not detected the sound.<\/p>\n \u201cIs he gonna\u2026die?\u201d\u00a0 The last word came out as a sob, bringing Adam\u2019s attention to his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 grief and despair were etched on his face and reflected back his own expression.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026Hoss\u2026please, time\u2019s awasting, get moving.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss lumbered to his feet, his hand caressing the dark curls as he rose.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t leave\u2019em Adam.\u00a0 Ya know how he hates to be alone.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s eyes misted, he knew, he had always known of his brother\u2019s fears, ever since the boy had been a baby, Adam had known.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t Hoss, I promise.\u00a0 Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHurry, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will, I promise\u2026I won\u2019t be long.\u00a0 And I\u2019ll make sure Hank sends a wire to Pa in Sacramento, too.\u201d<\/p>\n With that, the big man vanished behind the natural walls of the forest.\u00a0 Adam glanced quickly over his shoulder but could not see his brother.\u00a0 Sounds of Chubb\u2019s heavy hooves pounding the carpet floor, jarred the earth as the huge animal galloped off, maneuvering both horse and rider in and out of the tangles that tried to bar their path.\u00a0 They, Hoss and Chubb, driven by fear and guided by love, let nothing stand in their way, Joe\u2019s life lay in the balance and Hoss\u2019 only aim was to tip the scales in his brother\u2019s favor.\u00a0 Determined that his baby brother would live to hunt another day, Hoss vowed with his life to bring help before it was too late.<\/p>\n It took far more time than what Adam or Hoss both had determined to free Joe from his entrapment.\u00a0 The sharply honed, spear shaped branch, could not be removed from the boy\u2019s leg by his brother\u2019s hands alone.\u00a0 It would take more skilled, finely trained hands to do the removing.\u00a0 Hands such as Doctor Paul Martin\u2019s, whose own nimble fingers could cut away the flesh enough that the rod could be granted freedom and the leg stitched and sewn until it closed the gaping hole on either side of Joe\u2019s thigh.\u00a0 The thinner, less ominous protruding branch that had speared the upper arm, broke away from the trunk of the tree after a minute or two of gentle persuasion on Adam\u2019s part.<\/p>\n Adam kept his eyes trained on his brother\u2019s face as he gently worked the smaller branch free.\u00a0 The limb had actually cracked when the weight of Joe\u2019s body had crashed into it, thus giving Adam the leverage he needed to snap it completely free.<\/p>\n Soft moaning erupted as the shorter, less aggressive lance-like branch snapped.\u00a0 \u201cEasy Little Buddy,\u201d Adam whispered.<\/p>\n Once Joe\u2019s arm was free of the tree trunk, Adam was better able to position his brother in a more comfortable way.\u00a0 Though the arm still carried the extension, Adam could wrap the arm to prevent further loss of blood.\u00a0 Caring not that he had nothing but his shirt, Adam ripped the fine black material and carefully bound his brother\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2026oh\u2026\u201d The boy\u2019s pain penetrated his unconscious mind and he whimpered again, ever so softly.\u00a0 \u201cHmm\u2026oh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry Joe, I don\u2019t mean to hurt you, pal.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam dampened a strip of cloth and wiped some of the dirt from the soil caked face.\u00a0 He pried away the droplet of sap that covered one eye and cleaned the area until the eyelid was free of the sticky substance.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s hands trembled each time they returned to administer some sort of care for his brother.\u00a0 The wound in Joe\u2019s leg had stopped bleeding, the blood soaked trousers were anchored to his brother\u2019s flesh and carefully, his knife in hand, Adam cut away the sullied material.\u00a0 Adam scrunched up his nose in distaste of the wound site, knowing that many hours of tedious labor would be spent working to remove the spiked branch from Joe\u2019s leg.<\/p>\n Suddenly, Adam wished with all of his heart that his father were here.\u00a0 Joe needed their father’s strength, and his comfort.\u00a0 Just one word from Ben could calm and reassure the boy, and Adam knew that.\u00a0 Looking down into the tormented face Adam felt his vision blurring.\u00a0 Joe was so near death, his skin tone had turned a milky white, his eyes bore black circles about them, breathing was labored and painful and he was so cold to the touch.\u00a0 The coldness scared Adam the most.\u00a0 It was the icy fingers of death coming to claim their victim, tagging the individual for the grim reaper.\u00a0 Adam felt his body shudder, as the thoughts passed through his mind and shook his head to free his thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe,\u201d he whispered, brushing the damp cloth over his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cTry to wake up, buddy.\u00a0 Hoss has gone for help, he\u2019ll be back soon and we\u2019ll get you home.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s head moved slightly, as if trying to find the familiar voice.\u00a0 \u201cAd\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here Joe, it\u2019s me, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s eyes watched every little twitch and movement on Joe\u2019s face, hoping that Joe would open his eyes.<\/p>\n The fingers on Joe\u2019s hand wiggled and Adam was quick to grasp them with his own.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s it Joe, hang on\u2026it won\u2019t be long now.\u201d\u00a0 Adam could feel the slight pressure of Joe\u2019s fingers clinging to his and the tender, needful contact cried out speechlessly to his heart.<\/p>\n Adam was rewarded minutes later as Joe\u2019s eyes began to flutter and then open, though briefly.\u00a0 In the deep hazel depths of his brother\u2019s eyes, Adam looked, drowning in the pain and sorrow he saw behind the emerald coloring that had lost it\u2019s sparkle and shine.\u00a0 Torment and fear were the eyes tint now.\u00a0 Dyed dark and shallow, their hue lost in the sea of emptiness that looked back at him.<\/p>\n Adam felt the wind leave his lungs.\u00a0 His own eyes no longer able to contain his tears, overflowed, allowing his tears to run freely downward until they dropped from his own chin onto the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cAd\u2026am\u2026\u201d Joe\u2019s voice was strained.\u00a0 It took every ounce of strength he could muster just to speak his brother\u2019s name.\u00a0 He gathered what air he could to fill his lungs and then blinking back tears, spoke again.\u00a0 \u201cDo\u2026n\u2019t cry\u2026\u201d Joe\u2019s eyes closed, blocking from his view, the face of his oldest brother.\u00a0 The air forced his chest upward, expelled, and then ceased to be.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s eyes opened wide with newfound fear.\u00a0 \u201cJOE!\u201d he screamed frantically.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you dare die on me!\u201d he wailed through gritted teeth.\u00a0 \u201cBREATHE\u2026JOE!\u00a0 BREATHE\u2026Oh please little buddy\u2026breathe for me!\u00a0 BREATHE!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t die, Joe!\u00a0 I won\u2019t permit it!\u00a0 Do you hear me?\u00a0 BREATHE!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam ran his hands over his face and then took Joe\u2019s face between the palms of his hands.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph Francis Cartwright\u2026I\u2019m telling you now, you had better take a breath and do it now\u2026or\u2026I\u2019m telling Pa that you sneaked away.\u00a0 You know what he\u2019ll do to you when he finds out\u2026NOW BREATHE, DAMNIT!\u201d<\/p>\n From the far side of death\u2019s border, the message must have caught up with Joe Cartwright.\u00a0 His body began to spasm and jerk.\u00a0 His chest expanded and when his lips parted slightly, air filled his lungs.\u00a0 Adam swallowed the knot in his throat and caressed his brother\u2019s cold face.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s it buddy, do it again.\u00a0 Breathe Joe\u2026that\u2019s it, again.\u00a0 Good boy, Joe; do one for Pa\u2026that\u2019s it.\u00a0 Now, one for Hoss\u2026\u201d Adam was panting as he recited the procedure over and over until he was sure that Joe would not stop breathing again.<\/p>\n Hoss drove the horses at break-neck speed, something he normally would not have done.\u00a0 But Joe needed him.\u00a0 And Adam, he needed him too.\u00a0 Hank had been sent into town for the doctor and a quickly scribbled message to wire to his father, explaining that Joe had been injured and Ben was needed home as soon as possible.\u00a0 Hop Sing had helped put a mattress into the back of the wagon, tossed in medical supplies and an ax, plus a small hatchet.\u00a0 With dusk quickly approaching, Hoss had remembered to toss in a couple of lanterns and the matches and in record time, was on his way back to his brother\u2019s side.<\/p>\n Hoss found his older brother sitting silently next to Joe.\u00a0 Adam had their youngest brother\u2019s head cradled in his hands, and when Hoss looked into Adam\u2019s face, his heart stopped.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s expression was blank, his cheeks dampened by the obvious tears that had overflowed from his sad, inexpressive eyes.\u00a0 Instantly, Hoss dropped to his knees, his hand trembling as he placed it atop his older brother\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam?\u201d Hoss whispered in a choked voice, laden with fear.\u00a0 He glanced quickly at Joe and then returned tear filled eyes back to Adam\u2019s face.<\/p>\n Adam lifted his head slightly upward to meet Hoss\u2019 eyes.\u00a0 \u201cHe stopped breathing, Hoss\u2026I was so scared\u2026but he started up again\u2026thank God.\u00a0 I was so scared.\u201d\u00a0 Adam, his chin quivering, muttered the phrase a second time. \u201cI was so scared\u2026so scared, Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 His voice cracked and the tears spilled again.<\/p>\n Hoss took a deep breath and tightened his fingers on Adam\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI know Adam, I know.\u00a0 Hey, lets get him down from there and take him home.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss paused, watching Adam struggle with his emotions.<\/p>\n Hoss was shaken to the very core of his being.\u00a0 Never, in all of his years, had he seen his oldest brother more unsettled emotionally than what he was at this moment.\u00a0 \u201cAdam, are you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2026yeah\u2026I\u2026um\u2026\u201d Adam gulped and glanced at Joe, \u201che scared the hell out of me, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n An hour later, Joe was settled in the wagon next to Adam.\u00a0 Adam had refused to leave his brother\u2019s side.\u00a0 Shaken, he was determined that the boy would not stop breathing a second time.<\/p>\n Adam wrapped the wounded leg and arm as best he could with the supplies that Hoss had brought back with him.\u00a0 The leg, caked in blood and dirt, turned Adam\u2019s stomach, and it was all the oldest Cartwright son could do to keep his belly from reacting to the sight.<\/p>\n Joe moaned and groaned.\u00a0 The ride was long, the way bumpy.\u00a0 The trail, nothing more than a path through the forest, was barely wide enough for the wagon and several times the brothers had to stop and disentangle the wagon wheels from the vines and bushes that reached out to stop them.<\/p>\n \u201cOH!\u201d screamed Joe.<\/p>\n Adam, Joe\u2019s hand held within his own, tried to soothe his brother.\u00a0 \u201cTake it easy, Joe.\u00a0 I know it hurts buddy, but we\u2019re almost home.<\/p>\n Adam swallowed and then parted his lips, allowing himself the opportunity to suck in large gulps of fresh air.\u00a0 \u201cJoe\u2026\u201d he whispered, but then his words became trapped in his throat and came out as a sob.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Hoss had even pulled the team to a halt, Paul Martin and Hop Sing were rushing outside to meet them.\u00a0 Paul immediately jumped into the back of the wagon with Adam.\u00a0 His dark, compassionate eyes met Adam\u2019s, and the family physician was taken back by what he saw, deep beneath the mask that Adam had attempted to put in place.<\/p>\n Paul\u2019s hand grasped Adam\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cAre you all right, son?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam could not find his voice, but nodded his head in response.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good Adam, I\u2019m going to need you, very shortly.\u00a0 Now, lets take a look at this boy, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n Paul moved to Joe\u2019s side and carefully removed the blanket.\u00a0 He had been expecting Joe\u2019s injury to be bad, but nothing had prepared him for the sight that met his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cMY GOD!\u201d\u00a0 Paul turned to glance over his shoulder at Adam.\u00a0 But Adam had refused to meet the physician\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 His own eyes had filled once again with unshed tears and Adam quickly ran his hand across his face to brush them away.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss!\u201d called Paul, \u201cHelp me get him inside.\u00a0 Hop Sing, get the table ready, I have to operate right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss helped Paul to ease his brother carefully out of the wagon and carry him inside, where Hop Sing was already moving everything into place.<\/p>\n Adam lingered behind, his emotions raw.\u00a0 \u201cI have to get control\u2026God\u2026help me, please.\u00a0 Joe needs me\u2026\u201d Moments later, Adam turned and entered the house, just in time to catch the end of the doctor\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026the leg has to come off,\u201d Paul whispered quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cNO!\u201d Adam shouted, stomping across the room to his brother\u2019s side.\u00a0 He glanced down into Joe\u2019s face and saw the agony that had forged itself into his brother\u2019s features.\u00a0 He would never allow the doctor to cut off his brother\u2019s leg, not in a thousand years.<\/p>\n Paul turned quickly to face the angered brother, \u201cAdam\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNO!\u201d Adam yelled again.\u00a0 \u201cYou are not going to amputate his leg, do you understand?\u00a0 You dig that stick out anyway you have too, but understand me, if you make one attempt to do what you\u2019ve just suggested, I\u2019ll kill you with my bare hands!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cADAM!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss stood opened mouth, suddenly snapping to life and moving to his brother\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cTake it easy, boy.\u00a0 Paul\u2019s just trying to save Joe\u2019s life, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s dark eyes glared at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cThen let him save it, but he is not, I repeat, NOT going to cut Joe\u2019s leg off!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam turned away, unable to look at any of them and slowly moved to the fireplace where he picked up the poker and began jabbing furiously at the dying embers.<\/p>\n Hours later, Adam slipped into Joe\u2019s bedroom and pulled the chair close to the bed.\u00a0 Paul was tucking the blankets up around Joe\u2019s neck and turned to glance at his friend\u2019s oldest son.\u00a0 Adam seemed to have aged, he looked weary and worn, defeated by his grief, and Paul\u2019s heart softened, his anger at Adam\u2019s actions and statements dissipated.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s one tough kid, Adam,\u201d Paul whispered as he turned around.\u00a0 He saw Adam pull his gaze away from his brother\u2019s face and look up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we were alone, in the woods, he stopped breathing.\u00a0 Did you know that?\u00a0 He just whispered my name and then stopped breathing.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul heard Adam\u2019s voice thicken with emotion and begin to quiver as he continued to speak.<\/p>\n \u201cHe died, for just a minute or two, he died.\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s eyes sought the doctor\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve never been so scared in my entire life\u2026Joe\u2026my little buddy\u2026died.\u201d\u00a0 Unable to stop his tears, Adam covered his face and wept.<\/p>\n Paul quickly knelt in front of Adam and placed a caring hand on the boy\u2019s knee.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam\u2026it\u2019s okay\u2026I understand, honest I do.\u00a0 But Joe is strong, and he\u2019ll be all right, you have to believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s hand moved to brush away the dampness from his face.\u00a0 His eyes locked onto his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t do anything to help him.\u201d\u00a0 Adam turned to Paul, \u201call of his life, I have been there for him.\u00a0 I\u2019ve watched him grow from the day he was born until now.\u00a0 I\u2019ve taught him how to ride, to hunt, how to shoot and how to think for himself.\u00a0 I\u2019ve hauled his butt out of more trouble than you could ever imagine one boy getting into\u2026but this time\u2026when he needed me the most\u2026I could do nothing but watch him die. I had no control over what happened to him\u2026no, you don\u2019t know how that made me feel!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam rose from his chair and walked to the window.\u00a0 \u201cI love him\u2026I always have, but until that moment\u2026I never knew just how much I really did love him.\u201d\u00a0 Adam turned around; the silent tears coursed their way down his face until Adam moved to wipe them away.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll stay with him until he wakes up, if that\u2019s all right with you?\u201d Adam whispered softly.<\/p>\n \u201cThat will be fine, son.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be downstairs if he should need me.\u00a0 Adam\u2026try to get a little rest,\u201d Paul muttered as he closed the door.<\/p>\n Time ticked slowly by.\u00a0 The big house was quiet and the sound of the chimes on the downstairs clock told of the early hour.\u00a0 Adam opened his eyes, amazed that he had fallen to sleep.\u00a0 Quickly they sought his brother\u2019s face and Adam sighed deeply knowing that Joe was resting peacefully.<\/p>\n Adam studied the finely chiseled features.\u00a0 The boy was handsome, beneath the layer of bruises and scratches that had marked his face.\u00a0 He was young and strong, his whole life lay ahead of him, and Adam knew that Joe faced each new day with high expectations.\u00a0 A smile crossed his face at the thought of Joe\u2019s unquenchable thirst for adventure.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Little Buddy,\u201d whispered Adam, taking Joe\u2019s hand in his own and gently caressing the top with his thumb.\u00a0 \u201cI hope this keeps you satisfy for a very, very long time, cause you sure are making an old man out of me.\u201d\u00a0 Adam leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes.\u00a0 Minutes later, he dozed off into sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s head popped up and quickly he moved to the side of the bed.\u00a0 \u201cJoe?\u00a0 It\u2019s okay, buddy, Pa\u2019s on his way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam brushed the curls from Joe\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s coming Joe, soon.\u00a0 You just hang on.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes closed and minutes later the sound of his steadying breathing told his brother that once again, Joe had given himself over to the powerful medication that Paul had continued to administer.<\/p>\n Adam pulled back the drapes and watched as the sun topped the mountains.\u00a0 He watched the activities below, knowing that he should be out there with the men, doing his share.\u00a0 He glanced over his shoulder at his brother who had begun to stir and knew that he could not leave the boy\u2019s side.\u00a0 Not yet, not until he was completely certain that Joe would indeed be all right.\u00a0 The boy\u2019s fever had risen all night long.\u00a0 Paul had come and together he and Adam had kept Joe bathed with cool water and just before dawn, had packed his body in ice, in hopes of breaking the fever.\u00a0 It had worked too, Joe had begun to cry out, calling first for their father and then for Adam.<\/p>\n Adam turned from the window and went to Joe\u2019s bedside. His eyes could not free themselves from his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 The memory of Joe\u2019s expression just before taking his last breath lured Adam to the boy.\u00a0 He was entranced by the image, as if it had been branded before his eyes, and thus encased in his memory for all eternity.<\/p>\n Adam felt the sting of tears to his eyes.\u00a0 He had come so close to loosing his baby brother.\u00a0 It had frightened him more than anything had ever frightened him before.\u00a0 He had been numb with fear; his grief had overwhelmed him, and it seemed to Adam that he had been moving in a hypnotic state, his world unreal, more of an illusion.<\/p>\n Adam sat down and took Joe\u2019s hand into his own two hands.\u00a0 Just to feel the warmth of his brother\u2019s flesh caused a sob to catch in his throat.\u00a0 Hours ago, that same flesh had felt like ice to his touch.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s fear filled him again as he glanced into Joe\u2019s face and began to cry, this time his tears were in gratitude that God had heard his prayers and had given him back his baby brother.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe,\u201d whispered Adam, pressing the warm hand to his lips, \u201cdo you have any idea just how much I love you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think he does, son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d whispered Adam, looking up to find his father standing behind him.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t hear you come in,\u201d he said as he started to rise.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t get up Adam, you\u2019re fine where you are,\u201d smiled Ben.\u00a0 \u201cI just talked to Paul, he\u2019s downstairs, and he said that he thinks Joe will be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam took a deep breath and still clinging to Joe\u2019s hand, faced his father.\u00a0 \u201cIt was touch and go there for awhile.\u00a0 He\u2019s still not out of danger, not completely.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben placed his hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder, \u201cI know, but it looks good.\u00a0 How about you, son?\u00a0 Are you going to be all right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u00a0 I\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled slightly.\u00a0 \u201cAre you?\u00a0 I mean, Paul and Hoss said you had a pretty hard time out there, just you and Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam swallowed and locked his eyes onto Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 Ben sensed, more than saw, the tremors that rocked his oldest son\u2019s body and knew that Adam had been tossed a loaded cannon.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose they told you how scared I was?\u00a0 How I nearly lost it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, they just said you were with him, when he stopped breathing.\u00a0 Do you want to tell me about it?\u00a0 I\u2019d like to know what happened,\u201d Ben encouraged.<\/p>\n \u201cI found him first.\u00a0 It was a sight that I will never be able to forget; my kid brother speared like he was getting ready to be roasted.\u00a0 His blood everywhere, his body cold\u2026so cold Pa,\u201d Adam paused and looked into his father\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n Ben saw the inner turmoil that the falling away of the mask revealed to him and he placed his hand on Adam\u2019s knee.<\/p>\n \u201cI got scared, because I knew he was dying and I couldn\u2019t do anything to stop him.\u201d\u00a0 Adam almost laughed softly.\u00a0 \u201cI told him that he couldn\u2019t die, I ordered him not too!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s chin began to quiver, Ben remained silent, and allowed his son rid himself of his demons.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine me, ordering Little Joe not to die.\u00a0 It\u2019s almost funny\u2026no it\u2019s not!\u201d sobbed Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was in so much pain\u2026agony\u2026he wanted to die\u2026and I wouldn\u2019t let him\u2026\u201d Adam\u2019s body shook, wracked by his weeping.<\/p>\n \u201cI was so selfish\u2026I didn\u2019t want to loose him and I made him start breathing again, just so that I wouldn\u2019t have to go on without him.\u00a0 I loved him too much to even allow him to be at peace!\u00a0 Oh Pa\u2026Pa\u2026Oh God, forgive me!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben, fighting back his own tears, gathered his weeping son into his arms and drew him close.\u00a0 Adam wept for several minutes, allowing himself the luxury of being held in his father\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n When he at last pulled back, Ben saw for the first time in many, many years, the man who had never gotten a chance to be a little boy, until this minute.\u00a0 Ben smiled and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad you didn\u2019t let him die, son.\u00a0 He\u2019s lucky to have a brother who loves him that much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never knew just how much I did love the boy, until then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always known, we all have, but you just proved it by making him come back to us.\u00a0 Thank you, son,\u201d whispered Ben.<\/p>\n Ben stood, bringing Adam up with him.\u00a0 \u201cI want you to go to bed.\u00a0 No\u2026don\u2019t say a word,\u201d Ben held up his hand to stop Adam from protesting.\u00a0 \u201cPaul said that Joe would probably sleep for several more hours, I want you to do the same.\u00a0 I promise Adam, if he wakes up and calls for you, I will come and get you.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded his head, \u201cI suppose I could use some sleep.\u00a0 Pa\u2026about the doctor\u2026I suppose he told you what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2026and I told him that I would have reacted the same way.\u00a0 You were right son, in the decisions that you made.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad I left you in charge, I\u2019m proud of you Adam, very proud of you.\u00a0 Now off to bed.\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled as Adam glanced down at Joe and then gave his father a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cGood night, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood night, son.\u201d<\/p>\n When Joe\u2019s eyes flickered opened, the first face he spied was that of his oldest brother\u2019s.\u00a0 He stirred slightly, instantly bringing his father\u2019s face into his line of vision.\u00a0 Ben smiled and placed himself on the edge of the bed, next to his son.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, welcomed back,\u201d Ben beamed, overjoyed that Joe had returned to them for real this time.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Pa,\u201d Joe smiled weakly.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s with him?\u201d\u00a0 Joe raised his hand slightly and pointed at Adam.<\/p>\n Ben laughed softly, \u201cHe won\u2019t budge from that chair.\u00a0 He hasn\u2019t left your side except for short naps and to grab a bite to eat.\u201d\u00a0 Ben pushed back a long dark curl.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have any idea just how lucky you are, to have him,\u201d Ben tossed his thumb in Adam\u2019s direction and continued, \u201cfor a brother?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes grew wide and then surprised Ben by filling with tears.\u00a0 \u201cYeah Pa, I know.\u00a0 I can\u2019t remember much of what happened, but I do remember that it was Adam who stayed with me\u2026out there\u2026in the woods.\u00a0 And I remember\u2026\u201d The air expelled from Joe\u2019s lungs and a sob caught in his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on, son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI remember hearing the sound of his weeping.\u00a0 It seemed like it came from far, far away, but I could still hear it.\u201d\u00a0 Joe glanced at his sleeping brother and them back to his father.<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2026it was the most wretched sound I have ever heard\u2026it was pitiful.\u00a0 And I tried to move away from it, cause it was ripping my heart in two, but\u2026I heard his voice, ordering me not to go\u2026and I had to come back.\u00a0 I could see him crying\u2026but Pa\u2026he was a little boy, not a grown man\u2026but I knew it was Adam.\u00a0 He was begging me not to go, not to leave him\u2026so I came back.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe turned water filled eyes to look at his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cFor days, I listened to the sound of his weeping and each day I saw him grow older and older, until he was Adam, all grown up again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat whole time that I wanted to die, cause the pain was so bad, I felt more love around me than ever before.\u00a0 I can\u2019t explain it Pa\u2026it was like\u2026I don\u2019t know\u2026I just knew that he loved me and that I couldn\u2019t hurt him again.\u00a0 He\u2019s been hurt so much, I couldn\u2019t add to it\u2026It doesn\u2019t make much sense, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled, \u201cYes, it makes a lot of sense, Joseph.\u00a0 Your brother loves you, it\u2019s that simple, never doubt it, never.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t Pa, ever\u2026I promise,\u201d smiled Joe, watching his big brother sleep. His lips twisted into a smile, his mind had already begun to think of ways to lure Adam into his boyish schemes.\u00a0 Joe giggled.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s eyes opened, spying his brother\u2019s strange smile.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you even think about it!\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cThink about what?\u201d Joe muttered softly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever you\u2019re plotting, I\u2019ll not be a party to it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, Adam, you ain\u2019t no fun\u2026but I love you,\u201d smiled Joe as his laughter illuminated the glow in his emerald eyes.<\/p>\n The End <\/p>\n
\nFebruary 2003<\/b><\/p>\n