{"id":14987,"date":"2000-09-14T13:56:32","date_gmt":"2000-09-14T17:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14987"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:04:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:04:42","slug":"almost-13-by-starlite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14987","title":{"rendered":"Almost 13 (by Starlite)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:<\/strong>\u00a0Little Joe learns a family secret about his mother and Adam.<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/strong>\u00a0 PG\u00a0 (9,400 words)<\/p>\n

Almost 13<\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Joe Cartwright paced restlessly around the large living room of the ranch house.\u00a0 Full of newly revitalized energy, he was feeling trapped and closed in.\u00a0 He still had two days of confinement inside the house before he could go outside and rejoin the living.<\/p>\n

Joe felt he was fully recovered from his nasty chest cold, but both Doctor Martin and his father had dictated that he should still rest and recuperate.\u00a0 Though he initially thrived on all the extra attention he’d received from his family during his illness, his father’s pampering was beginning to get on his last nerve.<\/p>\n

Joe walked over to his father’s desk and standing on tiptoes, glanced wistfully out the high window.\u00a0 He really wished he were out with his brothers and father riding the range.\u00a0 If nothing else, it would’ve been nice if maybe one of them could have stayed home with him that day and kept him company.\u00a0 He chuckled at the thought that he would even prefer Adam’s company to his own right about now.<\/p>\n

Turning around, he looked to the books adorning the bookcase next to his father’s desk.\u00a0 Pulling out a leather bound volume, Joe opened one of his brother Adam’s favorites.\u00a0 Scanning the first page, Joe wrinkled his nose in disgust.\u00a0 How does Adam read this stuff?\u00a0 Not to mention the fact that he actually enjoys it, never mind, maybe I don\u2019t want Adam’s company afterall, he concluded.<\/p>\n

Putting the book back onto the shelf, Joe made his way over to his father’s desk and plopped himself down into the big leather chair.\u00a0 He toyed with the letter opener as he looked about the papers neatly stacked upon the desk.\u00a0 These things were about as interesting as big brother’s literature, he silently complained.<\/p>\n

Deciding to indulge himself a little, Joe decided to write his latest love a small note of affection.\u00a0 Opening drawers, he searched for a nice piece of stationary.\u00a0 His hand froze on the lower left drawer of the desk before opening it.\u00a0 He knew this was where his father kept some of his most private correspondence.<\/p>\n

Indulging his sudden urge to be nosy, Joe furtively glanced about the room before pulling the drawer open.\u00a0 Inside he found a small bundle of letters to his father in very dainty stationary tied with a silk ribbon.\u00a0 On the back of the letters was a wax seal embossed in Old English script of the letter ‘E’.\u00a0 He imagined that he could still make out the perfume of Adam’s mother.\u00a0 Not wanting to intrude any further into his father’s love life, he laid the letters to the side.<\/p>\n

Reaching in he found another bundle of letters tied with a leather strap.\u00a0 He quickly recognized the strong confident strokes of his brother Adam’s handwriting.\u00a0 He was touched when he realized that his father had saved all the letters that Adam had written home while he was away at college.\u00a0 He set this bundle next to Elizabeth’s letters.<\/p>\n

There was a small canister that laid the length of the right side of the drawer.\u00a0 Opening it he found a roll of paper.\u00a0 Pulling out the roll, he placed it onto the desk.\u00a0 Carefully, he unrolled the document and was amazed at what he saw.<\/p>\n

On the scroll was a drawing of the Ponderosa ranch house.\u00a0 Though little of the final ranch house had changed from the original rendition, the detail and immense care that had gone into the drawing intrigued Joe.\u00a0 He smiled with pride as he looked at the lower right hand corner and found ‘A Cartwright’.\u00a0 Rolling the document cautiously, he put the scroll back in the canister and placed it back into the drawer.<\/p>\n

Below the bundles he found a brown envelope with the name of ‘Russell Peterson’ written in his father’s hand and some scattered papers lining the bottom of the drawer.\u00a0 Laying the envelope to the side, Little Joe pulled out the sheets of paper.<\/p>\n

On the first one he found the scrawling text of a small child.\u00a0 He snorted as he recognized his own hand.\u00a0 It was his first homework assignment in which he was supposed to write his name.\u00a0 He could remember struggling for what seemed like hours to scratch out the letters to his name ten times as instructed to only have Adam walk over to the table and inform him that he wasn’t from Austria.\u00a0 He could still hear Adam’s smug voice inform him that his name was spelled ‘Joseph’ not ‘Josef’.\u00a0 Even though he’d gotten his backside walloped, he still felt justified in sticking his tongue out at his oldest brother in response.<\/p>\n

The next sheet of paper caused him to laugh out loud.\u00a0 Giggling he read aloud the barely legible letters, “ir, iri, ire, irik, ere, erek, eriq, erick, HOSS.”<\/p>\n

The final loose sheet of paper held the uncertain and shaky cursive scribbling of the name ‘Adam’.\u00a0 Little Joe looked at it in wonder.\u00a0 This was the first evidence he\u2019d ever found that Adam had once been a small child.\u00a0 All his life, Adam had always been a grownup.\u00a0 He smiled when he thought of what Adam must have looked liked as he too struggled to write his name.\u00a0 He set the three sheets of paper next to the bundles of letters.<\/p>\n

Joe’s heart was warmed by the sentimentality of his father.\u00a0 He couldn’t believe that his father had kept those papers after all these years.\u00a0 Deciding that he’d better put everything back before someone came home for lunch and caught him, he began to put the items back into the drawer.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d just put back the papers of his and his brothers\u2019 when his hand stopped over the brown envelope.\u00a0 The name was unfamiliar to him and he couldn’t understand why his father had placed it into the drawer with the rest of these things.<\/p>\n

Seeing that the envelope was not sealed, Joe opened it to find two pieces of paper.\u00a0 One was a sheet from a territorial newspaper, dated back to a time a couple of months after his birth.\u00a0 Frowning, he scanned the articles.\u00a0 He gasped in horror when he found the column titled ‘Marie Cartwright Exonerated of Murder’.\u00a0 Frantically he began to read the article and was so engrossed, he\u2019d never heard someone join him in the room.<\/p>\n

“Joseph!”\u00a0 Ben Cartwright thundered.\u00a0 His face flushed with anger over his son’s violation of his privacy.<\/p>\n

Startled, Little Joe almost dropped the paper he’d been reading.\u00a0 He knew his father would be furious over his indiscretion, but he was still stunned by the old news item he’d been reading and turned a questioning glance to his father.<\/p>\n

“My Ma was a murderer?”\u00a0 Joe inquired sadly.<\/p>\n

Ben’s demeanor softened at the expression he saw upon his youngest son’s face.\u00a0 He took a deep breath and glanced down to the floor before pulling a chair along side the desk to talk to his son.<\/p>\n

“No son.\u00a0 She wasn’t a murderer.\u00a0 The article tells you that she was exonerated.\u00a0 This document…” Ben picked up the other paper that was in the envelope and unfolded it, before handing it to his son to view.\u00a0 “Is the court record which shows that she was acquitted of any wrong doing.\u00a0 It was self-defense.”<\/p>\n

**************<\/p>\n

Marie Cartwright sat on the settee in front of a nice warm fire.\u00a0 She was trying to catch up on her sewing before her husband and stepsons arrived home for supper.\u00a0 She\u2019d just fed her infant son after he awoke from his nap, and wondered how one small baby could just wear her out.\u00a0 She doubted if she\u2019d even gotten a good night’s rest since that little bundle of joy had entered their lives.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hearing the door slam, she looked up from her work to find her chubby and cheerful youngest stepson, Hoss.\u00a0 Seven-year old Hoss was almost covered from head to toe in mud.\u00a0 She couldn’t help but smile at the beaming happy look upon his face.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Whatcha doing?”\u00a0 Hoss asked angelically.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Sewing.”\u00a0 Marie replied as she set the darning aside.\u00a0 I guess I\u2019ll have to try and finish this after supper, she surmised.\u00a0 “You, young man need a bath.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“A bath!\u00a0 But it ain’t even Saturday?”\u00a0 Hoss protested.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Come with me, and we\u2019ll go get you presentable for dinner.”\u00a0 Marie stated, holding out her hand to her quickly growing stepson.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Why do I need to be a gift, Mama?\u00a0 Don’t I just need to wash up for supper?”\u00a0 A confused little boy responded.<\/em><\/p>\n

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes before she began to chuckle.\u00a0 She waited for Hoss’s muddy hand to take hers, then led him to the washroom.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie had just finished cleaning the mud out of Hoss’s right ear, which he had no idea how it got there to begin with.\u00a0 When she heard someone else enter the room.\u00a0 Turning she found Adam, who quickly turned his back to her.<\/em><\/p>\n

She was puzzled by her eldest stepson’s actions.\u00a0 Since the birth of Little Joe, Adam had begun to warm up to her and they’d become much closer, but now he hadn’t even said a word as he entered the room.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Good evening Adam.”\u00a0 Marie ventured hoping there wasn’t a new rift between them.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Evening,” Adam replied, still studying the water he’d just poured into the basin.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam prayed fervently that Marie and Hoss would leave the room so he could look to his injured lip.\u00a0 He could feel the inside of it was cut, and hoped that the outside didn’t look too bad.\u00a0 He really didn’t want his father to find out that he’d be backhanded for sassing one of the hands.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Adam, please turn around?”\u00a0 Marie requested, suddenly suspicious of Adam’s behavior.<\/em><\/p>\n

Slowly, Adam did as his stepmother had instructed, trying to keep his gaze downwards.\u00a0 His face flushed as he heard his little brother declare.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Adam’s got an owie.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie quickly crossed the room to her stepson and took his face into her hands.\u00a0 Gently she lifted his head to study the wound.<\/em><\/p>\n

“What happened?”\u00a0 Marie demanded angrily, upset that someone had obviously hit Adam.<\/em><\/p>\n

“It’s nothing.”\u00a0 Adam tried to pull his face from his stepmother’s grasp.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie tilted his face upwards to hers using one hand upon his chin.\u00a0 She was still a couple of inches taller than her eldest stepson, but doubted if that would last much longer.<\/em><\/p>\n

“This is not nothing young man.\u00a0 Now please tell me who hit you and why?”\u00a0 Marie’s tone softened as she saw the frightened look in Adam’s eyes.<\/em><\/p>\n

“One of the hands slapped me for back talk.”\u00a0 Adam answered hoping his response was sufficient.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam knew his father would find out and when he did, he was certain his Pa would tan his backside.\u00a0 His father had already warned him about the way he conducted himself around the hands, and that he needed to show more consideration to the men because they were still older than he was.\u00a0 After all even though he did a man’s job, he was still a boy.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie was furious, how could someone hit this child for something as simple as back talk.\u00a0 She would definitely speak to her husband about it.\u00a0 Gently she guided Adam over to a chair and tended to his swollen and cut lip.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dinner that night was not a pleasant affair, Ben had come home in a foul mood because several head of beef had managed to get through a break in the fence.\u00a0 They would now spend the next week trying to round up the strays and get them back with the rest of the herd.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was also displeased to find his oldest son with a fat lip and the reason for it.\u00a0 Figuring that he’d already warned his son concerning his behavior, and that Adam had already suffered enough punishment over his poor judgement, Ben let him off with a stern warning.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie fumed over her husband’s decision to scold the boy.\u00a0 The one who’d slapped Adam was the one who deserved punishment, and she said as much, as she slammed her hand upon the table sending silverware to rattle against plates.\u00a0 She was so angry she left the table, leaving three stunned faces to watch her angry departure.<\/em><\/p>\n

Storming into the kitchen, Marie continued to boil while she began to help Hop Sing with the dishes.\u00a0 Even though Adam would be thirteen in less than a month, Marie felt that her husband sometimes forgot that Adam was a boy and not a man.\u00a0 She made a mental note to give her husband a few choice words that night when they were alone in their room.<\/em><\/p>\n

The next couple of weeks went by in almost a blur for Marie.\u00a0 Between caring for her baby son and planning a surprise party for Adam, she just never felt she was able to get caught up with her work.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie watched as Adam began to become more and more withdrawn from the family.\u00a0 Even to the point of trying to avoid them, if at all possible.\u00a0 One day, she came out to find Adam chopping wood, she was shocked to see large bruises on his arms now exposed by his rolled up sleeves.\u00a0 Realizing that Adam probably wouldn’t confide in her, she decided to discuss her concerns with Ben.<\/em><\/p>\n

Her conversation with her husband proved to be unfruitful.\u00a0 He’d felt that Adam’s bruises were probably just a result of all his work to help rebuild the fence, and his moodiness was just a phase of adolescence that he was going through.\u00a0 To placate his wife, Ben agreed to have a talk with his son.<\/em><\/p>\n

Though she had lost that battle, Marie decided to take the opportunity to encourage Ben to also have a father and son chat about the birds and the bees with Adam.\u00a0 The surprise party that she was planning for his thirteenth birthday would include girls and dancing.\u00a0 She wanted her stepson to be properly prepared.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie was quite proud of her eldest stepson.\u00a0 Though at times she found him really shy and reserved, she knew her intelligent boy would eventually develop into a very good-looking young man.\u00a0 In fact, she fully believed that he would become quite the lady’s man.<\/em><\/p>\n

Feeling quite satisfied with winning the second battle, a very smug Marie, left her frightened husband to plan out his little fatherly talk, and made her way upstairs to check on their son.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hearing her eldest stepson’s voice reading aloud, she stopped by the slightly opened doorway to listen.\u00a0 She placed her hand over her mouth to stifle a small giggle as she heard Adam’s voice crack.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam stopped reading and turned a warning glance over to Hoss who sat on the other side of the bed.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Just remember what I said.\u00a0 He messes his diaper and you change it, ya hear?”<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss nodded his head in response.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hearing the subtle threat from Adam, Marie peered into Adam’s room and her heart filled with love for her sons.\u00a0 Sitting on Adam’s bed were her children, Adam was stretched out on the far side of the bed with book in hand while leaning against the headboard with Hoss lying on the opposite side and Little Joe sandwiched between them, propped up with pillows.<\/em><\/p>\n

Quietly, Marie made her way downstairs to retrieve her husband.<\/em><\/p>\n

**************<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie sat at the dining room table, all her lists and plans laid out before her.\u00a0 It was only two weeks till Adam’s thirteenth birthday and surprise party.\u00a0 She so desperately wanted it to be a memorable and special affair.\u00a0 She laughed at Hop Sing’s Cantonese diatribe over her shopping list that she’d given him that morning, before he headed to town for supplies.<\/em><\/p>\n

She checked the guest list once more and was pleased to find that almost everyone who was invited would be able to attend, including that fair-haired young girl that seemed so sweet on her oldest stepson.\u00a0 Marie smiled at the memory of the little girl as she stole quick glances at Adam during church services last Sunday.<\/em><\/p>\n

Glancing over to the grandfather clock, Marie noticed the lateness of the afternoon.\u00a0 Soon her husband would be home for supper.\u00a0 She quickly picked up her plans and tucked them away into the sideboard for safekeeping.\u00a0 Straightening her hair, she strode across the room and up the stairs to check on the baby.<\/em><\/p>\n

She stopped when she heard someone rummaging around in Adam’s room.\u00a0 She knew the boy was out working on fixing the fence with some of the other men, and suspected that Hoss must be playing in his oldest brother’s room.\u00a0 Marie paused to take a deep breath before swinging open the door with the intent to scare the daylights out of her miscreant middle child.<\/em><\/p>\n

“What are you doing in here young man!”\u00a0 She demanded in her best no nonsense angriest tone.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam jumped and dropped the shirt he held in his hands.\u00a0 He fought the sudden urge to run from the room in horror.\u00a0 He’d snuck into the house using the backstairs and planned on changing his shirt hoping that no one would see him.\u00a0 Now he stood in terror facing his equally startled stepmother across the room.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie gasped in horror at the sight before her.\u00a0 There before his mirror, stood her eldest stepson with horrible welts and cuts upon back, it was obvious that he’d been beaten by something.\u00a0 Marie knew that her husband would never beat his child like this.\u00a0 Though he had tanned his sons from time to time for some wrongdoing, he never struck them above the waistline.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Who?”\u00a0 She demanded softy, as she made her way over to examine the wounds and comfort her stepson.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam withdrew from Marie as she neared him, and found himself backed into the wall.<\/em><\/p>\n

Once again the same man who had backhanded him a few weeks earlier had thrashed him.\u00a0 This time for calling the man by his first name and not ‘Mr. Peterson’.\u00a0 Adam had always addressed the hands by their first names, and didn’t know how he’d offended the man this time.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Please don’t tell Pa.”\u00a0 Adam pleaded now embarrassed by being partially undressed before his stepmother.<\/em><\/p>\n

“I’ll do no such thing Adam.\u00a0 Who did this to you?”\u00a0 Marie’s gentle tone encouraged, as she drew her stepson to her to comfort him.\u00a0 She could feel his body tremble with fear, then she kissed him gently on his forehead.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Mr. Peterson.”\u00a0 Adam mumbled.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Who is Mr. Peterson?”\u00a0 Marie drew her son back to look into his young face.<\/em><\/p>\n

“One of the new ranch hands, his name is Russell Peterson.”\u00a0 Adam responded meeting his stepmother’s gaze.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Oh, I see.”\u00a0 Marie pondered allowed.\u00a0 She remembered her husband hiring a few men about a month before, and there was one she wasn’t very pleased with.\u00a0 But hands were scarce and at present they couldn’t afford top dollar, so they had to settle for what they could find.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Please don’t tell.”\u00a0 Adam again pleaded seeing his stepmother’s faraway stare.<\/em><\/p>\n

“I’m sorry son, I can’t do that.\u00a0 This man needs to go.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam was surprised and relieved to find his stepmother on his side.\u00a0 He hoped his father would see it the same way too.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie gently guided Adam from his room and down the stairs to the kitchen to tend to his back.<\/em><\/p>\n

**************<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss sat on a pile of hay in the corner, playing with the little kittens from the barn cat’s latest litter. As he took turns snuggling the small fuzzy creatures tenderly to his chest, he stroked their mama upon the nose.\u00a0 The old cat purred contently over the soothing rub of the chubby little hand.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss was beside himself with joy over the little babies.\u00a0 Looking around he noticed that one of the furry balls was missing.\u00a0 On hands and knees he began to search for the wayward little baby.<\/em><\/p>\n

He’d never noticed when the big man had entered the barn to loom over him.\u00a0 He only realized his presence when he heard the man’s voice boom.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Looking for this?”<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss looked up in shock and horror, there in the man’s outstretched hand was the little kitten.\u00a0 The man was holding it by the scruff of the neck.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Give it to me mister.”\u00a0 Hoss demanded, as he stretched out his hands to the man he recognized as one of the ranch hands.<\/em><\/p>\n

“You’re just as ill-mannered as your older brother.”\u00a0 The man retorted as the frightened kitten began to meow.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss was beginning to lose his patience and rushed towards the man with his hands balled into fists.\u00a0 The man continued to taunt the small boy and held the kitten over Hoss’s head just out of his reach.\u00a0 Now furious, Hoss swung out a grubby little fist and hit the man soundly in the stomach.<\/em><\/p>\n

The ranch hand was not amused and tossed the kitten over to its mother on the pile of hay.\u00a0 Hoss turned away from the man to go and check to see if the little kitten was injured, and found himself jerked backward by the man’s strong grasp upon his arm.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Looks like you need a lesson in manners just like your brother.”\u00a0 The man sneered raising his fist.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Let him go!”\u00a0 Adam yelled as he entered the barn to find Russell Peterson holding his younger brother.<\/em><\/p>\n

After finishing with treating his sore back, Marie had sent Adam out to the barn to find his little brother.\u00a0 She was certain that Hoss would need to be cleaned up before dinner.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rushing forward, Adam pulled his brother’s arm free from the ranch hand’s grasp.\u00a0 Standing as tall as he could, Adam placed himself between the big man and Hoss.<\/em><\/p>\n

“So, I see the little man thinks he can take on a real man does he?\u00a0 I guess the lesson I gave ya today didn’t stick.\u00a0 Seems like ya need another lesson, little man.”\u00a0 Russell Peterson drawled glaring down at the defiant young man before him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam met the man’s eyes with a steely glance of his own.\u00a0 He hated the way this man taunted him by calling him ‘little man’.\u00a0 It rung in his ears like war drums making his blood boil.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Hoss, get into the house!”\u00a0 Adam ordered never turning his eyes from the man before him.\u00a0 Adam’s head barely came up to the bigger man’s chest.<\/em><\/p>\n

Frightened, Hoss was too scared to move and stared at his brother and the man towering over them.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Now, Hoss!”\u00a0 Adam again ordered, stealing a quick glance over his shoulder at his little brother.<\/em><\/p>\n

Turning his eyes away from the man was a mistake on Adam’s part, as he felt a strong blow hit his face causing him to fly across the room.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss was horrified and began to run for the door.\u00a0 Stopping only briefly at the door, he turned back to see the ranch hand haul Adam to his feet and strike him again with the back of his hand.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Mama!\u00a0 Mama!”\u00a0 Hoss bellowed, as he ran into the house with tears streaming down his dirty pudgy cheeks.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie ran from the kitchen to meet the frightened little boy.<\/em><\/p>\n

“What’s the matter Hoss?\u00a0 Tell Mama.”\u00a0 Marie soothingly questioned, trying to calm the boy down.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Barn\u2026Adam\u2026man\u2026hit\u2026” Hoss was sobbing and choking on the words, unable to form a coherent sentence.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie was uncertain what Hoss was trying to tell her, but her mother’s intuition told her that this was more than just a fight between brothers.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Hoss, you go upstairs and stay with the baby.”\u00a0 Marie instructed as she hugged Hoss, then wiped a couple of the tears from his face.<\/em><\/p>\n

Seeing Hoss comply with her wishes by heading for the stairs, Marie turned to make her way to the door.\u00a0 Stopping briefly, she changed directions and went to the gun rack by the stairs and pulled down a rifle.\u00a0 She checked to insure it was loaded before returning to the door.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie quickly crossed the yard to the barn, stopping at the door she was stunned by the sight before her.\u00a0 Adam was on his knees before a giant of a man who held him by his hair.\u00a0 She could see that Adam was breathing heavily as he fought back tears.\u00a0 She was infuriated when she saw the blood streaming down his young face to spill upon his shirt.<\/em><\/p>\n

The man froze in mid-swing when he heard the distinctive sound of a rifle being cocked.\u00a0 Turning, he faced the direction of the sound.\u00a0 He smiled when he found Marie Cartwright standing in the open doorway.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Mrs. Cartwright.”\u00a0 Russell Peterson addressed Ben Cartwright’s wife with a slight sneer.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Let him go.”\u00a0 Marie ordered ignoring the man’s insolent tone.<\/em><\/p>\n

“I was just trying to teach the lad a thing or two in the fine art of manners.”\u00a0 The man offered politely as he released his grip then raised the same hand to tip his hat to the lady of the manor.<\/em><\/p>\n

“He needs no lessons from you.”\u00a0 Marie response was cool and calm with defiance.<\/em><\/p>\n

“I can see he comes by it naturally.”\u00a0 Russell Peterson retorted with mild disgust.<\/em><\/p>\n

“You get your things together and get off the Ponderosa.”\u00a0 Marie ordered ignoring the man’s insult.<\/em><\/p>\n

Nodding, the man slowly crossed the room as Marie stepped to one side of the door to allow his departure.\u00a0 Reaching the door, the man once again stopped to tip his hat.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Ma’am.”\u00a0 The big ranch hand stated coldly, then quickly reaching out, he grabbed onto the rifle.<\/em><\/p>\n

Surprised and caught off guard by the man, Marie found the rifle being torn from her grip.\u00a0 In a last ditch effort, she fired the weapon sending the bullet flying across the room into the far wall.<\/em><\/p>\n

Totally furious, the man was now in possession of the rifle and soundly slapped Marie across the face, causing her to fall backwards into the wall.<\/em><\/p>\n

“You oughta know better than to point a rifle at a person.\u00a0 I can see that you need a few lessons of your own.”\u00a0 Peterson sneered as he approached the downed woman.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dazed, Adam watched the interaction between the hated man and his stepmother.\u00a0 He was almost totally spent from his own encounter with the man and could only watch helplessly as the man struck Marie.\u00a0 He found strength he didn’t think he possessed when he heard the tearing of cloth, and rose to defend his father’s wife to the best of his ability.<\/em><\/p>\n

**************<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright rode unhappily down the road back to the ranch house.\u00a0 It had been a long and unfruitful day.\u00a0 Though the fence was now repaired, they were still attempting to round up the missing strays.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was also dreading the task of firing one of the new ranch hands.\u00a0 Earlier in the afternoon, the foreman had approached him and informed him that some of the men were refusing to work with the new hand because they found him ‘downright mean’.\u00a0 He was further dismayed to find that this was the man who Adam seemed to be having so much difficulty working with.\u00a0 He quietly chastised himself for not listening to Marie’s warnings on the matter.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben’s mental berating was interrupted when he saw a wagon approaching.\u00a0 He recognized the driver as his Oriental cook, Hop Sing, who was returning with the supplies from town.\u00a0 Ben rode up to see if the man had any luck in fulfilling his wife’s long list for Adam’s party.<\/em><\/p>\n

The conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a gunshot.\u00a0 Realizing that the shot had come from the direction of the ranch house, Ben spurred his horse hard.\u00a0 Following their boss’s lead, Hop Sing and the other ranch hands encouraged their mounts into a faster pace.<\/em><\/p>\n

**************<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam threw himself into the man who was bent over his stepmother.\u00a0 Catching the man off guard and unaware of his advance, Adam momentarily had the advantage and was able to get the man off of Marie.<\/em><\/p>\n

Using the wall to pull herself upwards, Marie slowly got to her feet then to the door of the barn.\u00a0 Slightly dazed, she turned and found Adam swinging his fists furiously at the man’s midsection.\u00a0 She glanced about searching the room for the rifle only to find it close to where her stepson and Russell Peterson struggled.\u00a0 She decided that she wouldn’t try for the rifle, turning she ran for the house and the gun rack inside.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam knew his advantage would be short lived, realizing he had to make every blow count he put all he could into his swings.\u00a0 He heard the man’s angry grunt then felt a stinging blow to the side of his head, which knocked him backward onto the hard floor.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam played possum waiting for the man to come for him; he didn’t have to wait long before Russell Peterson loomed over him.\u00a0 Biding his time, Adam studied the man’s movements through the veil of his eyelashes, while trying in vain to calm his nerves.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam watched as Russell Peterson stooped to pick up the fallen rifle that lay near his feet.\u00a0 Striking out with the heel of his boot, Adam landed a swift kick to the man’s left kneecap that echoed in the room with a resounding ‘Crack’.\u00a0 Stunned by the sudden shooting pain in his leg, Russell Peterson stumbled backward.<\/em><\/p>\n

Not wanting to lose the momentum he had just gained, Adam jumped to his feet and charged the man with his head tucked low.\u00a0 Though he knew his planned attack was considered dirty fighting, this was the only way he knew to bring the man down.\u00a0 Adam’s forward charge was stopped as the top of his head rammed the man below the belt.\u00a0 With a cry of sheer pain, the man tumbled backward onto the ground.<\/em><\/p>\n

After all his exertions, Adam was winded thoroughly.\u00a0 Worn out he fell to his knees breathing heavily, as he watched the ranch hand writhe and moan upon the floor.\u00a0 Adam closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing.<\/em><\/p>\n

Russell Peterson clutched at his throbbing injury with one hand, the other firmly upon Marie Cartwright’s rifle.\u00a0 Blinded by rage and agony, he stumbled to his feet and approached the exhausted son of Ben Cartwright.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam was caught unaware of the approach of the ranch hand.\u00a0 He’d thought the man was down for good and was shocked when he looked up to find the enraged man towering over him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie rushed into the large house and quickly crossed the main room to the rack that housed the hunting rifles near the stairs.\u00a0 She pulled down one of her husband’s shotguns and opened a drawer to extract the shells.\u00a0 Opening the gun she quickly loaded both barrels.<\/em><\/p>\n

Once again, Marie quickly covered the distance to the barn from the house.\u00a0 Reaching the door to the barn, she watched in horror as Russell Peterson drove the butt of the rifle into the left side of her eldest stepson’s face.\u00a0 Adam fell sideways into one of the vacant stalls and was motionless.<\/em><\/p>\n

Russell Peterson stopped as he heard the bolt of a shotgun being drawn back.\u00a0 Slowly with arms outstretched, he turned to face the new threat.\u00a0 He smiled at the bedraggled woman who stood before him.\u00a0 She no longer looked the fine lady of the ranch with her tussled hair and torn clothing.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Get away from him!”\u00a0 Marie ordered, pointing the weapon menacingly at the man’s chest.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Now Ma’am, we already had this conversation once today about pointing weapons at people.”\u00a0 Russell Peterson smirked, as he started to advance upon the woman with rifle still in hand.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie was sick of the man that stood before her.\u00a0 Fearing the man would once again overpower her or would kill Adam,\u00a0Marie drew in a deep breath to steady her nerves then pulled the trigger letting both barrels fly.\u00a0 The buckshot flew out and struck the man square in the center of the chest, lifelessly he fell to the floor, as Marie found herself being thrown back into the barn wall by the recoil of the gun.<\/em><\/p>\n

**************<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben rode hard into the yard, only to hear the sound of a shotgun blast reverberate through the air.\u00a0 Realizing the sound had come from the barn, he jumped from his mount and let the reins fall to the ground behind him.<\/em><\/p>\n

He reached the barn doorway and froze at the sight before him.\u00a0 On the floor several feet away sprawled upon the dirty floor, was the body of Russell Peterson a bloody stain rapidly growing upon his chest.\u00a0 Looking down he found his stunned wife.<\/em><\/p>\n

Bending over, Ben pulled Marie to her feet before him and shuttered at the sight of her bloody lip and torn dress, which exposed her bodice.\u00a0 He pulled her to his chest in a comforting and reassuring embrace.<\/em><\/p>\n

At first, a dazed Marie wasn’t sure who was holding her until she recognized her husband’s deep compassionate voice.\u00a0 Recent memories flooded her as she pulled away from her husband.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Adam!”\u00a0 She cried as she scrambled across the barn and fell to her knees at her stepson’s side.<\/em><\/p>\n

Horrified, Ben followed his wife to find his son’s battered body.\u00a0 Adam lay motionless outstretched on his back in a small pile of hay.\u00a0 Ben fought the rise of bile in the back of his throat and the tears that welled in his eyes.\u00a0 Gingerly he bent and drew his son’s almost lifeless body into his arms.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Carefully Ben.\u00a0 Gently.”\u00a0 Marie instructed, helping Ben to stand with Adam’s body cradled in his arms.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben ignored the gaping stares and audible gasps of the ranch hands, as he turned to make his way to the house with his severely beaten son in his arms.\u00a0 He never even ordered or realized when one of the men remounted his horse and rode away at a run for the town doctor.\u00a0 His mind was totally engulfed in fear and misery over his firstborn son.<\/em><\/p>\n

As the family exited the barn, Hop Sing rushed forward to help escort Marie into the house.\u00a0 He quietly helped her up the stairs behind her husband and stepson into Adam’s room, where he finally left her to hurry to the kitchen to retrieve hot water and what medical supplies were stored there.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie crossed the room and assisted her husband to place Adam upon the bed.\u00a0 Silent tears flowed down her cheeks as she saw the damage done to her handsome stepson’s face.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam’s right eye was swollen with a purplish bruise; his lip was cut and bleeding.\u00a0 But the worst injury was to the left side of his face that had impacted with the rifle butt.\u00a0 Starting mid-forehead and descending downward over his eyebrow and below his left eye was a deep gash that bled freely.\u00a0 The eyelid was so swollen, she couldn’t tell if Adam’s eye had been damaged by the blow.<\/em><\/p>\n

With great ease, Ben and Marie Cartwright undressed their son and placed him into bed.\u00a0 Ben’s hands clenched in rage as he saw the recent welts and sores upon his son’s back, and the assorted partially healed bruises scattered about the boy’s body.\u00a0 If the man weren’t already dead, Ben Cartright would’ve killed him with his bare hands.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hop Sing silently returned with a basin of warm water, towels, bandages and liniment for Adam’s wounds.\u00a0 He stood next to the bed holding the needed supplies, as Ben and Marie began to tend to the worst of Adam’s injuries.<\/em><\/p>\n

Their attention was drawn away from their tasks when they heard the squalling of their infant son.\u00a0 They were so wrapped up in caring for Adam, that they had totally forgotten about the other two boys.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Why don’t you see to Joseph.”\u00a0 Ben suggested, looking towards the door.\u00a0 “Hop Sing and I will see to Adam.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie slowly nodded and rose from Adam’s bedside.\u00a0 She stopped briefly at the door to glance back at her stepson’s very still form, as tears once again streamed from her face.\u00a0 Turning she headed down the hall.\u00a0 She stopped at the door to take a deep breath and get a firm hold on her emotions before she entered the room.<\/em><\/p>\n

She froze as she beheld the sight before her.\u00a0 There huddled in a corner of the room was a very frightened boy with his baby brother clutched to his chest.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Mama!”\u00a0 Hoss cried out relieved when he saw his stepmother open the door.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss had been so scared when no one had come for him.\u00a0 He had done his best to be brave and to protect his brother, but with each passing minute his fear and worry intensified.\u00a0 He was terrified that the bad man from the barn would come and hurt him and the baby as he had his older brother.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie ran across the room to her frightened stepson and gathered him into her arms.\u00a0 She could only imagine the horror the poor child had been through.\u00a0 Feeling Hoss relax into her embrace, she reached down to kiss the delicate hair on his head.\u00a0 She sat on the floor and rocked both boys, soothing not only her stepson but also herself.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie lost all track of time as she comforted her children.\u00a0 She was only brought back to the present, when she heard a surrey pull into the yard.\u00a0 Realizing the doctor had arrived she gently addressed Hoss.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Hoss, Mama needs you to go downstairs now.” Seeing Hoss’s fearful reaction, Marie tried to reassure him.\u00a0 “It’s okay son.\u00a0 The bad man is gone and he won’t ever hurt anyone again.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss nodded his understanding and handed the baby to his mother.\u00a0 Shuffling his feet, Hoss made his way to the door, he stopped when he heard Marie call after him.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Thank you son for protecting your little brother, you were a very brave little boy.”\u00a0 Marie praised.\u00a0 She watched as a large smile formed upon the chubby little face.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Now, go on downstairs and Mama will be down in a minute.”\u00a0 She coaxed.<\/em><\/p>\n

After Hoss had left, Marie rose and quickly went over to place Little Joe into his cradle and covered the now sleeping child with his blanket.<\/em><\/p>\n

Crossing the room heading for the door, she caught sight of herself as she passed the mirror.\u00a0 Seeing the bruised and swollen lip, her torn dirty dress and her hair matted in disarray shocked her deeply.\u00a0 Determined to put on a brave face and not allow the dead man to haunt her further, she strode over to the wardrobe and retrieved a clean dress.\u00a0 Discarding the torn dress she quickly donned the fresh one from the wardrobe, before she stopped briefly at the wash stand to wash the grime from her face and dab at her sore lip.\u00a0 After washing away the dried blood from her lip, she picked up her hairbrush and ran it through her hair and refashioned it into a tight bun.\u00a0 Now more satisfied with her appearance and the confidence she had regained, she made her way from the room and down the hall back to her oldest stepson’s room.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie found her husband standing dazed and bewildered outside of Adam’s room.\u00a0 She rushed up to him fearing the worst.\u00a0 Reassured that Adam still lived, she gently led her husband down the stairs to wait for the doctor in the large room.<\/em><\/p>\n

Reaching the downstairs, Hoss was relieved and jumped up from the settee to run over to his parents.\u00a0 He was confused by all the comings and goings that was taking place.\u00a0 First it was Hop Sing rushing across the room muttering in Chinese then returning upstairs with more bandages in hand, then there was the arrival of the new town doctor, a man he’d only seen at the house once before and that was when Little Joe was born.\u00a0 Hoss’s relief was short-lived when he saw his father’s expression.\u00a0 He knew something horrible had happened to Adam but didn’t know how bad it was.\u00a0 He began to pray that his older brother would be okay.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie gently guided her husband over to the settee and made him sit down, then sat down beside him.\u00a0 Patting the couch next to her, she encouraged Hoss to join them.\u00a0 She reached out with her right hand to enclose her husband’s, and circling her left arm about Hoss’s shoulders, she drew the boy comfortingly to her chest.<\/em><\/p>\n

Each was left to their own thoughts and prayers, as they waited for the doctor to descend the stairs.\u00a0 Hoss eventually succumbed to sleep while Ben and Marie lost all track of time in their fearful wait.\u00a0 Ben was the first to jump to his feet when the doctor appeared at the top of the stairs.<\/em><\/p>\n

So as to not to awaken him, Marie carefully laid Hoss down on the settee.\u00a0 Then standing, she stretched and walked over to stand beside her husband at the foot of the stairs.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dr. Paul Martin indicated with a wave of his hand, that they should go over to the dining room to discuss Adam’s condition.\u00a0 He’d left Hop Sing to care for the boy while he talked to the parents.\u00a0 He sat down in one of the chairs on the left side of the table, and waited until Ben and Marie sat down across from him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright eyed the new town doctor warily.\u00a0 He didn’t know a great deal about the man and was still forming his opinion about the man’s skills.\u00a0 Though the doctor had easily handled the birth of his youngest, this was a different matter all together.\u00a0 Ben was truly scared, more scared than he could ever remember being over the welfare of his firstborn, and that fear was clearly displayed upon his face.<\/em><\/p>\n

Paul Martin studied the faces of the parents that sat before him at the dining table.\u00a0 He didn’t really know these people, and wondered how well they would take the news.\u00a0 He would do all he could for their son, but he really didn’t hold out much hope.\u00a0 Clearing his throat he began his diagnosis.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Your son\u2026” Doctor Martin began before being interrupted by a deep voice.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Adam.”\u00a0 Ben stated flatly, wanting the doctor to address his child by his name.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Yes, Adam\u2026” the doctor again continued after being corrected.\u00a0 “Has suffered a serious life threatening blow to his head.”\u00a0 The doctor again paused as Marie gasped in horror.<\/em><\/p>\n

“How serious?”\u00a0 Ben probed clasping Marie’s hand for strength and reassurance.<\/em><\/p>\n

“He has suffered a skull fracture.”\u00a0 Paul Martin responded frankly.\u00a0 He sensed that Ben Cartwright was a man who valued the plain and simple truth.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Will he live?”\u00a0 Ben continued, as Marie visibly paled beside him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Paul Martin shrugged in response.\u00a0 “He might, right now it’s too soon to tell.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“When will we know?”\u00a0 Marie now spoke up with questions of her own.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Tomorrow, the next day, the next week.\u00a0 I don’t know\u2026” the doctor’s voice trailed off.<\/em><\/p>\n

“What do you mean you don’t know!”\u00a0 Ben thundered at the man sitting at the table.\u00a0 “Are you a doctor or not.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“Ben, keep your voice down.\u00a0 This will not help Adam, and will only upset Hoss.”\u00a0 Marie gently scolded, nodding her head in the direction of the stirring child on the settee.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben glanced about the room helplessly.\u00a0 His eyes first came to his wife’s lovely face, also bruised by the man he’d hired.\u00a0 Then he found his middle son rolling over to his back on the couch.\u00a0 His eyes briefly traveled to the man across the table, whose sad pitying gaze caused him to lower his eyes to the table before him.<\/em><\/p>\n

“I’m sorry.”\u00a0 Ben offered, not knowing what else to say.<\/em><\/p>\n

“That’s alright Mr. Cartwright, I understand.”\u00a0 The doctor soothed, deciding it was best to continue with his prognosis.\u00a0 “Right now Adam’s condition is precarious.\u00a0 With a head injury of this nature it’s hard to judge just when or if the patient will wake up.\u00a0 The longer Adam is unconscious, the less likely are his chances of a full recovery.\u00a0 Adam could succumb to the injury quickly, or linger on for weeks.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“You’re saying that Adam can be like this for weeks, and still not survive?”\u00a0 Marie asked for clarification, hoping her understanding was in error.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Yes, I’m afraid so.\u00a0 But he’s strong, young and healthy which are all factors in his favor at this point.”\u00a0 Paul Martin gave the best hope he could offer given the circumstances.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Thank you doctor.”\u00a0 Ben muttered absently as he took the doctor’s words in.\u00a0 He just could not deal with the possibility of losing his child.\u00a0 Once again he felt Marie squeeze his hand, then looked helplessly over to his wife.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Let me take you up to him now, so I can show you how to care for his needs.”\u00a0 Doctor Martin rose from the table and waited patiently for the two Cartwright parents to follow.<\/em><\/p>\n

**************<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright sat at Adam’s bedside, it had been almost a week since the horrible beating and his son was still unconscious.\u00a0 ‘Comatose’ was the word that constantly went through his mind, even though the doctor had not said the word aloud, he was well aware that it was the term for his son’s current condition.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie stood with Hoss at the door to Adam’s room; she briefly looked down to her youngest stepson to see how he was reacting to the sight of his older brother.\u00a0 She saw a very anxious blue-eyed wonder staring up at her with questioning eyes.\u00a0 With a slight smile and a small squeeze of her hand, she released the child and let him enter the room.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben looked up to see his wife entering the room with Hoss in hand.\u00a0 He smiled slightly at her, realizing she’d finally given in to Hoss’s persistent pestering for them to allow him to see his big brother.\u00a0 Ben watched as his middle son tottered over to him, placing his pudgy frame between him and the bed.\u00a0 Ben’s eyes filled with tears and he found it hard to speak when Hoss voiced his question to him.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Is Adam dead Pa?”<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben cleared his throat and almost choked on the simple response.\u00a0 “No son.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss knew what death looked like he’d seen it before when one of the young colts had died shortly after birth.\u00a0 Adam had been there to comfort and explain everything to him, but now Adam’s very still and unmoving form reminded him of that colt and Adam couldn’t explain or offer him comfort.<\/em><\/p>\n

Without warning, Hoss hopped onto the bed next to his brother and began to pat Adam upon the head with his chubby little hand.\u00a0 Ben felt the tears begin to roll down his cheeks as his middle son began to speak to Adam.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Howdy Adam, it’s me Hoss.\u00a0 I’m gonna tell ya a story\u2026” Hoss began to recite as best he could from memory, one of the tales his brother had read to him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie covered her mouth with her hand and fled from the room over the scene before her.\u00a0 She didn’t want her husband to see her upset. Her heart ached every time she saw Adam with the left side of his handsome young face swathed in bandages. She watched as Adam’s once strong growing young body rapidly lost weight; he had just started to fill out, but now was horribly thin and frail. She felt so helpless and uncertain as to what to do.<\/em><\/p>\n

The next day, Marie and Hop Sing were in Adam’s room to bath him and change the bed linen.\u00a0 Marie wanted to take her stepson into her arms and hold him as she did her own child, with a sudden idea she headed down the hall to the master bedroom and grabbed the rocking chair, then pulled it back to Adam’s room.<\/em><\/p>\n

Later that afternoon, that’s where Ben found his wife when he came home to check on his son.\u00a0 His heart was warmed by the touching scene before him, there sitting in the afternoon daylight’s golden glow, that was cast from the window, was his wife and son.\u00a0 She was slowly rocking back and forth while humming a little song as she did her sewing, with Adam’s head resting upon her shoulder his body wrapped in a blanket and draped across her lap.\u00a0 Not wishing to disturb them, Ben left the room without speaking and went back to his work.<\/em><\/p>\n

Over the next couple of days, Marie encouraged more and more interaction in Adam’s room.\u00a0 She continued to hold Adam at least an hour a day and had begun to bring Hoss in for play.\u00a0 She even moved Little Joe’s cradle into the room.\u00a0 Even though Adam was not able to actively participate, she felt it was important to include him in the family’s life.\u00a0 At night after dinner, the family would gather in Adam’s bedroom where her husband would read, while she held her son and Hoss would play with his little toy soldiers on the bed.<\/em><\/p>\n

On the night that would have been Adam’s surprise birthday party, Marie sat in the chair across the room from her husband.\u00a0 She was knitting a new blanket for the baby, stopping briefly she watched her husband and oldest stepson.\u00a0 Ben sat with Adam in his lap rocking while he read aloud from one of his favorite books.\u00a0 Adam’s back was leaning against his father’s broad chest with the back of his head resting against the man’s shoulder.\u00a0 Reaching down she patted her infant son on the back, glancing over to the bed she noticed Hoss with tongue protruding from his mouth while he struggled with writing his letters.\u00a0 Smiling briefly over the bittersweet image of her family, she returned her attention to her work.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam slowly became aware of his surroundings.\u00a0 Though his head throbbed, the atmosphere around him vaguely intrigued him.\u00a0 His first recollection in recent memory was of his brother Hoss, patting his head and telling him little stories.\u00a0 He had wanted to correct the boy on some of the details but didn’t have the energy to speak or open his eyes.\u00a0 His next slightly waking moment, he found himself being rocked and heard the sound of his stepmother’s sweet lilting voice as she sang to him.\u00a0 Now, once again he found himself being rocked, and felt the reassuring and strong embrace of his father.\u00a0 Hearing the deep resonant tone of his father’s voice as he spoke, Adam was curious as to the story his father was reading.\u00a0 Struggling, Adam opened his unbandaged eye to try and read the book that was sitting in his lap.\u00a0 Unable to focus his eyesight, Adam voiced his question aloud.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Pa, whatcha reading?”\u00a0 Adam croaked in a voice barely above a whisper, harsh from over a week of disuse.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie’s head shot up to look at the boy who had finally spoken.\u00a0 Tears sprung to her eyes as her prayers were answered.\u00a0 Jumping from her chair, she quickly crossed the room to Ben and Adam.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Well, hello there.”\u00a0 Ben finally was able to choke out with tears of joy in his eyes.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Hot diggedy!”\u00a0 Hoss exclaimed as he started to jump on Adam’s bed.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam watched as Marie approached him from the other side of the room.\u00a0 He felt her kiss upon his forehead as she began to brush his hair back from his face.\u00a0 He also found his father’s arms encircle him to hug him even tighter to his chest.\u00a0 Confused and more than a little embarrassed at all the attention, Adam turned a questioning eye to his father.<\/em><\/p>\n

“It’s alright son, you’re going to be just fine now.”\u00a0 Ben assured his slightly bewildered son hugging him snuggly to his chest.\u00a0 Ben spared his middle child a small glance and warned, “Hoss stop jumping on that bed!\u00a0 One son with a head injury is more than I can handle.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss immediately did as he was told, and rushed over to the foot of the bed kneeling as close as he could get to watch his older brother.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam glanced in turn to each member of his family. His head ached unmercifully, and he had no recollection of what had happened to him or why they all seemed so happy.\u00a0 Realizing his initial question had not been answered, and beginning to feel very weary, he asked again.<\/em><\/p>\n

“What were you reading Pa?”\u00a0 Adam thumped the book weakly with his hand.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben closed his eyes and shook his head with faint amusement.\u00a0 Leave it to Adam to be more interested in a book.<\/em><\/p>\n

“‘Paradise Lost’, son.”\u00a0 Ben chuckled as he answered, before again squeezing his son to his chest and kissing him gently on the uninjured side of his forehead.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Oh.”\u00a0 Adam mumbled before he slowly drifted into sleep.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Happy birthday, Adam.”\u00a0 Ben wished his now peacefully sleeping son.<\/em><\/p>\n

**************<\/p>\n

“Did Adam ever get his birthday party?”\u00a0 Joe curiously inquired.<\/p>\n

“Hum, what?”\u00a0 Ben was abruptly brought out of his reminiscing.<\/p>\n

“The birthday, did Adam ever get his thirteenth birthday party?”\u00a0 Joe persisted.<\/p>\n

“No son he didn’t.”\u00a0 Ben answered, and seeing his son’s sudden downcast expression offered the reason.<\/p>\n

“It took your brother a long time to heal from his injury and even after he did, he still had a scar that he was embarrassed about.\u00a0 We thought it best not to pressure him and we just had a family birthday for him when he was feeling better.”<\/p>\n

Joe shook his head in understanding; he felt sorry for his brother missing out on his party but could sympathize with him for the reason.\u00a0 Almost all his life Adam had that scar on his face, even though it had faded over time, it was still barely visible.\u00a0 Anytime Joe had asked as to how he’d gotten it; Adam always gave him some ridiculous explanation followed by ‘now leave me alone’.\u00a0 Now he realized why Adam never told him the whole story.<\/p>\n

“Does Adam even remember what happened?”<\/p>\n

“No, not really he doesn’t.\u00a0 Only what we told him.”\u00a0 Ben responded absently, wondering if that was for the best.<\/p>\n

With furrowed brows he carefully refolded the papers and replaced them into the brown envelope.\u00a0 Looking up from his task, he gazed intently into his son’s face.<\/p>\n

“Your brother did a very brave thing, risking his life to protect your mother.\u00a0 Your mother in turn saved them both by killing the man responsible.\u00a0 It was self-defense son, your mother was only protecting herself and her son.”\u00a0 Ben directed, as he placed a reassuring hand upon Joe’s shoulder and gave a slight squeeze.<\/p>\n

Just then across the room, Adam and Hoss entered.\u00a0 Taking off their hats and gun belts and throwing them onto the sideboard by the door.<\/p>\n

“Hey Pa, I thought you were going to come out and help us finish the fence?”\u00a0 Adam questioned, while he made his way over to where his father and baby brother stood.<\/p>\n

“Yeah Pa, we done finished it all by ourselves.”\u00a0 Hoss added as he ambled up behind Adam.<\/p>\n

Joe walked over to Adam as he approached, and stared intently at Adam’s face.<\/p>\n

“What?”\u00a0 Adam inquired a little annoyed, then drew his head back slightly from his brother’s intense stare.<\/p>\n

Joe reached out a hand to touch the scar on Adam’s head, only to have Adam swat the offending object away.<\/p>\n

“ARGH!\u00a0 Get away from me will ya?\u00a0 What’s the matter with you anyway?”\u00a0 Adam was uncertain over Little Joe’s actions.<\/p>\n

Glancing past Joe to his father, he saw his father holding the brown envelope.\u00a0 He could now surmise the reasons behind Joe’s behavior.<\/p>\n

“Oh.”\u00a0 Adam offered reflectively in understanding.<\/p>\n

Hoss watched the interaction between his brothers and he too looked to his father for understanding.\u00a0 Once he saw the envelope, he also knew the reason for Joe’s strange behavior towards Adam.<\/p>\n

Ben walked up to his sons, as Adam again warned Joe back from his face.\u00a0 He reached out his right arm and swung out his hand, walloping Joe in the lower backside with a resounding ‘TWACK’.<\/p>\n

He lifted his now sore hand and pointed his index finger at Little Joe’s face.<\/p>\n

“You boy, will learn to respect another’s privacy, do ya hear me?”\u00a0 Ben warned in a no nonsense tone, indicating the desk with his other hand.<\/p>\n

Joe rubbed his sore rump with both hands as he heard the sound of his brothers’ laughter ringing in his ears.\u00a0 Repentant he replied.<\/p>\n

“Yes, Pa.”<\/p>\n

The End<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:<\/strong> Adam Cartwright, Family, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, Marie Cartwright, SAS<\/p>\n

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<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0Little Joe learns a family secret about his mother and Adam.<\/p>\n

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Rating:\u00a0 K\u00a0 (1,045 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12135,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12135","url_meta":{"origin":14987,"position":4},"title":"Prelude to Rebirth (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"August 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"DebbieB passed away Christmas 2021. 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