Summary:\u00a0 Joe comes home shot and fighting for his life. His family and friends hope and pray he will make it.<\/p>\n
Rating: PG<\/p>\n
Word Count: 10,159<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chapter 1<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Joe rode out of Virginia City in the wee hours of the morning.\u00a0 He knew he was coming home later than he should.\u00a0 He knew better than to stay in town so late and alone.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s family had often warned him about the dangers of being alone so late at night, but he had done it many times before and he never had a problem.\u00a0 He looked at the lightened horizon ahead and realized that sunrise would be here in about an hour or two.\u00a0 Oh Joe was in trouble all right.\u00a0 If he was lucky maybe he could get in a couple of hours of sleep.\u00a0 He was glad that Pa was away on a business trip to San Francisco and not home to give him a lecture.\u00a0 Only Adam and Hoss were home.\u00a0 Joe hoped they were both asleep and not up waiting for him.\u00a0 He could just picture the disgruntled looks on their faces.\u00a0 He had lost track of time like he often did.\u00a0 He had visited friends \u2013 including his best friend Mitch Devlin.\u00a0 Then Joe took part in an all night poker game at the Silver Dollar.\u00a0 He even managed to win $2,500.\u00a0 Maybe Adam and Hoss would be proud of him for being so lucky.<\/p>\n Suddenly, out of nowhere, two gun shots rang out in the night.\u00a0 Cochise reared up and Joe slid to the ground.\u00a0 His left shoulder and his groin area both felt like they were on fire.\u00a0 He sensed he needed to close his eyes and lay very still.\u00a0 Joe remembered back when Pa and Adam started teaching him to shoot when he was about 12-years old.\u00a0 Adam once told him that sometimes it was a good idea to play possum and pretend he was dead if he was ever shot.\u00a0 There were people in the world who thought nothing of shooting a man again to make sure he was dead.\u00a0 Joe closed his eyes and laid still as he heard a horse neighing and footsteps approaching.\u00a0 Cochise?<\/p>\n \u201cWhoa!\u201d\u00a0 A man\u2019s voice said.\u00a0 \u201cWhoa boy! \u00a0Is Cartwright dead?\u201d<\/p>\n A set of footsteps came up to where Joe laid as a second man\u2019s voice replied, \u201cYep!\u00a0 He\u2019s dead all right!\u201d<\/p>\n A third man\u2019s voice added farther away, \u201cServes them Cartwrights right.\u00a0 They think they\u2019re so smart and so mighty and everyone respects them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t he the one who\u2019s mother was from New Orleans?\u201d\u00a0 The second man questioned.<\/p>\n The third man replied, \u201cHe\u2019s the one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard about her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people have heard about her.\u201d<\/p>\n The first man said, \u201cAll right let\u2019s get the money and go.\u201d<\/p>\n Hands reached into Joe\u2019s pockets and pulled out his wallet.\u00a0 He continued trying to lay very still so that the men would still think he was dead.\u00a0 He heard rustling sounds like someone going through the saddlebags.\u00a0 Searing pain continued to shoot through Joe\u2019s upper torso as he wondered how he was going to get home.\u00a0 He did not want to die out here alone.\u00a0 In fact, he didn\u2019t want to die.\u00a0 He wanted to get home to his brothers.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, let\u2019s get out of here,\u201d the first man commanded.<\/p>\n The third man replied, \u201cYeah, before his old man and his brothers come looking for him.\u00a0 I wish I could see their faces.\u00a0 It serves them right.\u201d<\/p>\n As Joe listened to their footsteps fade away he opened his eyes real quick to get a peek at them.\u00a0 In the bright moonlight he spotted three men running through the trees, and one of them had long red hair.\u00a0 Joe closed his eyes tight again while he heard horses\u2019 hooves galloping away.\u00a0 He laid there for a few moments with his eyes still closed as he wondered how he was going to get home.\u00a0 Next a horse nickered close by.\u00a0 Cochise?\u00a0 Joe opened his eyes just in time for Cochise to nuzzle his face.\u00a0 Cochise nickered again like he was talking to him.\u00a0 Joe lifted his head up in time for the horse to nuzzle his face again.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, All right.\u201d\u00a0 Joe slowly sat up.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get us home somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n God, please help me get home.\u00a0 I just want to get home.\u00a0 Please let me be okay.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to die.<\/em><\/p>\n The next several minutes were a blur that seemed to take forever.\u00a0 Joe somehow managed to stand up and pull himself up onto Cochise in spite of the burning pain from being shot.<\/p>\n \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have been there,\u201d Joe whispered as he rode home.\u00a0 \u201cI should have been home by now.\u201d<\/p>\n Now he shook his head as he wished his family wasn\u2019t so right this time about the dangers of being out so late.\u00a0 Joe wondered how he got himself into this mess?\u00a0 Cockiness.\u00a0 That\u2019s what it was.\u00a0 His own cockiness had lead him into this.\u00a0 He had no one to blame but himself.<\/p>\n Joe again remembered what had happened several minutes ago.\u00a0 It had all happened so fast that the memory was just a series of blurred images.\u00a0 He was surprised that Cochise had stayed nearby after the shots rang out.\u00a0 How was it that he didn\u2019t get spooked and run away?\u00a0 At least those men left Joe\u2019s horse behind.<\/p>\n He also remembered his mama being mentioned.\u00a0 What had that one man heard about her?\u00a0 Joe had always felt protective of Mama even though he had only a few memories of her.\u00a0 She died not long before he turned five.<\/p>\n Now Joe clutched Cochise\u2019 mane while sharp pain continued to shoot through his upper body.\u00a0 He noticed that his shirt and pants felt wet.\u00a0 Wait a minute.\u00a0 That couldn\u2019t be right.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t raining and there were no clouds in the sky.\u00a0 In fact the entire night sky was covered by a blanket of tiny stars.\u00a0 Joe looked down and realized that the wetness was from his own blood.\u00a0 Oh, great.\u00a0 This was not how he wanted his family to see him.\u00a0 At least Pa was not home and he wouldn\u2019t be seeing him like this.\u00a0 But his brothers were both home, and they would be seeing him shortly.\u00a0 Oh, great.\u00a0 Joe wished he had come home a few hours sooner.\u00a0 He now noticed that the sky was getting more lighter at the horizon.\u00a0 Sunrise was coming.<\/p>\n Joe felt very weakened while they rounded the barn, and came into the yard.\u00a0 He felt lightheaded as he stared at the ranch house that he had always known as home.\u00a0 Joe slipped his feet out of the stirrups, and fell to the ground.\u00a0 More pain seared through his body.\u00a0 Maybe falling to the ground wasn\u2019t such a good idea.\u00a0 His eyes closed as he heard the front door creak open.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s voice yelled.<\/p>\n He heard the sounds of two sets of footsteps run toward him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened!?!\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s voice asked.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, little brother, talk to us!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 voice sounded pleading.\u00a0 \u201cGive us a sign here!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe only responded with a low moan.\u00a0 His brothers\u2019 voices continued to talk to him as they trailed off into the distance.\u00a0 Why did his brothers sound so far away? \u2026<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get him into the house to his bedroom,\u201d Adam said as he noticed Joe\u2019s shirt was soaked red.<\/p>\n Hoss replied, \u201cI\u2019ll carry him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe careful.\u00a0 I think he was shot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I think so too.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss gently put his arms around Joe and slowly lifted him up.\u00a0 Then he turned and walked back into the house.\u00a0 Adam followed right behind them.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing!\u201d\u00a0 Adam yelled.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing!\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing soon appeared in the dining room.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet clean towels and bring them up to Joe\u2019s room!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened!?!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust bring the towels!\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss slowly carried Joe up the stairs, and Adam followed behind him.\u00a0 They went into Joe\u2019s room where Hoss gently laid him down on the bed while Adam turned up the lamp.\u00a0 Adam noticed the front of Joe\u2019s shirt was soaked in blood.\u00a0 He also noticed that Hoss had smears of blood on his own clothes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to get the bleeding to stop.\u201d\u00a0 Adam started trying to slip Joe\u2019s green jacket off of him.<\/p>\n Hoss replied, \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n They both carefully took off Joe\u2019s jacket and shirt.\u00a0 Hop Sing arrived with an armload of towels.\u00a0 Adam grabbed a towel and started wiping away the blood from Joe\u2019s chest.\u00a0 He noticed bullet wounds in Joe\u2019s left shoulder and in his stomach area.<\/p>\n Adam started sensing a dread that this could end very badly.\u00a0 He noticed a very worried look on Hoss\u2019 face.<\/p>\n Dear God, please don\u2019t let my little brother die.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want the responsibility to tell Pa that his youngest son is dead.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to ever see the grief that I know would be on his face.\u00a0 This house will be way too quiet without Joe\u2019s laughter.\u00a0 He has that smile that always warms and disarms people.\u00a0 We will all miss so many things about him if he is gone.<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n At some point Joe opened his eyes to see Adam and Hoss\u2019 faces in front of him.\u00a0 He realized they were both talking to him.\u00a0 He glanced around to see where he was and he saw that he was in his bedroom, laying in his bed.\u00a0 His brothers were seated on both sides of him as they leaned over him.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, Joe, stay with us,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n Adam asked, \u201cWhat happened?\u00a0 Who did this?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe did not like the worry that he saw on their faces.\u00a0 He wished they would stop looking at him like that.\u00a0 Adam\u2019s dark hazel eyes showed dread like he feared the worse.<\/p>\n \u201cComing home,\u201d Joe managed to whisper.\u00a0 \u201cThree men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know who they were?\u201d\u00a0 Adam questioned.<\/p>\n Joe replied, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss answered.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease don\u2019t worry about me.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe closed his eyes while his brothers\u2019 voices trailed into the distance again.\u00a0 He thought of Mama and the few memories that he had of her.\u00a0 The memories were just brief scenes that had always been in the back of is mind.\u00a0 Joe remembered something about running across the yard with Mama chasing after him.\u00a0 He also remembered Mama reading bedtime stories and singing lullabies to him at night.<\/p>\n Then Joe remembered something about reading a poem about a farm family that experienced a healing.\u00a0 Was it the father who was dying?\u00a0 One of the children went off and prayed for him to be okay.\u00a0 There was a sunrise and father opened his eyes. \u00a0He turned out to be okay.\u00a0 Joe tried to remember where he had seen that poem.\u00a0 Was it in that book of poems that he had given to Adam for his birthday a few years ago?<\/p>\n God, please let me be okay like the father in that poem.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 2<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n It was sunrise as Hoss rode into Virginia City to do the three things that Adam had asked him to do.\u00a0 He had always thought there was something peaceful about the world lighting up just after dawn with the birds singing their songs in the trees.\u00a0 This morning he did not feel so peaceful.<\/p>\n Hoss rode over to Doctor Paul Martin\u2019s house, got down from Chubb and knocked on the door.\u00a0 A couple of minutes passed before the door opened and the doctor appeared with eyes that looked weary as if he had just waken up a short time ago.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss!\u201d\u00a0 Paul exclaimed as he stared at him and started to reach his hands toward him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened to you?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked down at himself and now noticed some of Joe\u2019s blood was on his clothes.<\/p>\n He replied, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Paul.\u00a0 It\u2019s my brother, Joe.\u00a0 He came home early this morning, shot.\u00a0 He needs your help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get my things together right now, and head right over there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes the sheriff know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0 I\u2019m fixing to see him next.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow are your pa and Adam holding up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam hasn\u2019t left Joe\u2019s side, and Pa is in San Francisco.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to wire Pa after I talk to the sheriff.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be heading over to the ranch shortly here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss walked down to the jail and knocked on the door.\u00a0 Silence followed for a couple of minutes and he knocked again.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a minute hold your horses!\u201d\u00a0 Sheriff Roy Coffee\u2019s voice yelled from somewhere inside.<\/p>\n About another couple of minutes passed before the door opened and Roy appeared in the doorway.\u00a0 The sheriff opened his mouth to say something and stopped as he stared at Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Roy,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cMy brother, Joe, came home early this morning, shot.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy asked, \u201cDid he say who shot him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Sir.\u00a0 He\u2019s been in and out of it.\u00a0 He said something about coming home and three men.\u00a0 Did you see Joe here in town last night?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I did.\u00a0 I think I noticed him about two or three times during the evening.\u00a0 At one point I saw him with Mitch Devlin.\u00a0 The last time I saw him was just after midnight when I was making my last round.\u00a0 I saw him in a poker game over at the Silver Dollar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe noticed that his pockets were empty, and his wallet is missing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like he may have been bushwhacked.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve already seen Doc Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u00a0 I just saw him.\u00a0 He\u2019s getting ready to go out to the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u00a0 I hope Joe is going to be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo do we.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll ask around and see if I can get an idea who did this or what may have happened.\u00a0 Your pa is out of town isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir.\u00a0 He\u2019s in San Francisco on business.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to go now and wire him and let him know about Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou go ahead and do that, and I\u2019ll start checking around.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n Next Hoss walked on down to the telegraph office to wire Pa.\u00a0 He glanced down at his blood stained clothes as he walked into the office.\u00a0 The young man behind the counter stared at him with an aghast look on his face.<\/p>\n Hoss slipped a folded piece of paper out of his shirt pocket and handed it to the man.\u00a0 \u201cHere I need to send a wire.\u201d<\/p>\n The man unfolded the piece of paper and read it.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d\u00a0 The man looked up.\u00a0 \u201cIs he all right?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss replied, \u201cWe don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Just send the wire please.\u00a0 Our pa needs to know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh I\u2019ll send it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u00a0 I\u2019ll wait here for a reply if you don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh that\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n As Hoss sat down in a chair he thought of family friend Susie Blanchard.\u00a0 He remembered some years back he and Susie and her father were in a wagon accident, and her father died.\u00a0 Susie was injured and unable to walk.\u00a0 Hoss introduced her to a so-called miracle maker who claimed he could make her walk.\u00a0 The man left her when he saw that he couldn\u2019t make her walk.\u00a0 Afterwards Susie managed to get up and walk on her own.\u00a0 Hoss told her that there was only one Miracle Maker.\u00a0 Now Hoss hoped the real Miracle Maker would come and help his little brother.<\/p>\n Lord, please help my little brother.\u00a0 He really needs your help right now.\u00a0 We sure don\u2019t want to lose him.\u00a0 I keep telling myself that everything is going to be all right.\u00a0 I really want to believe that.<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Joe drifted in and out of consciousness for he didn\u2019t know how long.\u00a0 He always saw one or both his brothers right there beside him.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, Joe, stay with us,\u201d They told him.\u00a0 \u201cStay with us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe closed his eyes and continued thinking about Mama.\u00a0 He remembered being in Mama\u2019s lap when he was about three or four-years-old while they were out on the front porch.\u00a0 Her pots of flowers and her rose tree had all started blooming.\u00a0 Mama told him about a garden back in New Orleans that she used to often visit.\u00a0 It was at the convent where she grew up.\u00a0 Having flowers at the ranch reminded her of that garden back in New Orleans.<\/p>\n Now a thought crossed Joe\u2019s mind that he wished he could see Mama again and talk to her.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Roy knocked on the front door of the Devlins\u2019 two story house.\u00a0 Little Joe\u2019s best friend Mitch lived here with his elderly mother whom he was taking care of.\u00a0 The door soon opened and there stood Mitch in his bathrobe.\u00a0 His half opened blue eyes widened when he looked at Roy.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Sheriff,\u201d Mitch said.\u00a0 \u201cIs there something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Roy nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Little Joe Cartwright came home shot early this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat!\u00a0 Is he all right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Hoss just told me a little while ago, and I just saw the doctor leaving to go out to the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope he\u2019s all right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo do I.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t I see you two together at the Silver Dollar last night?\u201d<\/p>\n A worried and concerned look had already crossed Mitch\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cYes you did.\u00a0 Joe was laughing and carrying on like he usually does.\u00a0 He started playing the all night poker game that they were having and I watched a few rounds.\u00a0 Then I went home and went to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you see Joe have any problems with anyone during the night?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you remember noticing anything suspicious or seeing something that gave you a funny feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n Silence followed for a few moments.\u00a0 Mitch stared at the ground like he was thinking hard.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I can think of one thing that made me feel a little funny when I was leaving,\u201d Mitch said.\u00a0 \u201cBut, it might not be anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy replied, \u201cThat\u2019s all right.\u00a0 Go ahead and tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere were three guys sitting at a table and watching the game.\u00a0 I remember feeling chills when I walked by them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know who they were?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but I\u2019ve seen them around.\u00a0 I think they used to live here several years ago, and they just came back about a few weeks ago.\u00a0 I know they look familiar to me.\u00a0 One of them has long red hair.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know who you\u2019re talking about.\u201d\u00a0 Roy nodded with recognition.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re always in the saloons watching the card games.\u00a0 How was the game going when you left?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe had just won a 500 dollar jackpot.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy thought he felt the hairs on the back of his neck go up as he remembered some news he had read in various crime notices from sheriffs of towns across Nevada and even California from about the past year and a half.\u00a0 There were a few times when he saw something about some man found shot dead and the killers were not known.\u00a0 Each victim was found dead the morning after he had won substantial winnings in a card game.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for the information,\u201d Roy said.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019m going to go wake somebody up at the Silver Dollar and find out what they can tell me about that poker game last night.\u201d<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n \u201cDid he lose a lot of blood?\u201d\u00a0 Doc Martin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure how to answer that,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cObviously he was already bleeding when he came home.\u00a0 We saw what looked like a lot of blood.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe laid unconscious while the doctor sat beside him and Adam stood by the foot of the bed.\u00a0 Paul had a hand on one of Joe\u2019s wrists and then on his forehead.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s very pale,\u201d Paul informed.\u00a0 \u201cHe feels cold and clammy, and he has a fever.\u00a0 Has he been conscious very much?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam answered, \u201cHe\u2019s been in and out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be honest with you, Adam.\u00a0 I can\u2019t guarantee anything except to do all I can to save him.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stared at him for a few silent moments.\u00a0 The thought ran through his mind that his youngest brother just might not make it.\u00a0 No he had to.<\/p>\n This all felt d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu to Adam.\u00a0 He remembered about two years ago Joe was laying here in this bed with a bullet wound.\u00a0 Adam had shot his own brother in a hunting accident that involved a wolf.\u00a0 They almost lost Joe back then.\u00a0 Pa was away from home then as well.<\/p>\n \u201cI can tell he\u2019s fighting,\u201d Paul added.\u00a0 \u201cThat may help in the long run.\u00a0 Of course, he\u2019s always been a fighter.\u201d<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Ben walked into the hotel lobby with a business associate he knew here in San Francisco.\u00a0 They talked and laughed about something as they crossed the lobby.<\/p>\n The hotel desk clerk called out, \u201cMr. Ben Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d\u00a0 Ben turned and stepped over to the desk.<\/p>\n \u201cA telegram has come in for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben wondered why he would be getting a telegram, and from who?\u00a0 The clerk handed him a folded piece of paper.\u00a0 Ben unfolded the paper and saw that the message was from Hoss.\u00a0 Hoss?\u00a0 What was going on back home?\u00a0 He read the message which simply said, \u201cJoe came home shot\u201d.\u00a0 Shot?\u00a0 Joseph?\u00a0 Ben stared at the telegram in disbelief while it registered the enormity of what had happened.\u00a0 His boys needed him!\u00a0 Now!\u00a0 Ben quickly folded the paper and slipped it into his shirt pocket.<\/p>\n He turned and informed his business associate, \u201cI apologize, there\u2019s been an emergency back home.\u00a0 I need to leave now.\u00a0 My sons need me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs everything all right?\u201d\u00a0 The associate asked.<\/p>\n Ben replied, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben strolled out the door as he headed toward the nearby stage office to check the schedules.<\/p>\n Dear Lord, please be with my sons right now.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what all has happened.\u00a0 All I know is my youngest has come home shot.\u00a0 I remember the Bible speaks of miracles.\u00a0 Please let there be a miracle for Joseph.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 3<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Adam was downstairs in the main room when Sheriff Roy Coffee arrived at the ranch house.\u00a0 Roy held Joe\u2019s beige hat in his hands.<\/p>\n Roy held out the hat and questioned, \u201cIs this Little Joe\u2019s hat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it is.\u201d\u00a0 Adam nodded as he took the hat.\u00a0 \u201cWhere did you find it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn the side of the road.\u00a0 I\u2019ve gotten a posse together, and we think we\u2019ve figured out the spot where it happened.\u00a0 We found tracks, and we\u2019re going to follow those.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks like Little Joe was thrown off of his horse, and he managed to get back on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, really?\u00a0 He fell off of his horse when he got home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss told me that Little Joe said something about coming home and three men.\u00a0 Has he said anything more about what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0 He\u2019s been in and out of it.\u00a0 What did you find out in town?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe visited with a couple of his friends during the evening.\u00a0 Then he played poker over at the Silver Dollar before he left for home.\u00a0 He won about 2,500 dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe found his wallet gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s what Hoss told me.\u201d\u00a0 Roy paused a moment.\u00a0 \u201cIs Doc Martin here?\u00a0 I thought I recognized his wagon out here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he is.\u00a0 He\u2019s upstairs right now trying to remove the bullets from Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n A moment of silence followed.\u00a0 Adam noticed sadness and concern in Roy\u2019s dark eyes.<\/p>\n Roy replied, \u201cI was hoping I might be able to talk to Little Joe.\u00a0 That will have to wait.\u00a0 Has the doctor said how he\u2019s doing?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam swallowed a hard lump in his throat.\u00a0 \u201cIt doesn\u2019t look good, but Paul is doing all he can to save him.\u00a0 Joe is also fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam hoped the doctor could save his youngest brother.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Roy and four other men from Virginia City followed three sets of horse tracks through the brush.\u00a0 Deputy Clem Foster had been left at the jail in case anyone needed the law for something.\u00a0 Yep!\u00a0 Three of them just like Little Joe had told his brothers.<\/p>\n \u201cThat Little Joe Cartwright he\u2019s a wild one ain\u2019t he?\u201d\u00a0 Someone asked low.<\/p>\n \u201cNo he\u2019s a good kid,\u201d Roy replied.\u00a0 \u201cSure he gets into mischief sometimes and he likes to pull pranks on his brothers and he gets into scraps.\u00a0 Still if someone is in trouble Little Joe is right there to help them out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne time the Cartwrights were on some kind of trip and they set up camp somewhere.\u00a0 The next thing they knew they were surrounded by Indians.\u00a0 Adam went out to get water and he got himself shot.\u00a0 Little Joe ran out, grabbed him and carried him back to camp all the while they were being shot at.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u00a0 Who told you about that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBen did.\u201d<\/p>\n Stunned silence followed.<\/p>\n Roy remembered earlier the worry and dread that he had seen in Adam\u2019s hazel eyes.\u00a0 He wondered if Ben had already seen Hoss\u2019 wire by now.\u00a0 Roy was sure Ben was probably already making plans to come straight home as soon as he could.\u00a0 More than once Ben had privately told him that nothing came between him and his sons.\u00a0 Not even the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Period.<\/p>\n God, I am not much of a praying man, but I do believe in you.\u00a0 Ben has been widowed three times.\u00a0 The last thing he needs is to lose one of his sons.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you know how much those boys mean to him.\u00a0 Please have mercy on this family.\u00a0 Let Little Joe live.\u00a0 And help us find the guys who shot him.\u00a0 They don\u2019t need to be getting away with this \u2013 especially if they\u2019ve already murdered other men.<\/em><\/p>\n About a minute later Roy thought he heard voices way off in the distance.<\/p>\n \u201cShh!\u00a0 Stop!\u00a0 Listen!\u201d<\/p>\n The men all stopped their horses and sat in silence.\u00a0 Roy could make out what sounded like two drunken men\u2019s voices singing out of tune.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you hear that?\u201d\u00a0 Roy asked.<\/p>\n Two of the men answered, \u201cYeah, sure do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like someone is having themselves a little party.\u201d<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Doc Martin had just left when five of Joe\u2019s friends rode up to the ranch house.\u00a0 One of them was Joe\u2019s best friend, Mitch Devlin.\u00a0 Adam opened the door just as they were all getting off of their horses.\u00a0 Adam invited them all inside.<\/p>\n \u201cThe sheriff told me about what happened to Joe,\u201d Mitch said with worry in his blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIs he all right?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam swallowed and replied, \u201cRight now he\u2019s asleep.\u00a0 The doctor got the bullets and he\u2019s doing all he can to help him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope Joe will be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe all do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI saw him last at the Silver Dollar.\u00a0 He started playing that poker game.\u00a0 I watched for a little bit and went home.\u00a0 He was laughing and carrying on like he usually does.\u00a0 I can\u2019t believe this has happened to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence followed.\u00a0 Adam hoped he would never see these young men be given bad news that their friend had passed on.\u00a0 He felt a lump in his throat just thinking about it.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Joe slowly opened his eyes as Adam laid a cold wet cloth across his forehead. \u00a0His whole upper torso felt sore like he had been rolled and bounced down a rocky hillside.\u00a0 He also felt hot and sweaty.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you\u2019re awake.\u201d\u00a0 Adam got up and sat down on the bed beside him.\u00a0 \u201cThe doctor just left.\u00a0 He got both bullets out.\u00a0 He said you have some broken ribs and you\u2019ll be hurting for a while.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be back to check on you.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe managed to whisper, \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome of your friends, including Mitch, were here a little while ago.\u00a0 They said to tell you \u2018Hi\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe weakly smiled.\u00a0 He remembered saying \u201cgoodbye\u201d to Mitch while he was playing poker.\u00a0 Joe hoped his friends weren\u2019t worried about him.\u00a0 He could sure see worry in Adam\u2019s hazel eyes.\u00a0 He really wished that his brother would not look at him like that.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d\u00a0 Adam asked.<\/p>\n Joe did not respond as he drifted back into darkness.\u00a0 He started to remember another memory of Mama.<\/p>\n It was Adam\u2019s 15th<\/sup> birthday.\u00a0 Mama handed him a new guitar.\u00a0 Adam grinned as he held it and started strumming and singing a melody.<\/p>\n Joe knew the story well from hearing it a few times over the years.\u00a0 Mama had once heard Adam make a passing comment that he wished he knew how to play the guitar.\u00a0 She immediately found someone in town to teach him how to play.\u00a0 It was some old guitar that he had learned to play on.\u00a0 It was something old that someone had and gave to him.\u00a0 Later Mama gave Adam a brand new guitar for his birthday.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Hoss ran into the ranch house, saw no one downstairs and ran on up the stairs.\u00a0 He hurried down the hall and into Joe\u2019s bedroom.\u00a0 He noticed Adam sitting on the bed beside Joe whose eyes were closed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou just missed him being briefly awake about two or three minutes ago,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n Hoss questioned, \u201cWas the doctor here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. \u00a0He got both bullets out. \u00a0Joe has a fever and some broken ribs.\u00a0 Paul will be back to check on him.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss sat down on the bed.\u00a0 \u201cDid Paul say our little brother\u2019s going to make it?\u201d<\/p>\n Silence followed for a few moments.\u00a0 Hoss noticed dread in his older brother\u2019s eyes as he appeared to swallow hard.\u00a0 Hoss started to feel a foreboding that this could end very badly.\u00a0 They could really lose their little brother.\u00a0 He wished he could punch whoever had shot him.<\/p>\n Adam replied low, \u201cPaul said that Joe lost an awful lot of blood which is not good.\u00a0 He also said that the only thing he can promise is to do all he can to save Joe.\u00a0 He is a fighter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course he is.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked down at his younger brother and noticed how pale he really looked.\u00a0 There was almost no color in his skin.\u00a0 Even his lips were almost colorless.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you get the wire to Pa?\u201d\u00a0 Adam questioned.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHe wired back that he will be here on the noon stage tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n Then Hop Sing stepped into the room.\u00a0 \u201cYou boys eat.\u00a0 I make sandwiches.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam both looked over at him and then at each other.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not now,\u201d Adam replied.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe later.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss added, \u201cI\u2019m really not hungry right now, Hop Sing.\u00a0 Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing\u2019s eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Hoss not hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss remembered something similar to this had happened about two years ago with Joe laying here in his bed near death.\u00a0 Joe and Adam had been involved in a hunting accident.\u00a0 Hoss and Adam both didn\u2019t eat then as well until after Joe had waken up from his fever.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Roy and his posse slowly and quietly stepped into the camp.\u00a0 Three men were sitting around the campfire as they drank and drunkenly sang some song that Roy did not recognize.\u00a0 He did recognize them as the three men whom he was sure Mitch had noticed at the Silver Dollar last night.\u00a0 One of them had long red hair.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, hands up!\u201d\u00a0 Roy called out.<\/p>\n All three men stopped singing and slowly stood up with their hands raised.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 The red-haired man asked.\u00a0 \u201cThe Sheriff?\u201d<\/p>\n Roy replied, \u201cYou\u2019re all under arrest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did we do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA young man was shot early this morning.\u00a0 We followed the tracks of the shooters and they lead us right to you.\u201d<\/p>\n There was silence for a few moments before one of the other men questioned, \u201cWho found Cartwright dead?\u00a0 His daddy?\u201d<\/p>\n Roy answered, \u201cWho told you he\u2019s dead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell he sure looked dead to us after we shot him.\u00a0 His eyes were closed and he wasn\u2019t moving.\u201d<\/p>\n The third man added, \u201cHe didn\u2019t move when I went through his pockets and took out his wallet.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy announced, \u201cVery slowly unbuckle your gun belts and drop them.\u00a0 You\u2019re all under arrest for attempted murder and for robbery.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAttempted murder?\u201d\u00a0 The red-haired man replied.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean he\u2019s alive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor your information he got back on his horse and rode home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrop your gun belts slowly.\u00a0 Now!\u201d<\/p>\n Roy and the posse all carefully watched the three men slowly unbuckle their gun belts and let them drop to the ground.\u00a0 He felt sickened at the thought that these men had enjoyed doing what they did to Little Joe.\u00a0 Then the red-haired man turned and started to run away toward some horses that were tied to some trees on the far side of the camp.<\/p>\n Roy drew his gun.\u00a0 \u201cStop or I\u2019ll shoot!\u201d<\/p>\n The man continued running, and Roy shot him in the leg.\u00a0 The man cried out as he fell to the ground.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 4<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Images of various memories ran through Joe\u2019s mind like train cars going down a track.\u00a0 There was a brief glimpse of this moment and a brief glimpse of that moment.\u00a0 They were all memories of mama.\u00a0 He kept seeing her warm face and her loving brown eyes.\u00a0 Joe saw her smiling and laughing.\u00a0 He saw her holding him close in her lap.<\/p>\n Joe opened his eyes and noticed that he was still laying in his bed.\u00a0 Adam and Hoss were seated in chairs on both sides of his bed.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s awake,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss both came and leaned over Joe.\u00a0 Tears seemed to show in their worried eyes.\u00a0 Okay, he thought they really needed to stop looking at him like that.\u00a0 He was not liking this one bit.<\/p>\n \u201cYou stay with us, little brother,\u201d Hoss told him.\u00a0 \u201cYou hear?\u00a0 You stay with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe tried to whisper back, \u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet the words didn\u2019t quite come out.\u00a0 His lips only moved in silence.<\/p>\n Adam informed, \u201cPa will be home tomorrow.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he\u2019s anxious to get here.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe hoped Pa wasn\u2019t worried like his brothers were.\u00a0 He closed his eyes and drifted back into darkness.\u00a0 He started to remember another memory.<\/p>\n He remembered being out in the barn one night with Mama, Pa, Adam and Hoss when a foal was born.\u00a0 Hoss was almost dancing with excitement when he reached out his hand and let the newborn foal sniff it.<\/p>\n Hoss had told Joe many stories over the years about Mama telling him various things about horses.\u00a0 She even shared with him about the different horses she had back in New Orleans.<\/p>\n The one thing that Joe always especially remembered Hoss telling him was that Mama never called Adam and Hoss her stepsons.\u00a0 She always referred to them as her sons.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n It was late afternoon when Roy knocked on the ranch house door.\u00a0 Hop Sing opened the door and let him in.\u00a0 Adam appeared at the top of the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cIs Hoss with Little Joe?\u201d\u00a0 Roy asked as he climbed the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cI have something to tell both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n Roy followed Adam down the hall into Little Joe\u2019s bedroom.\u00a0 Roy saw Hoss sitting in a chair beside Little Joe\u2019s bed.\u00a0 He noticed Little Joe looked very pale.\u00a0 Roy had seen dead men who looked just a little paler.\u00a0 He felt something inside him drop.\u00a0 This could not be good.<\/p>\n \u201cRoy has something he wants to tell us,\u201d Adam told Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found the three men suspected of shooting and robbing your brother,\u201d Roy informed them.\u00a0 \u201cWe arrested them, and they\u2019re sitting in jail right now.\u00a0 They\u2019ve been charged with robbery and attempted murder.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss replied, \u201cThanks for finding them.\u00a0 I wish I could punch all three of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s very understandable that you would feel that way, but you know you can\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf our brother dies \u2026\u201d Adam added and stopped like there was something that he really didn\u2019t want to voice.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy noticed that hot anger that he rarely saw in Adam\u2019s hazel eyes.\u00a0 It was a fiery look that caused him to feel chills.\u00a0 The last time he had seen that look was when all three Cartwright brothers were convinced that their pa had been murdered, and they were going to find whoever was responsible.\u00a0 That happened several months ago.\u00a0 Roy was relieved when Ben turned up alive, and his boys ended up not taking the law into their own hands.\u00a0 He now glanced over at Hoss and saw fierce anger in his blue eyes as well.<\/p>\n Silence followed for a few moments.<\/p>\n Roy informed, \u201cWe also recovered Little Joe\u2019s wallet.\u00a0 It still has his money inside.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be hanging onto it for now to use as evidence for trial.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Adam replied.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know when your pa will be back?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe will be here tomorrow on the noon stage,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s meeting him at the stage?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t decided yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy thought about that for a moment and answered, \u201cI\u2019ll meet him and bring him home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoy, you don\u2019t need to do that,\u201d Adam responded.<\/p>\n Hoss added, \u201cYeah, one of us can go get him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s all right, boys.\u201d\u00a0 Roy held up his hands.\u00a0 \u201cI really don\u2019t mind doing it.\u00a0 In fact I want to.\u00a0 I think you boys are needed at home with your brother.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go get your pa and bring him right home.\u201d<\/p>\n He noticed Adam and Hoss look at each other like they weren\u2019t sure if they should really go or stay.\u00a0 Roy really wanted both of them to stay out of town with that anger he sensed was in them.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want any chance of them making their way over to the jail to have words and more with the suspects.<\/p>\n Then Little Joe softly moaned.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s waking up,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Roy replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been hoping to talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam informed, \u201cHe\u2019s been saying very little.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe opened his eyes and glanced from face to face with a sort of puzzled look.\u00a0 Roy noticed his green eyes seemed clouded like he was gazing through a fog.<\/p>\n Roy sat down on the bed and leaned over him.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe silently looked up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you tell me what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cComing home,\u201d Little Joe whispered so low his voice was barely audible.\u00a0 \u201cShot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you see who shot you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0 Eyes closed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you don\u2019t know how many there were?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThree men\u2019s voices.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThree men\u2019s voices?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThree men.\u00a0 Long red hair.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe closed his eyes like he was going to sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe?\u201d\u00a0 Roy laid a hand on Little Joe\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n The young man\u2019s eyes remained closed and he did not say anything more.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been like that all day,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n Hoss added, \u201cYeah, he wakes up for a few seconds and he\u2019s back out of it again.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy was glad he was able to hear something from Little Joe himself.\u00a0 Still what was this about eyes closed, three men\u2019s voices, three men and long red hair?\u00a0 Well, there were three men in jail right now and one of them had long red hair.<\/p>\n A little later Roy returned to Virginia City.\u00a0 Back at the jail Clem handed him three notices that he had retrieved from the files.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I found those cases you\u2019re wanting,\u201d Clem said.<\/p>\n Roy took the notices from him.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 He read through all of them.\u00a0 \u201cYep, those are the ones.\u201d<\/p>\n These three cases were very similar to Little Joe\u2019s and they were all from about the past year or so.\u00a0 Only Little Joe managed to make it home alive.\u00a0 In each case the victim had won considerable winnings in a card game the night before.\u00a0 The first three victims were found dead and no witnesses were found.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d\u00a0 Roy asked.<\/p>\n Clem replied, \u201cI think it\u2019s pretty obvious those cases are all related to Little Joe\u2019s except Little Joe is alive and they\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight.\u00a0 Bring me that saddle bag with the wallets in it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n Clem grabbed a worn saddle bag out of the safe and brought it over to him.\u00a0 Roy pulled out four wallets \u2013 the fourth one being Little Joe\u2019s.\u00a0 He compared the names inside the wallets with the names on the notices, and saw he had three matches.\u00a0 Clem looked as well.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yeah, just as I suspected,\u201d Roy said.\u00a0 \u201cThree families are going to be very grateful that justice is coming for their loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy was glad to see four cases solved and three killers stopped.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n A few times during the night Adam got up, went to his bedroom and closed the door just so that He could be alone with his thoughts.<\/p>\n Once he laid down on his bed and drifted off into a deep sleep.\u00a0 He dreamed he, Pa, Hoss and Paul watched as Joe breathed his last.\u00a0 Paul drew the bed sheet over Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 Adam, Pa and Hoss all sobbed uncontrollably.\u00a0 Next, they all stood around Joe\u2019s grave.\u00a0 Friends and neighbors had all joined them.\u00a0 Joe had been buried next to his mother.\u00a0 Adam stared hard at the gravestone on Joe\u2019s grave.\u00a0 He wondered how life could be so unfair that his kid brother had died so young.\u00a0 This just wasn\u2019t right.\u00a0 Then Adam woke up feeling confused and disturbed.\u00a0 Was that just a dream he had or did all of that really happen?\u00a0 He hurried out of his room, up the hallway and into Joe\u2019s room.\u00a0 He noticed Joe\u2019s eyes were open and looking up at Hoss who was talking to him.\u00a0 Joe turned and gazed over at Adam.\u00a0 A determined look showed in his youngest brother\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n In the morning Adam stood at Joe\u2019s bedroom window as he realized that Pa would be coming home today.\u00a0 He watched the deepening gold and orange colors of the sunrise cross the sky.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe today our little brother will start to get better,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n Adam continued to silently stare out the window.\u00a0 He so wanted to believe what Hoss just said.\u00a0 Yet the memory of that dream played across his mind over and over again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 5<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n It was just past noon when the stage arrived in Virginia City.\u00a0 Ben stepped out of the stage coach to see Paul and Roy both standing there with grim faces.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is Joe?\u201d\u00a0 Ben asked Paul.<\/p>\n Paul stood on one side of Ben and laid a hand on his back.\u00a0 Roy stood on the other side and laid a hand on Ben\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cHe lost an awful lot of blood, Ben,\u201d Paul replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll tell you what I told Adam.\u00a0 All I can promise is to do all I can to save him.\u00a0 He is a fighter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo we know what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Roy answered, \u201cWe\u2019re not real clear on that right now.\u00a0 It sounds like he was shot and robbed when he was coming home.\u00a0 It was very late at night.\u00a0 We have found and arrested the guys suspected of doing this.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben glanced around and looked back at his two friends.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are Adam and Hoss?\u00a0 I expected one of them would meet me here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re both at home,\u201d\u00a0 Roy replied.\u00a0 \u201cI told them it would be best for them to stay home with their brother, and I would go to meet you and bring you home.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben thought about that for a moment and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul informed, \u201cI have a few patients to check on.\u00a0 Then I\u2019ll be over at the ranch to check on Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben and Roy soon left in the Cartwrights\u2019 wagon.\u00a0 For a few minutes they rode in silence.<\/p>\n Ben asked, \u201cHow are Adam and Hoss doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see the worry in their eyes,\u201d Roy answered.\u00a0 \u201cI can tell they\u2019re both upset at the thought they might be losing their little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n They rode the rest of the way to the Ponderosa in silence.<\/p>\n Ben thought about the night that Joe was born.\u00a0 Marie shook Ben awake from sound sleep and told him that the baby was coming.\u00a0 It seemed like it was just a few short minutes later when the baby was born with a cry.\u00a0 Ben also remembered Adam and Hoss each taking turns holding their baby brother.<\/p>\n Dear Lord, I ask again for a miracle.\u00a0 I hope you don\u2019t grow tired of me asking again and again.\u00a0 I ask that my youngest son will somehow get through this and live.\u00a0 I also don\u2019t want to see my two older sons lose the baby brother whom they adored when he was born.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>They soon arrived at the ranch house.\u00a0 Adam met them out in the yard as they got off the wagon.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is Joe?\u201d\u00a0 Ben immediately asked Adam.<\/p>\n Adam replied with graveness on his face, \u201cHe\u2019s been pretty well out of it.\u00a0 Once in a while he wakes up for a few seconds, and then he\u2019s out of it again.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben walked into the house and up the stairs with Adam and Roy following behind him.\u00a0 He stepped into Joe\u2019s room to see his youngest son looking very pale as he laid in his bed.\u00a0 His eyes were closed like he was in a deep sleep.\u00a0 Hoss was seated in a chair beside the bed.\u00a0 Ben sat down on the bed and leaned over Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph?\u201d\u00a0 Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cCan you hear me?\u00a0 This is Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m home now.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe remained silent and sleeping.\u00a0 Ben wished his youngest son would wake up and say something.<\/p>\n Roy stayed for a little bit and left.\u00a0 Ben discussed with Adam and Hoss about what all had happened at the Ponderosa while he was gone.\u00a0 He also told them a little about his trip.<\/p>\n After awhile Ben got up to pour himself a cup of coffee at the small table near the door.\u00a0 He noticed the coffee pot was nearly empty.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get us some more coffee,\u201d Ben announced.<\/p>\n He grabbed the pot and went on downstairs to the kitchen where Hop Sing was placing sandwiches on a plate.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Hop Sing,\u201d said Ben.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have some more coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n The cook grabbed a pot off of the stove and poured more coffee into the coffee pot.<\/p>\n \u201cHow have things been going the past couple of days?\u201d\u00a0 Ben questioned.<\/p>\n A worried look showed on Hop Sing\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cNot good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoys not eat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam and Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey not eat yesterday.\u00a0 They not eat today.\u00a0 They say not hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben thought about that for a moment and answered, \u201cYou put some food on the table.\u00a0 I\u2019ll send them both right down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d\u00a0 Hop Sing smiled.<\/p>\n Ben marched back up the stairs with the coffee.\u00a0 He set it back on the small table in Joe\u2019s room.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing is putting food on the table,\u201d Ben announced.\u00a0 \u201cYou boys go ahead and eat something.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss looked at each other like they weren\u2019t sure if they really wanted to eat.<\/p>\n Ben added, \u201cYou boys are not helping your brother by not eating.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be right here with Joe.\u00a0 You two go eat something.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam replied, \u201cPa, the reason why we haven\u2019t eaten is because we haven\u2019t been hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t had much of an appetite,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n \u201cJust eat something,\u201d Ben answered.<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss slowly got up and left.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Joe opened his eyes to see Pa sitting beside him on the bed.\u00a0 He noticed no one else was in his bedroom with them.\u00a0 He also noticed the worried look on Pa\u2019s face.\u00a0 His dark eyes showed dread.\u00a0 Joe wished that his father would not look at him like that.\u00a0 It was the same look he kept seeing from his brothers.<\/p>\n Joe also remembered he sometimes heard his brothers talking while he was out of it.\u00a0 He had also heard the voices of Pa, Sheriff Coffee and Doctor Martin.\u00a0 He even at one point had heard the voice of his best friend Mitch.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Joseph.\u201d\u00a0 Pa slightly smiled as he leaned over and held one of Joe\u2019s hands.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re awake.\u00a0 I\u2019m here now.\u00a0 Your brothers are both downstairs.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be back shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe whispered, \u201cPa, don\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not worried.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes you are.\u00a0 I see it on your face.\u201d<\/p>\n Pa just gazed at him in silence with a troubled look on his face.<\/p>\n Joe added, \u201cI wish you and Adam and Hoss and everyone else wouldn\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re concerned, but we\u2019re not worried.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hear everyone talking about me.\u00a0 Please stop worrying.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n As Joe drifted back into darkness he heard Pa\u2019s trailing voice call, \u201cJoe?\u00a0 Joe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n God, please help me to be okay.\u00a0 I want to wake up and be okay.\u00a0 I want my family to stop worrying about me.\u00a0 I want to be like the father in that poem.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>Joe remembered a certain night when he was about two or three-years-old.\u00a0 He woke up to a very loud thunder and lightening storm going on outside.\u00a0 He got out of bed and ran out of his bedroom.\u00a0 Joe ran down the hall and into Mama and Pa\u2019s room where he jumped up onto their bed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m scared!\u201d\u00a0 Joe cried.\u00a0 \u201cScared!\u201d<\/p>\n Mama wrapped him up in her gentle arms.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Little Joseph.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a storm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re safe, Son.\u201d\u00a0 Pa put a hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n Joe also remembered Mama trimming and watering her flowers in the pots out in front of the house.\u00a0 Pa had always said that Mama was like springtime year round.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Adam nibbled at his sandwich while he and Hoss sat across from each other at the dining room table.\u00a0 He still did not really feel like eating, but he forced himself to chew and swallow a couple of bites of the sandwich.\u00a0 He noticed Hoss was eating a few bigger bites of his sandwich.<\/p>\n \u201cI keep trying to tell myself that everything is going to be all right,\u201d Hoss said while worry still showed in his blue eyes.\u00a0 \u201cOur little brother is going to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded in silence.\u00a0 He still hadn\u2019t told anyone about that bad dream he had last night.\u00a0 He felt so disturbed by the dream that he was afraid to go back to sleep for fear he would see Joe\u2019s grave again.<\/p>\n Adam replied, \u201cHe\u2019s barely more than a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss nodded.<\/p>\n A few minutes later Adam and Hoss returned upstairs to Joe\u2019s room without finishing their sandwiches.\u00a0 Pa still sat beside Joe\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou just missed him being awake,\u201d Pa informed.\u00a0 \u201cHe was only awake for a few seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam questioned, \u201cDid he say anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe just asked for us to stop worrying about him and he said he can hear us talking.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam remembered back to that hunting accident.\u00a0 Joe later told Adam that he could hear people talking around him like he wasn\u2019t there.\u00a0 Adam wondered what Joe was hearing now.<\/p>\n That evening Paul and Mitch both came to spend the night with Joe.\u00a0 It was late at night when Joe woke up and Mitch sat down beside him on the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Joe, we need you to get better,\u201d Mitch told him.<\/p>\n Joe whispered, \u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n During the night everyone sat around and dozed off only to wake up every time Joe happened to stir.\u00a0 Adam started to feel like they were all on some kind of death watch.\u00a0 Of course he knew everyone wanted his youngest brother to somehow pull through.\u00a0 At one point Adam even slipped into a brief slumber only to dream again about everyone standing around Joe\u2019s grave.\u00a0 He startled awake just as he saw Joe\u2019s eyes flutter open.\u00a0 Adam got up and sat down on the bed beside Joe.\u00a0 His brother\u2019s green eyes looked up at him with such determination.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease stop worrying,\u201d Joe whispered so low that it was barely audible.<\/p>\n Adam laid a hand on his arm.\u00a0 \u201cHang in there, little buddy, hang in there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be okay just like that father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPoem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPoem?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s lips moved in silence like he was trying to say something else.\u00a0 Then his eyes closed like he was drifting off to sleep and he said nothing more.<\/p>\n Adam looked around the room to see everyone awake and watching.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did he say?\u201d\u00a0 Pa asked.<\/p>\n Adam replied, \u201cIt sounded like he was trying to tell me something about a poem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was probably just rambling,\u201d Paul answered with sadness in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve seen that many times.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam thought about that for a moment, but felt very strongly that Joe really was trying to tell him something about a poem.\u00a0 What poem?\u00a0 He looked out the window and noticed that the sky had started to lighten.\u00a0 Sunrise was coming.<\/p>\n Adam stood up.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be back in a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n He walked out of the room, up the hall into his bedroom and closed the door behind him.\u00a0 Adam sat down on his bed and stared up at books on his shelves.\u00a0 He realized that many were poetry books.\u00a0 Several he had bought over the years.\u00a0 A few had been given to him by family and friends.\u00a0 He had read them all \u2013 some many times over.<\/p>\n Dear God, what was Joe trying to tell me?\u00a0 It sounded like he was trying to tell me something about a poem.\u00a0 What poem?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 6<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Adam scanned the books while his eyes kept staring back at a certain small blue book nestled between all of the others.\u00a0 Wait.\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t that the poetry book that Joe had given him for his birthday a few years ago?\u00a0 Adam remembered Joe telling him about finding it somewhere and reading a few of the poems in it.\u00a0 He liked the poems and thought Adam would enjoy them too.\u00a0 Now Adam pulled the book out and slowly fingered the blue cloth cover.\u00a0 Then he vaguely remembered reading a poem about a healing happening in a family.\u00a0 Was that poem in here?\u00a0 He opened the book and scanned the table of contents.\u00a0 There listed was the title \u201cThe Healing\u201d.\u00a0 The healing?\u00a0 Adam turned the pages to the poem and read it.<\/p>\n The Healing\u00a0 (*)<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>The dying sun in flames,<\/em><\/p>\n Flat prairie out in the west,<\/em><\/p>\n A family of nine,<\/em><\/p>\n A small dusty farm.<\/em><\/p>\n Pa was sick and he was dying.<\/em><\/p>\n The moon and stars kept vigil,<\/em><\/p>\n A hushed congregation.<\/em><\/p>\n Beth knelt behind the barn.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDear Jesus, please don\u2019t let my pa die.<\/em><\/p>\n Please make Pa better.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Early morning dawned,<\/em><\/p>\n The golden sun crested distant hills,<\/em><\/p>\n Prairie grasses waved<\/em><\/p>\n Silently in stilled awe.<\/em><\/p>\n Pa opened his eyes<\/em><\/p>\n And he lived.<\/em><\/p>\n Adam stared at those last two lines.\u00a0 Pa opened his eyes and he lived.\u00a0 He lived.\u00a0 Just a few minutes ago didn\u2019t Joe say he would be okay just like the father?\u00a0 The father in this poem!<\/p>\n Adam walked back to Joe\u2019s room and sat down on the bed beside his youngest brother.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, little buddy, I don\u2019t know if you can hear me right now,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I have the poetry book here that you gave me for my birthday a few years ago.\u00a0 I think I found the poem that you were trying to tell me about.\u00a0 It\u2019s called \u2018The Healing\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam felt hope rise inside of him as he read aloud the poem.\u00a0 Silence followed in the room for a few moments as Joe continued to \u201csleep\u201d.<\/p>\n Pa replied, \u201cThe Bible talks about healings.\u00a0 Jesus went about healing people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know a healing happened in my family,\u201d Mitch informed.\u00a0 \u201cThis story comes from my grandmother.\u00a0 One of her babies was born bluish and not breathing.\u00a0 Grandma immediately prayed and asked God to heal her baby.\u00a0 The baby finally started breathing and she wasn\u2019t bluish anymore.\u00a0 That was my Aunt Adora.\u00a0 She grew up, got married, and had children of her own.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad your aunt was all right,\u201d Paul answered.\u00a0 \u201cI have heard of stories about miracles happening to people.\u00a0 There have been a few times when I\u2019ve wondered if I had just witnessed one.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked over at the window and saw that the sky had turned golden peach.\u00a0 It was sunrise just like in the poem.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Joe heard Adam\u2019s voice in the distance.\u00a0 He was reading the poem that Joe had been remembering.\u00a0 Adam found the poem!<\/p>\n Next Joe saw Mama standing before him.\u00a0 She smiled while her warm brown eyes showed great love.\u00a0 He realized how much he had missed her since he was a little boy.<\/p>\n \u201cMy little Joseph all grown up,\u201d She said.<\/p>\n Joe replied, \u201cMama, I\u2019ve missed you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m always watching over you.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe felt comforted by that thought.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t like it when people say bad things about you or they insinuate bad things about you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know that has always troubled you.\u201d\u00a0 Mama nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSome people don\u2019t understand, they will never understand, and there\u2019s nothing we can ever do to make them understand.\u201d\u00a0 She paused a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYou have some memories of me, right?\u00a0 I know you were very young when I left.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I have a few memories of you.\u00a0 I will always remember you.\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYour father and brothers have shared with you their memories, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHold on to those memories.\u00a0 You four know the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n They took a hold of each other\u2019s hands.\u00a0 She felt so real.\u00a0 Joe had a momentary thought that he wanted to stay with her and not let her out of his sight again.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could talk to you forever,\u201d Joe told her.<\/p>\n Tears seemed to show in her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not your time yet.\u00a0 Someday we\u2019ll all be together forever.\u00a0 Right now you need to go back.\u00a0 Your father and brothers and some other people have been very worried about you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love you, Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love you, too, my sweet little Joseph.\u00a0 Remember I am always watching over you.\u201d<\/p>\n Then Mama faded from Joe\u2019s sight like she had been part of a dream.\u00a0 Why did she have to go?<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Morning light had started to fill Joe\u2019s bedroom.\u00a0 Adam and Pa both sat beside Joe on the bed.\u00a0 Adam was on one side of Joe while Pa was on the other.\u00a0 Pa had a hold of one of Joe\u2019s hands.\u00a0 Joe still looked colorless while his lips moved silently like he was talking to someone.\u00a0 Then he softly moaned.\u00a0 Next coloring started to return to his skin as he no longer looked pale.<\/p>\n \u201cI think his coloring is coming back,\u201d Adam informed.<\/p>\n Paul got up, walked over and sat down beside Pa.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve never seen this happen before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe doesn\u2019t feel cold and clammy,\u201d Pa added.<\/p>\n Adam laid a hand on one of Joe\u2019s arms.\u00a0 The coldness was gone and warmth had returned.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Joe opened his eyes to see Pa, Adam and Paul sitting beside him on his bed.\u00a0 Hoss and Mitch both stood near his bed.<\/p>\n He looked up at all of them and asked, \u201cWhy is everyone in my room?\u201d<\/p>\n Pa replied, \u201cWe\u2019ve all been very concerned about you, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe started to lean forward and pain shot through his upper torso.\u00a0 Oh that was not a good idea.\u00a0 Pa and Adam both gently pushed him back against the pillows.<\/p>\n \u201cEasy there,\u201d Paul said.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you feel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike I\u2019ve been rolled down hill,\u201d Joe answered.<\/p>\n \u201cI bet you do.\u00a0 You were shot twice and you have broken ribs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh great.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul laid a hand on Joe\u2019s forehead.\u00a0 \u201cThe fever\u2019s gone.\u00a0 That\u2019s a very good sign.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe realized he no longer felt hot and sweaty.<\/p>\n Hoss added, \u201cYou gave us all a real bad scare, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe answered, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Later in the morning Joe was seated up in his bed while Adam sat in a chair beside him.\u00a0 Joe glanced over at his nightstand and saw a blue book that looked like that book of poems he had given to Adam for his birthday a few years ago.<\/p>\n Joe pointed over at the book.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t that the book of poems that I gave you for your birthday one year?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 Adam smiled as he grabbed the book and held it in his hands.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t you tell me you had read a few of the poems in here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you read a poem called \u2018The Healing\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that the name of that poem?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about a farm family.\u00a0 The father was sick and dying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSunrise came, and he opened his eyes and he lived,\u201d Joe replied.\u00a0 \u201cI heard you reading it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u00a0 I was hoping you heard me.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam opened the book and read that poem again aloud.<\/p>\n The Healing<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>The dying sun in flames,<\/em><\/p>\n Flat prairie out in the west,<\/em><\/p>\n A family of nine,<\/em><\/p>\n A small dusty farm.<\/em><\/p>\n Pa was sick and he was dying.<\/em><\/p>\n The moon and stars kept vigil,<\/em><\/p>\n A hushed congregation.<\/em><\/p>\n Beth knelt behind the barn.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDear Jesus, please don\u2019t let my pa die.<\/em><\/p>\n Please make Pa better.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Early morning dawned,<\/em><\/p>\n The golden sun crested distant hills,<\/em><\/p>\n Prairie grasses waved<\/em><\/p>\n Silently in stilled awe.<\/em><\/p>\n Pa opened his eyes<\/em><\/p>\n And he lived.<\/em><\/p>\n Joe thought about that father fighting to live so that he could still take care of his family.<\/p>\n Thank you, God.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Tags: Little Joe Cartwright, Adam Cartwright, Hoss Cartwright, Ben Cartwright, Hop Sing, Sheriff Roy Coffee, Doctor Paul Martin<\/p>\n Author’s Note: This story started as a few paragraphs written for a challenge on Bonanza Boomers<\/p>\n (*) I wrote “The Healing” back in the 1990s. I think it was within about two or three years after Michael Landon had passed away in 1991. I remember I had \u201cLittle House On The Prairie\u201d on the \u201cbrain\u201d. I think I had found a TV\/cable channel that was showing reruns of the show. I was thinking of Charles\/Michael when I wrote the poem. Beth is actually Laura. I didn\u2019t know what I was going to do with the poem, but I always felt to hang on to it. While I was working on this story I remembered that poem and felt I was to include it.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary: Joe comes home shot and fighting for his life. His family and friends hope and pray he will make it. <\/p>\n Rating: PG<\/p>\n Word Count: 10,159<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12349,"featured_media":30982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[2,23,1007],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actionadventure","category-drama","category-joe-cartwright","wpcat-2-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1007-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Sunset-by-Free-Photos-from-pixabay.jpg?fit=640%2C426&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12349"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}