Summary:\u00a0 Danger lurks in a single wound.<\/p>\n
Rated:\u00a0 T<\/p>\n
Word Count:\u00a0 3925<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s one of them phoby cats,\u201d said Tex.\u00a0 He was a new hand on the Ponderosa, known only by the moniker of his home state, but he had several years of ranching experience under his belt.<\/p>\n
\u201cA what?\u201d asked Joe as he tried to move half a ton of cow away from a skunk that was behaving as if it had drained the Silver Dollar of cheap whiskey.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you ain\u2019t careful they\u2019ll jump up and bite you right on the nose.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calvin Ferguson, a sixteen-year-old man with a couple years worked already on the Ponderosa, said, \u201cA skunk is a skunk, no matter what you call it.\u201d\u00a0 He kicked at it with his boot, hoping it would wander off but the skunk stood on its forelegs, tail at the warning.<\/p>\n
The cow, intent on protecting her calf, didn\u2019t budge as Joe pushed against her.\u00a0 She swung forth a foreleg, bowling the skunk over.\u00a0 A stench arose and the cow snorted then lowered its head to show the skunk she meant business with her horns.\u00a0 The calf, curious at what the small creature was doing, gave the skunk a shove with its nose. The skunk sank its teeth into the calf\u2019s nose.\u00a0 Men and beasts were enveloped in parfum de skunk as the calf bawled and shook its head to rid itself of the stinking vermin.\u00a0 The cow\u2019s bellows added to the cacophony.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you it\u2019d go straight for the nose,\u201d said Tex.<\/p>\n
Calvin grabbed the skunk by the tail and yanked.\u00a0 He figured it\u2019d let go of the calf so he could then toss it as far as he could throw it.\u00a0 He figured wrong.\u00a0 It let go all right but the varmint squealed as it flailed in mid-air, held prisoner by the pressure on its tail.\u00a0 Joe shielded his eyes with his left arm to avoid a mist of skunk spray to his eyes but dropped to a knee while holding his breath to avoid a lungful of stench. The skunk\u2019s front claws dug into Joe\u2019s jacket and the skunk sank its teeth into Joe\u2019s calloused left palm, on the fleshy pad at the base of the thumb.<\/p>\n
\u201cDammit! Get it off!\u201d<\/p>\n
Calvin yanked the tail hard and the writhing creature loosed a burst of foul odor as it let go of Joe. Calvin dropped it in hopes it\u2019d scurry off but the cow took her vengeance upon the skunk, stomping it into a gory mess.<\/p>\n
The cow, seemingly satisfied that her work was done, mooed for her calf and headed off to graze.\u00a0 Joe wiped his hands on his chaps then got to his feet.\u00a0 He inspected the ragged, bleeding holes in his palm and shook his hand to relieve the throbbing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you mean by \u2018phoby cat\u2019?\u201d Joe asked Tex.<\/p>\n
\u201cA skunk what\u2019s got hydrophobia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t slobberin\u2019 like a dog with rabies,\u201d said Calvin.<\/p>\n
\u201cNever can tell with them phoby cats,\u201d said Tex.<\/p>\n
Joe pulled a bandana from his back pocket and used his teeth to hold the fabric in place as he knotted it. Satisfied the knot would hold, Joe said, \u201cWe\u2019re burning daylight.\u00a0 These calves aren\u2019t going to brand themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tex mounted up and headed for the herd to cut another calf.<\/p>\n
Calvin slapped Joe on the back.\u00a0 \u201cYou alright?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, just hurts is all.\u00a0 Wish Hoss was here instead of Carson City\u2014he probably would\u2019ve had that skunk tame as a kitten.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both men laughed as they waited for Tex to return.<\/p>\n
After taking a too-deep whiff, Joe said, \u201cCome back to the house when we\u2019re done.\u00a0 Sulfur soap is the only thing that\u2019ll get this kind of stink off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI got a spare shirt in my saddlebag,\u201d said Calvin.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll just clean up in the creek.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSuit yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe shook his hand and flexed it a few times as Calvin stoked up the branding fire so they could get back to the business at hand.\u00a0 The two men worked methodically, one holding the calf, the other wielding the iron. \u00a0After an hour of steady work, Calvin noticed Joe unsuccessfully trying to make a fist.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d best go into town and see the doc.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be fine.\u00a0 Hoss probably has some liniment that\u2019ll fix me right up.<\/p>\n
**********<\/p>\n
Tex brought in the last calf as the sun rested just above the horizon.\u00a0 Calvin leaned against his horse as Joe seared the Ponderosa brand onto the calf\u2019s hip with his right hand, leaving the pine tree outline leaning a bit.<\/p>\n
Finished with the day\u2019s work, Joe said, \u201cGet this fire out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calvin pushed a few swipes of dirt with his boot to dampen the dying flames. Tex spit a long stream of tobacco juice then poured some water on the smoldering wood before kicking on dirt.\u00a0 The Texan stomped the embers for good measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cOffer stands to come on back to the house to wash up,\u201d said Joe, knowing Calvin had already made up his mind and Tex was as cantankerous as a mule.<\/p>\n
\u201cNah,\u201d said Tex, \u201cI\u2019m lookin\u2019 forward to a few days\u2019 peace and quiet.\u00a0 Won\u2019t man nor beast bother with me.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just stake out a place near the herd in case any of them phoby cats come by.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey might think you\u2019re one of them and crawl into your bedroll,\u201d said Joe as he mounted his horse.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll bite them critters on the nose instead of the other way around,\u201d said Tex as he picked up his horse\u2019s reins and headed off into the fading light.<\/p>\n
**********<\/p>\n
A metal tub full of water sat in the front yard of the Ponderosa when Joe arrived.\u00a0 Light spilled forth from the doorway then was briefly snuffed out by Hoss\u2019 bulk.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should\u2019ve come out and helped with the branding,\u201d said Joe.<\/p>\n
\u201cI smelled you halfway between here and Carson City.\u00a0 Figured it best you clean up out here.\u00a0 Hop Sing\u2019s liable to walk all the way to San Francisco if you stink up the bath house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got a better sniffer than a bloodhound,\u201d said Joe.<\/p>\n
Hoss guffawed as he drew his handkerchief from his pocket in attempt to block out the natural cologne sitting heavy in the night air.<\/p>\n
Despite his clumsiness from his swollen hand, Joe was out of his shirt faster than a saloon gal refilling a man\u2019s empty glass.\u00a0 He bent over and dipped a hand into the cold water. He shot Hoss a scowl. \u201cYou could\u2019ve heated it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI got better things to do than nurse a tub of water.\u00a0 Just scrub fast.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss thought it odd Joe was trying to unbuckle his chaps right-handed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeed a hand?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n
Joe stopped what he was doing.\u00a0 \u201cThat skunk bit me.\u00a0 Hurts somethin\u2019 awful.\u00a0 You think some liniment will fix it up?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss stuffed his handkerchief into his vest pocket and motioned for Joe to step over to the porch.\u00a0 He unwrapped the bandana and Joe hissed through gritted teeth as Hoss straightened the swollen fingers. Hoss let out a low whistle at the sight of the bruising around the deep punctures in Joe\u2019s palm.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ought to see the doc.\u00a0 Liniment won\u2019t do nothin\u2019 for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt hurts something awful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss went through his brief mental inventory of what was in the barn for the critters.\u00a0 Man was just another kind of beast but he didn\u2019t figure that any of the ointments or tablets would do a whole lot of good.<\/p>\n
\u201cMama used to have some pills she took regular for headaches.\u00a0 I think they\u2019re in a trunk up in the attic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp me get my gear off first,\u201d said Joe.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ain\u2019t helped you undress since you were a little shaver, Shortshanks,\u201d said Hoss as pulled Joe\u2019s boots off then pulled his younger brother\u2019s trousers down. \u201cYou get in that tub before I toss you in.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Joe settled into the tub, Hoss headed inside to search for the trunk in the attic.\u00a0 He picked up a match by the fireplace to light the lantern that hung on a nail in the attic.<\/p>\n
Pretty sure Joe wouldn\u2019t drown before he made it back to the yard, Hoss headed for the attic door.\u00a0 The entry always felt a might too small for Hoss as he turned sideways to enter the darkness.\u00a0 The musty smells were a reminder of his pa\u2019s past, the life Pa had led before building the Ponderosa and of the women who\u2019d borne his sons.\u00a0 He blew out the match once the lantern glowed with a cheery light and surveyed the contents of the room.\u00a0 His father\u2019s sea chest, darkened with age, gathered dust as did his own mother\u2019s trunk packed for the voyage West.<\/p>\n
Marie\u2019s trunk sat in a corner, covered by a tattered lace tablecloth.\u00a0 Hoss sneezed as dust motes stirred by his movement drifted in the lantern light.\u00a0 The trunk opened with a squeak of rusting hinges.\u00a0 He fished around until his fingers connected with cool glass.\u00a0 Holding up his prize, he verified its contents by the printed label\u2014morphine.\u00a0\u00a0 With a shrug, he pocketed the bottle, figuring pills didn\u2019t go bad sitting in a closed trunk.<\/p>\n
The lid closed with a thump and Hoss blew out the lantern before stopping in Pa\u2019s room on the way to the stairs.\u00a0 He leaned out the window overlooking the front yard to check on his younger brother.\u00a0 \u201cKeep scrubbin\u2019, Joe, I can smell you yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHa, ha,\u201d yelled Joe.<\/p>\n
Hoss fetched Joe\u2019s robe before descending the stairs and he picked up the brandy decanter on his way to the yard.\u00a0 He figured Joe would need something to wash the pills down with and the brandy would keep Joe from getting a chill from the cold water.<\/p>\n
\u201cTook you long enough,\u201d grumbled Joe.\u00a0 He accepted the uncorked bottle and shook a couple of pills into his mouth then raised the decanter to his lips.<\/p>\n
\u201cPa sure would have a fit if he saw you drinking straight from the decanter,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should\u2019ve brought a glass.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHmph.\u00a0 I figure you\u2019re likely about as sweet-smelling as you\u2019re gonna get.\u00a0 Come on outta that tub.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss took the decanter from Joe then offered an arm for Joe to hang onto.\u00a0 He wrapped the robe around Joe once the younger man was out of the water then put a large arm around Joe to steer Joe into the house.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ain\u2019t drunk,\u201d Joe said through a yawn.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou probably wish you were,\u201d said Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s the hand?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHurts,\u201d said Joe.<\/p>\n
Hoss kept a steady pressure against Joe\u2019s back as the two ascended the stairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gonna tuck me in and read a story?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mind your elders or I\u2019ll tan your hide.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll tell Pa,\u201d Joe mumbled before collapsing onto the bed.\u00a0 \u201cNight-night,\u201d he said as he rolled onto his back.<\/p>\n
Hoss turned back at the doorway, a frown creasing his forehead.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s swollen hand wasn\u2019t nearly the size of his own but it was larger than it should be.<\/p>\n
\u201cSleep tight,\u201d he whispered as he headed to his own room.<\/p>\n
**********<\/p>\n
Joe woke a few times during the night, mostly when he rolled over onto his left hand.\u00a0 In the morning, he had a few bites of breakfast and some coffee to wash down two or three morphine pills before returning to his room.\u00a0 He swatted at Hoss whenever his older brother came by and set a hand against his forehead to check for fever.<\/p>\n
Late in the afternoon, Joe rose from bed and washed down a couple more pills but with water this time.\u00a0 He settled into bed before the sun was down, unable to get comfortable as his hand throbbed even though he had it resting atop a pillow.<\/p>\n
**********<\/p>\n
Joe awoke in the middle of the night, a sensation in his hand that he initially couldn\u2019t place.\u00a0 He cradled his injured hand and examined the throbbing, swollen flesh of his palm in the dim lamp light.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t be!\u201d He squeezed his eyelids tight and shook his head.\u00a0 He cracked open an eye and screamed in terror at the sight of maggots wriggling out of the wounds.<\/p>\n
There was a thump then Hoss was beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGet \u2018em off!\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe showed Hoss his hand but his brother didn\u2019t make a move to help him.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight there!\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe pointed at the oozing holes with a shaking forefinger.\u00a0 He pressed his finger next to one of the wounds and a sob escaped his throat.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s maggots!\u00a0 They\u2019re eating my hand!\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe pressed into the headboard and tried to get away from his outstretched arm.\u00a0 The room grew brighter and Joe was sure Hoss would see the maggots slithering across his skin.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you worry none.\u00a0 I\u2019ll pick every last one of them out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe turned his head as Hoss drew his arm to the side.\u00a0 He felt his brother\u2019s fingernail scraping against the palm.\u00a0 He gulped in a deep breath of air then a ragged sigh escaped his parted lips.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the last of them,\u201d Hoss said as Joe\u2019s breathing slowed down.\u00a0 \u201cYou lay back down and I\u2019ll just sit here to make sure nothing else bothers you before morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re the best brother ever,\u201d said Joe as he lost the fight against the pull of sleep, unaware of the fear in Hoss\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n
**********<\/p>\n
Joe woke to the sound of birdsong.\u00a0 He opened his eyes and blinked several times as the ceiling appeared blurry.\u00a0 His hand throbbed with each beat of his heart.\u00a0 He unsuccessfully tried stifling a moan when he dragged the palm against the quilt over his belly and shut his eyes in hopes of pushing back the pain.<\/p>\n
Hoss\u2019s warm hand pressed into Joe\u2019s forehead, a sheen of sweat covering his brother\u2019s face.\u00a0 He carefully lifted Joe\u2019s hand by the wrist and winced at the bright red flesh surrounding the punctures.<\/p>\n
Joe cracked open one eye and studied the lines creasing Hoss\u2019s forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cBad?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe pressed the back of his head into the pillow at his brother\u2019s nod.\u00a0 It was beyond bad if Hoss couldn\u2019t even say it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got to see the doc.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHerd to check.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe boys\u2019ll see to the cattle.\u00a0 Up and at \u2018em, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe licked his lips. \u201cWater.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss obliged his brother\u2019s request but also poured a measure into the bowl to wipe down Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0 He raised Joe\u2019s head but only allowed a trickle of water to pass into Joe\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTake it slow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss set the empty glass on the night table then wrung out the washcloth.\u00a0 \u201cYou look bad off, Shortshanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s neck briefly tensed as a shiver took him when the cool cloth brushed over his face.\u00a0 His feet found purchase against the floor as Hoss supported him with an arm around the waist. A gurgle rose from his belly then water vomit splattered against the floor.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s legs gave out and he collapsed into the puddle, the weight of his body resting on his swollen hand.\u00a0 His scream faded into a series of whimpers as he rolled onto his side.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo sense in dressing you,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n
\u201cAin\u2019t going naked,\u201d Joe replied through gritted teeth.<\/p>\n
Hoss plucked up the robe from the end of the bed then draped it around Joe\u2019s shoulders once he had Joe on his feet again.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t time for a leisurely breakfast, especially as he\u2019d have to cook it himself since Hop Sing was off visiting a cousin. \u00a0He scooped Joe up from the floor and got the good arm through a sleeve before tying the robe belt in a tight knot.<\/p>\n
Joe slid his feet against the smooth floor boards as Hoss supported him to the top of the stairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cPut me down,\u201d Joe said as Hoss slid an arm behind Joe\u2019s knees to carry him to the first floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter than lettin\u2019 you tumble through the landing. Pa will figure we were just roughhousing and give us a lecture while we fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n
A giggle bubbled out of Joe before a wave of pain washed over him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll have to leave you here while I hitch up the buggy.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss eased Joe into Adam\u2019s blue chair and rested the back of his head into one of the chair wings.<\/p>\n
The sound of hoofbeats carried in from the yard.\u00a0 Hoss reached the door before the second knock.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Hoss asked Calvin.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe skunk that bit Joe bit one of the calves yesterday.\u201d\u00a0 Calvin peered around Hoss to see Joe seemingly asleep in the chair by the fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cCalf is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s eyelids popped open and fear raced through his veins, beads of sweat dotting his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cTex said that skunk had hydrophobia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t know that for certain,\u201d said Calvin.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet the buggy hitched up,\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cI got to get Joe to the doc.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calvin reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.\u00a0 He kissed it then crossed the room to press it into Joe\u2019s good hand.\u00a0 \u201cThis is my good luck piece. You hang on to it, hear?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMove!\u201d Hoss ordered.<\/p>\n
Calvin leapt for the door to do as told.<\/p>\n
Joe focused on the ticket and tried to ease up his breathing.\u00a0 The writing was barely legible on it but he made out one complete word \u2013 Adah.\u00a0 Calvin\u2019s good luck piece was a ticket for Adah Menken\u2019s play that she\u2019d put on at Piper\u2019s Opera House several years back.\u00a0 A brief thought flickered through Joe\u2019s mind \u2013 if Pa had married her, Adah would be his mother. Joe longed for his mother\u2019s touch and whispered promises that everything was going to be all right.<\/p>\n
\u201cC\u2019mon, Shortshanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe didn\u2019t have time to protest as Hoss scooped him out of the chair and carried him to the waiting buggy.\u00a0 He slid across the seat from the right side to avoid having to use his injured hand to pull himself in.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ride on into town, tell Doc we\u2019re coming,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n
Calvin tipped his hat and did as told.<\/p>\n
Hoss clambered aboard and pulled Joe against him.\u00a0 He wrapped an arm around his shivering brother, silently thanking his Swedish forebears for the height and reach as he took up the reins and encouraged the horse to make haste for town.<\/p>\n
**********<\/p>\n
Hoss tried to keep up a conversation on the journey into town but Joe wasn\u2019t interested in talking about gals who needed escorting to dances or possible crimes Roy Coffee needed help solving.\u00a0 He told several long-winded stories full of convoluted twists that even Hoss, as the storyteller, had a hard time keeping track of.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got quite the memory for detail,\u201d muttered Joe as Hoss added yet another twist.\u00a0 \u201cHow about you give my ears a rest?\u201d<\/p>\n
In a last-ditch effort to make sure Joe stayed awake and alert, Hoss drilled his younger brother with math problems.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter than Adam,\u201d muttered Joe after solving an easy multiplication problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019d\u2019ve figured you been hiding this talent for math all these years?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s jaw muscles quivered as his teeth chattered from the fever wracking his body.\u00a0 \u201cKeeps Pa from telling me to balance ledgers.\u201d\u00a0 He let out a weak giggle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you solve this one and I won\u2019t tell Pa you\u2019re a near genius.\u00a0 The Ponderosa has 825 steers worth four dollars a head.\u00a0 How much money would they fetch?\u201d\u00a0 There was no response.\u00a0 \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss glanced down at the curly head resting against his chest.\u00a0 He flicked the reins and hollered to encourage the horse to run for town.<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s life depended on it.<\/p>\n
**********<\/p>\n
Hoss pulled the horse up with a yank of the reins and was relieved to see Dr. Martin coming through the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me do a cursory exam,\u201d said the doctor as he reached across Hoss to get a look at his patient\u2019s hand.\u00a0 The swelling stretched the fingers to appear more like sausages than fingers and the puncture wounds on the palm were surrounded by crusty, dried, blood-tinged fluid.\u00a0 \u201cGet him inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe drifted in and out of consciousness as medical smells assaulted his nose.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you save his hand?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s heart thumped a hard beat as if it was trying to get out of his chest. \u201cDon\u2019t take it off,\u201d he mumbled over and over.<\/p>\n
Joe tried to roll away from the pressure on his hand as the doctor inspected the wounds.\u00a0 Someone was crying but Joe didn\u2019t know why Hoss was being such a big baby.<\/p>\n
The doctor motioned for Hoss to follow him to the other side of the room and he spoke in a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cCalvin said he suspects the skunk had hydrophobia.\u201d\u00a0 He took a deep breath and said, \u201cI can\u2019t cure him if he has it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long until you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould be weeks or even months. \u00a0Best I can do is try saving his hand.\u00a0 I\u2019m warning you – if gangrene sets in, I\u2019ll have to amputate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe studied the doctor\u2019s face through eyelids barely cracked open.\u00a0 A flicker of hope sprang to life in his belly since the doctor didn\u2019t look at all worried.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis, my boy, is going to hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe\u2019s belly felt as if it were filled with tons of raw ore.\u00a0 Screams faded in the distance.<\/p>\n
**********<\/p>\n
Joe drifted on the sea, resting on a piece of a crate that floated along with debris from a ship that had been smashed apart.\u00a0 Despite the wreckage he clung to, evidence of a violent storm, he felt peaceful as the waves carried him to . . . .\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know where.\u00a0 A deep voice called his name.\u00a0 A faint yellow that could be an island shimmered in the distance.\u00a0 He wanted to stay here where pain didn\u2019t exist.\u00a0 God spoke his name again.\u00a0 Joe raised his head and judged the distance to the possible island.\u00a0 There was time to turn around, head back out to where the sea creatures told tales of mermaids.\u00a0 Lord, let me go.<\/em><\/p>\n A wave lifted him and set him on a course for land.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t resist.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Joe deeply filled his lungs then opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to dispel the blurriness.\u00a0 Snores caught his ear and he turned his head.\u00a0 Despite the dim light, he made out a bulk in the corner that could only be Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph,\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s brows drew together as he remembered drifting along on the waves.\u00a0 \u201cGod?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, son.\u201d<\/p>\n A warmth radiated out from Joe\u2019s chest and one corner of his mouth quirked up as he turned to meet his father\u2019s gaze.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFive days.\u00a0 Paul\u2019s kept you sedated so you wouldn\u2019t fight him as he scraped your hand each day.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe tried flexing his fingers.\u00a0 There was some resistance but not the pain that had felt as if heated pokers were pressed against his palm.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about hydrophobia?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTex looked that calf over real good and said it more than likely died from tick fever.\u00a0 Looks like you\u2019ll be running cattle through a sulfur dip when you\u2019re up and about.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sighed deeply and relaxed into the pillows.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s mouth gaped open as he yawned.\u00a0 \u201cYou know Hoss is a near genius when it comes to math?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYup.\u00a0 Said he\u2019d like a crack at the ledgers.\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s lips turned up into a smile as closed his eyes and fell into a natural sleep, his own breathing falling into the same rhythm as his snoring brother.<\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n Author\u2019s Note:<\/p>\n Written for the 2022 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.\u00a0\u00a0 The game was Five Card Draw and the words and\/or phrases I was dealt were:<\/p>\n Memory for detail <\/p>\n
\nMath
\nRabies
\nMorphine
\nTicket<\/p>\n