Synopsis:<\/b>\u00a0Here’s a new “What Happened Next” for the episode “The Honor of Cochise”. Ever wonder what happened to Adam, or what his family told him about why his medical treatment was delayed?
\nRating:\u00a0 PG
\nWords:\u00a0 2,650<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Brandsters acknowledge that the authors are the owners of their stories.\u00a0 Should an author included in the project reach out to us and indicate they do not wish their work to be archived in the Bonanza Brand Fanfiction Library, we will remove their stories.\u00a0 We would also be happy to change the e:mail address for any authors who wish to continue to have their stories archived in the Library.<\/p>\n
Silent Audience<\/strong><\/p>\n Introduction: I ask forgiveness from all readers who really don\u2019t want to read yet another \u2018Cartwright hovering near death while family waits anxiously\u2019 story. In my defense, I didn\u2019t concoct Adam\u2019s injury, it\u2019s the one he is left with at the end of the episode, “The Honor of Cochise”. That is another one of those episodes where it seems to me they ran out of time before they ran out of story. I find the doctor\u2019s hastily arrived-at positive prognosis unrealistic and unsatisfying. I also would like to see how the family, Ben especially, explained what had happened to Adam. Finally, the suggestion that the episode was originally written with Joe as the injured son got me to thinking how Ben might have reacted to Adam\u2019s somewhat reckless behavior and Joe\u2019s daring rescue.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2026Pain. That\u2019s all there is, pain. I don\u2019t remember ever feeling this awful. No, actually I don\u2019t remember when I didn\u2019t feel like this. It seems to have been going on forever. Why doesn\u2019t it go away? Why doesn\u2019t anyone help me? Are they all over there shooting? At whom? Am I shot? Is that why my gut is on fire? Am I GUT shot? Then I\u2019m probably done for. Pa\u2026where are you? \u2026 Hoss? \u2026 Joe?<\/i><\/p>\n It was beginning to seem as if the army doctor\u2019s prognosis might have been more a reflection of his overconfidence than a realistic assessment of the situation. Adam\u2019s father and brothers had been so relieved to hear the words, “I can pull him through, sir.” Indeed, the physician had immediately and competently tackled the task of removing the bullet that had lodged deep in Adam\u2019s abdomen. He had even managed to sew up a bowel perforation before closing the wound and applying a bandage. But shock, infection and blood loss, all made worse by dehydration, combined into a triple threat on the oldest Cartwright son\u2019s life.<\/p>\n \u2026Oh, this is worse than when they were ignoring me. Why is this man torturing me? Doesn\u2019t he know it already hurts there more than I can stand?\u00a0<\/i>“Oh, Lord\u2026”<\/p>\n The doctor remained with Adam at the campsite where the standoff with the Apaches had taken place. With Ben\u2019s and Hoss\u2019s assistance he forced as much water through his patient\u2019s lips as possible, changed the dressing at regular intervals, and applied wet cloths in an attempt to reduce Adam\u2019s raging fever. Adam alternated between states of pain-wracked semi-consciousness and complete oblivion.<\/p>\n It took a full day for Joe, borrowing the doctor\u2019s horse, to round up their spooked horses, and another day for him to ride to the Ponderosa and return with the buckboard. The doctor decided that the benefits of getting home and in a clean bed where could better be cared for outweighed the risk of a long and jarring wagon ride.<\/p>\n Once they were home, Dr. Martin assumed responsibility for the injured man\u2019s care. When Ben observed that Adam was clearly still in tremendous pain despite the morphine he had received, Dr. Martin cautioned bluntly against increasing the dose. “I\u00a0<\/i>could probably give him enough to eliminate the pain, but in his condition it could easily kill him. If you want to take that risk, it will have to be your choice.”<\/p>\n Ben opted for the lower dose. Now another difficult decision affecting Adam\u2019s welfare weighed on his conscience. Remarkably, one morning, after several desperate days had passed, Adam\u2019s temperature began to go down. A hint of color was returning to his deathly white complexion. However, he had still not been heard to say a coherent word. His groaning and writhing had decreased, though whether that was due to actual diminution of pain, or resignation and sheer exhaustion no one could say.<\/p>\n \u2026That\u2019s Pa\u2019s voice. I hear you. You want me to squeeze your hand? I\u2019ll try\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n Ben was startled to feel a weak squeeze to his hand in response to his oft-repeated and heretofore unrewarded request for his son to give him some sign that he could hear. Adam still did not open his eyes, nor did he repeat the hand squeeze despite his family\u2019s prodding. But the spark of hope that had been kindled encouraged Adam\u2019s father and brothers each in turn to carry on one-sided conversations when they were alone in his room with him that day.<\/p>\n Ben<\/p>\n “So you had to be the hero. I\u2019ve never doubted your courage, but pulling a hare-brained stunt like sneaking off to fill the canteens under fire is the sort of nonsense I would expect from Joseph, not you! You\u2019re supposed to be my sensible son. You sure set quite an example that day. And Little Joe, not to be outdone by his big brother, went after you and carried you back to our position, guns ablazing. You know you boys can quit these antics already. I don\u2019t have any more hairs waiting to turn white!”<\/p>\n So that\u2019s what happened. I got shot when I tried to get the water. You think I behaved like Little Joe? I never thought you\u2019d hurt a man when he was down, Pa. Joe rescued me? Remind me to thank the kid. Don\u2019t tell him I said this, but he really is something\u2026<\/p>\n “Really Adam, I\u2019ve been so worried. If I\u2019d lost you I\u2019m not sure how I could have gone on. Especially since I am responsible for the delay in getting you medical help. I just could not turn Captain Johnson over to the Apaches. You would be the last person to be surprised to learn that the Indians had a genuine grievance against the captain. He had lured a group of them\u2014men, women and children\u2014to a supposed peace parlay and then poisoned them all. Nevertheless, I was not prepared to subject an army officer to Apache justice.”<\/p>\n “I couldn\u2019t show any doubt in front of your brothers that I was doing the right thing. They were insisting that we give up the captain to save your life. Oh Adam, I needed you there to back me up. I needed to hear someone tell me I was right. Would you have agreed with me? You are the one who always argues for letting the law handle things. And for Captain Johnson the law was the U.S. Army, not an avenging Apache chief.”<\/p>\n “But you have also always been sympathetic to the Indians\u2019 side of things. And these Apache had suffered a grievous wrong. I could almost hear you arguing that the Indians should have the right to a measure of sovereignty. Why shouldn\u2019t they be allowed to administer justice when they have been the victims of a crime?”<\/p>\n “But if I\u2019d turned Johnson over to Cochise and the Apaches had killed him, that would just have made him a martyr and likely sparked a cycle of revenge and counter revenge. So I believe I made the right decision for the Indians\u2019 benefit too. But it sure would have helped if you were there to support my decision.”<\/p>\n \u2026Sounds like you did what you had to do, Pa. Sorry, but I\u2019m glad I didn\u2019t have to help you decide. I don\u2019t actually enjoy being the sensible one all the time. I just bet those younger brothers of mine gave you a hard time\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n “Adam, even if you would have disagreed, I\u2019d like you to wake up now and talk to me about it. I hate to see you suffering like this. I\u2026”<\/p>\n \u2026I wish you could hear me, Pa. Oh, it hurts, it hurts\u2026and I\u2019m so tired\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n <\/i>Adam, who had been lying quiet and still while his father spoke, opened his mouth as if to answer. But the sound that emerged was a groan. He continued to moan softly as he drew his legs up towards his middle and rocked back and forth. Ben wet a cloth in the washbasin and bathed his son\u2019s sweaty and grimacing face. Gradually Adam calmed down and fell back asleep. After several hours, Hoss entered the room, gently shook his dozing father awake, and insisted on taking his turn at Adam\u2019s bedside.<\/p>\n Hoss<\/p>\n “I weren\u2019t sure I could pry Pa outta here. You made him so happy when ya squeezed his hand earlier, he wanted to wait around and see if you\u2019d do something like that again. I peeked in and saw you was sleepin\u2019 peaceful and Pa was nodding off to, so I packed him off to bed before he could argue and told him I\u2019d set with you a bit. Thing you could do that hand-squeezing thing fer me?”<\/p>\n \u2026Hoss, yeah I\u2019m here big guy\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n “I think I might have felt that Adam. Could ya do it again so\u2019s I\u2019d know it was fer real? No? I guess yer just too plum tuckered out. Well I don\u2019t blame ya. You\u2019ve had a mighty rough time. Gut shot! Whew! That\u2019s about the worst kinda shot there is. Guess you know that.”<\/p>\n “You know, Adam, that I don\u2019t hardly never argue with Pa, but I sure did about this business with that Cap\u2019n Johnson and Cochise. I usually figger that everyone deserves a chance, but it just didn\u2019t set right with me that we should\u2019ve risked your life fer the life of a feller that would poison folks. Pa had all these sensible reasons fer protecting Johnson, and I jest bet if you\u2019d been awake you woulda had a whole passel more reasons that no one could argue with. But it jest didn\u2019t set right.”<\/p>\n \u2026I know you hate to argue with Pa. I think you hate to argue with anyone. Pa did the right thing. You all did\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n <\/i>“Now, don\u2019t you fret none. I ain\u2019t still mad at Pa. I know he did what he felt he had to. And even though he don\u2019t say much, I know he\u2019s sufferin\u2019 over it. He can\u2019t stand to see you hurt and feel like he\u2019s part to blame. So Adam, you gotta get better. Cuz Pa ain\u2019t gonna forgive hisself if you don\u2019t. Anyway I kinda miss hearing your ornery voice.”<\/p>\n \u2026Too bad you can\u2019t hear me now. You did the right thing.\u00a0<\/i>“Aa-aa-aargh\u2026”<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s lips moved and his head rocked from side to side. Hoss could hear some mumbled sounds, but he couldn\u2019t make out any words. Hop Sing came into the bedroom, and together he and Hoss carefully bathed Adam and changed his clothes and bed linens. When they were done Adam again appeared to be sleeping. The cook returned downstairs and Hoss slumped into a chair as Joe appeared at the door, stretching and yawning.<\/p>\n “I\u2019m feeling pretty rested now Hoss,” the younger man said. “Why don\u2019t you take a break and let me sit with older brother for a while.”<\/p>\n Joe<\/p>\n “Hoss and Pa say they been talking to you and they think maybe you can understand. You know this would be a whole lot easier if you\u2019d hold up your end of the conversation. No, you\u2019re just gonna lie back and let me squirm. It figures. You never miss a chance to try to make me look foolish. Actually, maybe I could turn this to my advantage. Tell you all things that bother me about you without you being able to talk back\u2026Nah, I guess that wouldn\u2019t be fair.”<\/p>\n “Big brother, Pa keeps saying that your sneaking off to fill the canteens was more like something I would do. How come even when you do something dumb it\u2019s me that gets in trouble? Seriously, Adam, that was brave, but real crazy. Now don\u2019t you go sayin\u2019, \u2018But you followed me!\u2019.\u00a0I<\/u><\/b>\u00a0was going after my foolish big brother, not fetching water for a no-account army captain.”<\/p>\n ..Joe, hey buddy. Did you really carry me in those skinny, little arms?\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n “You can\u2019t really hear me now, right? All right then, I\u2019ll tell you the truth. You\u2019re a terrific big brother, one of the two best. Even when I\u2019m griping, I sure do admire and respect you. How am I ever gonna keep out of trouble without you? I need you so much. We all do. You\u2019ve just got to get better.”<\/p>\n Joe paused, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths to gain control of himself. He found he couldn\u2019t bear to keep looking at Adam\u2019s pain-wracked face, so he directed his gaze downward as he continued to speak.<\/p>\n “I guess you know already that we were holed up there as long as we were because Pa wouldn\u2019t hand Captain Johnson over to Cochise. I can tell he\u2019s eating himself up over that. Hoss has already forgiven him, but I\u2019m having a hard time. If it had been my decision I would have turned that weasel over in a heartbeat. But when it comes down to it I trust Pa and I wouldn\u2019t go against his wishes. Even when the Apaches were holding Pa, I followed his instructions, even though I could have handed them Johnson right then. I\u2019m pretty sure I could have convinced Hoss to go along with me. So it\u2019s not just for Pa\u2019s sake that you\u2019ve gotta get better. I\u2019m kind of responsible too.”<\/p>\n \u2026You did the right thing. Thanks for trusting Pa. Look at me, Joe. I can see you but you\u2019re looking at the floor. Look at me\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n Joe looked up and his head flinched back in surprise. Peering back at him from the bed were two pain-filled but wide-awake eyes.<\/p>\n “Adam! You\u2019re awake. Stay that way. I\u2019m gonna go call Pa and Hoss.”<\/p>\n Joe went to open the bedroom door and began hollering for his father and middle brother.<\/p>\n \u2026Joe, where did you go? Do you have to shout so loud?\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n Soon three happy Cartwrights were clustered around Adam\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n ..So you\u2019re all here together now.<\/i>\u00a0“Can\u2019t a fellow get any peace and quiet around here?”<\/p>\n Adam realized that he had finally succeeded in speaking aloud when he saw the looks on his family members\u2019 faces. For their parts, Ben, Hoss and Joe couldn\u2019t seem to say anything but repeat his name over and over.<\/p>\n “Adam\u2026”<\/p>\n “Adam\u2026”<\/p>\n “Adam\u2026”<\/p>\n “You all sure had a lot more to say when I couldn\u2019t talk back. You\u2019re being a little boring now,” Adam whispered.<\/p>\n “You mean you did hear us when we talked to you, son?” asked Ben.<\/p>\n “Yeah, Pa. I kept trying to answer. I wanted to tell you that I knew that you did what you had to do.”<\/p>\n “You heard everything?” asked Joe.<\/p>\n “Every word, Joe. And I plan to especially remember what you said.”<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s face briefly scrunched into that sickly half smile he used when he\u2019d been caught at something. Hoss and Ben looked at him curiously.<\/p>\n “Could I have some water, please?” asked Adam, barely audible.<\/p>\n “All you want,” answered Ben quickly, holding a glass up to Adam\u2019s lips while Hoss supported him in a semi-sitting position.<\/p>\n “I think I\u2019ll rest a bit now,” gasped Adam. Hoss lowered him back onto the pillow and Adam appeared to immediately drift back to sleep. His family continued to stand around the bed, lost in their own thoughts, which were, in fact, strikingly similar. Each was grateful that it seemed that Adam was recovering, and relieved that he appeared to support the difficult decisions they had made.<\/p>\n “So what did you say to him anyway, Joseph?” asked Ben.<\/p>\n “Yeah, Joe, what did he mean he planned to remember?” added Hoss.<\/p>\n “Who knows what he things he heard,” answered Joe. “He was probably delirious. Whatever it is, I\u2019ll deny it.”<\/p>\n If any of them had been looking at the bed at that instant instead of each other, they would have seen a briefly lifted eyebrow and the hint of a devious smile.<\/p>\n Adam<\/b><\/u>\u00a0(with the last word, as usual, even if it\u2019s just in his head)<\/p>\n \u2026So you admire and respect me, Joe? You need me? Even when you\u2019re griping? Good to know. But what you\u2019ll never know is that I feel the same way about you\u2026<\/p>\n END<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Synopsis:\u00a0Here’s a new “What Happened Next” for the episode “The Honor of Cochise”. Ever wonder what happened to Adam, or what his family told him about why his medical treatment was delayed?
\nRating:\u00a0 PG
\nWords:\u00a0 2,650<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12436,"featured_media":41001,"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":[1005,23,13],"tags":[1136],"class_list":["post-47610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-cartwright","category-drama","category-whn","tag-the-honor-of-cochise","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-13-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\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47610","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\/12436"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47610"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47610\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}