{"id":5335,"date":"2003-07-01T00:58:33","date_gmt":"2003-07-01T04:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5335"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:07:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:07:52","slug":"in-sickness-and-in-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5335","title":{"rendered":"In Sickness and in Health (by Rona)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/strong>As the best man at his friends\u2019 wedding, Joe is unable to foresee the tragedy ahead.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 T \u00a0(8,900 words)<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In Sickness and in Health<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m flattered,\u201d Joe told Mike Golding. \u201cI\u2019d love to be your best man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s great, Joe,\u201d Mike responded, pumping Joe\u2019s hand enthusiastically. \u201cJoanna will be so pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen is the wedding to be?\u201d Joe asked, smiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree weeks,\u201d Mike answered. \u201cThe last Saturday in August.\u201d He grinned again, on a high. \u201cI can\u2019t believe she said yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe her father said yes,\u201d Joe jibed. \u201cHe ran me off with a shotgun!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t blame him!\u201d Mike laughed, knowing perfectly well the story wasn\u2019t true. \u201cWhy would anyone want you married to their daughter? Why, you belong to the girl-of-the-week club!\u201d<\/p>\n

Both young men laughed. Joe Cartwright had met Mike when the latter moved to Virginia City with his parents in Joe\u2019s last year at school. The two boys had hit it off from the word go and had spent that last summer of Joe\u2019s nominal childhood fishing and talking and getting into scrapes. However, unlike Joe, Mike had wanted to continue his education, and went off to school back east. He had opted to study medicine and had returned to Virginia City, as an assistant to Paul Martin, only six months before.<\/p>\n

Joe had been delighted at his friend\u2019s return. Mike\u2019s grades had been so good that he\u2019d had his pick of places to work, and Joe had been sure that he would chose New York, Boston or even San Francisco to work in. They had kept up a regular correspondence over all the years, despite Adam\u2019s disparaging remarks at the beginning of the separation and Joe was thrilled when Mike wrote and said he would be coming home.<\/p>\n

On the very first week Mike was back in town, there was a dance. Mike went along at Joe\u2019s urging, and there Joe introduced him to Joanna. Joanna had been the year below them at school, and Mike remembered her with long dark pigtails and puppy fat. However, Joanna had grown into a beauty and her shining dark hair and dark eyes had half the boys in town entranced. She and Joe had gone out, but their friendship had never warmed into passion, and their few attempts at kissing had reduced them both to hysterical laughter and they decided to remain friends only.<\/p>\n

The same could not be said for Mike and Joanna, though. One look at each other, and they were smitten. They began going out that very evening and it was apparent to anyone with eyes that they were deeply in love. Joe had looked on proudly. But he hadn\u2019t been expecting them to marry so quickly, or to be asked to be the best man.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you got somewhere to live?\u201d Joe asked, knowing that Mike had been living in a rooming house.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure have,\u201d Mike reported, proudly. \u201cJoanna and I have bought a house on the edge of town. It\u2019s been empty for a while, and I picked it up for a song.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Joe responded, as a frisson of discomfort rippled down his spine. He wasn\u2019t sure which house Mike was talking about, but he hoped it wasn\u2019t the one he was thinking about.<\/p>\n

\u201cBelonged to people called Watson,\u201d Mike rattled on, oblivious to Joe\u2019s sudden stillness. \u201cIt\u2019s been empty for over a year, and it needs decorated real bad, so Joanna tells me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swallowing down the nausea that rose in his throat, Joe just smiled. He couldn\u2019t tell his friend that he had nearly died in that house, and that two other people had died there. \u201cWant help decorating?\u201d Joe asked, wondering if he could bear to go in the door, if his offer was accepted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more the merrier!\u201d Mike exclaimed. \u201cI\u2019m doing some painting tonight, can you come?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Joe assured him, and hoped he spoke the truth.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cHi, Joe,\u201d Hoss called, as Joe rode into the yard. He was shoeing horses, and he tapped the last nail into the shoe he was fitting and put down the horse\u2019s foot. Straightening with a groan, he eyed Joe closely. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with ya?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing\u2019s wrong with me,\u201d Joe retorted, his eyes flashing. \u201cWhat makes you think there\u2019s something wrong with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYer manner,\u201d Hoss responded bluntly. \u201cBitin\u2019 my head off, an\u2019 not sayin\u2019 hello.\u201d He eyed Joe critically, as Joe just sat there on his horse. \u201cSomethin\u2019 happen while you was in town?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot in the way you mean,\u201d Joe returned, and dismounted. He led Cochise over to the hitching rail and looped his rein around it.\u00a0 \u201cMike and Joanna are getting married,\u201d he went on, avoiding Hoss\u2019 eyes, \u201cand they\u2019ve asked me to be the best man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe couldn\u2019t have sounded more depressed if he\u2019d announced that his best friend had just died. Hoss frowned. \u201cAin\u2019t cha pleased for \u2018em?\u201d he asked, puzzled. \u201cYou done introduced them, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I\u2019m, pleased!\u201d Joe snapped, looking more annoyed by the second. \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t I be pleased?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno,\u201d Hoss replied. \u201cBut ya don\u2019 look very pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine!\u201d Joe said, shortly and stalked off towards the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t cha gonna put away yer pony?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d came the answer. \u201cI\u2019m going out again after supper.\u201d Joe didn\u2019t look back, he just continued walking.<\/p>\n

Patting the pinto on the neck, Hoss muttered, \u201cNo luck, Cooch.\u201d He led the horse he\u2019d been shoeing into the corral and turned it loose, wondering all the time just what it was about the up-coming wedding that was getting Joe all riled up.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cIs that you, Joe?\u201d Ben asked, coming from the kitchen. He was pretty sure the answer would be yes, as neither of his other sons slammed doors in quite the same way as Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Joe replied. He was taking off his jacket and gun belt. His hat already hung on a peg. \u201cHi, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, yourself,\u201d Ben answered.\u00a0 \u201cHow was your day?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Joe replied, making an effort to calm himself. He didn\u2019t want Ben suspecting there was something wrong. \u201cMike and Joanna are getting married and want me to be the best man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s wonderful news!\u201d exclaimed Ben. \u201cWhen\u2019s the wedding?\u201d He clapped Joe on the shoulder, grinning broadly.<\/p>\n

Responding to his father\u2019s enthusiasm, Joe found himself gradually relaxing. \u201cAt the end of August,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cIn three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave they somewhere to live?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe replied, vaguely, his unease returning. \u201cMike\u2019s bought a place and I\u2019m going over tonight to help paint. That\u2019s ok, isn\u2019t it, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

As he had hoped, asking for permission when it wasn\u2019t needed diverted Ben from asking where Mike and Joanna\u2019s house was. \u201cOf course it is, Joe! You don\u2019t need to ask me that!\u201d He gave Joe a nudge. \u201cWhat a pity you aren\u2019t so keen to use a paint brush round here!\u201d<\/p>\n

Grinning, Joe went upstairs to wash for supper. Once out of Ben\u2019s sight, his grin faded and the bad memories crowded in once more. Joe wondered how on earth he was going to get through the evening ahead.<\/p>\n

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

Supper was a meal best forgotten, Joe thought, as he mounted Cochise amidst a barrage of comments about his willingness to work for someone other than the family. He had borne the comments as best he could, and had mostly kept his temper, although he had been on the verge of thumping Adam when Ben had stopped a particularly relentless line of teasing from his older brother. However, all that had prevented them from discovering that Joe was sweating profusely and starting to shake.<\/p>\n

As he rode into town, Joe felt increasingly unwell. At one point, he had to stop and vomit behind a bush. That temporarily removed the leaden feel from his stomach and he remounted and rode on, determined he was going to overcome his feelings.<\/p>\n

When he arrived at the house, he stood for a moment, by the fence, looking at the place. The house was neglected, the garden growing high with weeds. Resolutely, Joe opened the gate and walked towards the house. His feet felt like lead, and the path seemed very long, but eventually he stood before the door.<\/p>\n

It opened before he could knock and Mike stood there, grinning. \u201cIt\u2019s about time!\u201d he chided, playfully. He had a streak of paint decorating his hair. \u201cI thought you\u2019d decided to stay at home. Come on in! The more the merrier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stepping reluctantly over the threshold, Joe saw for the first time that there were a couple of other young men in the house already, and he smiled, relieved to know that it wouldn\u2019t be just him and Mike. There was less chance of Mike noticing his unease in a crowd. As it happened, Joe needn\u2019t have worried, for the painting soon turned into the kind of riotous evening that would have made all their parents wince, had the men been seen. Someone had brought beer, and they drank thirstily while applying the paint with more enthusiasm than accuracy. Joe soon forgot his worries. It was late when he rode home, liberally splattered with paint and more than a little drunk.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI thought it was the walls you were meant to be painting?\u201d Adam asked, sarcastically as Joe appeared for breakfast the next morning rather pale and tired, and still streaked with paint.<\/p>\n

\u201cShut up!\u201d Joe growled, for he wasn\u2019t in the mood for Adam\u2019s jibes this early in the morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you hung over?\u201d Adam wanted to know.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe snapped, and helped himself to bacon and eggs. \u201cI\u2019m just tired, if you must know. We worked later than I expected last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure you did,\u201d Adam teased and Joe threw him another black look. Oblivious to Joe\u2019s displeasure, Adam asked, \u201cSo which house has Mike bought?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a pause, as Joe slowly chewed his bacon. Finally, realizing that he couldn\u2019t put off answering any longer, he avoided everyone\u2019s eyes as he muttered, \u201cThe Watson\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even without looking up, Joe could feel his family\u2019s eyes on him. He kept his own gaze firmly on his plate. He didn\u2019t want to see what they were all thinking. The only person who had come out of that time unscathed was Hoss, who had saved Joe\u2019s life. Joe didn\u2019t want to see the memories darken each of their eyes; he\u2019d had enough problems dealing with his own memories the previous evening.<\/p>\n

Gazing at Joe, Hoss nodded. Now he knew what had been biting at Joe the previous afternoon. It all made sense. \u201cYou okay with that, Shortshanks?\u201d he asked, quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am now,\u201d Joe replied, honestly, risking looking up. \u201cThere were a few of us there last night, and the ghosts have been laid to rest \u2013 so far.\u201d He looked at Ben. \u201cBut I haven\u2019t been upstairs. I might not be able to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMike\u2019s your friend, Joe,\u201d Ben told him. \u201cHe\u2019ll understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swallowing tears at the love and understanding in his father\u2019s voice, Joe nodded and tried a watery smile. A few minutes later, they rose to go to work, leaving Ben alone at the table. Adam\u2019s teasing had stopped of its own volition, and Joe got more leeway that day than he usually did. Ben stared unseeing at the chair where Joe had been sitting. He was proud of his son\u2019s courage, but slightly dismayed that Joe had been unable to discuss it with him. Shaking himself out of the reverie, Ben went to tackle the day\u2019s work. At least now, the house where Joe had suffered so much would provide good memories to overtake the bad.<\/p>\n

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

Time marched on swiftly towards the wedding. Ben suggested Joe get a new suit, and told him he would pay for it. Joe agreed with alacrity, and went to town to order it the very next day. Adam had raised an eyebrow at Ben, but said nothing, knowing why Ben was doing this.<\/p>\n

The house painting continued most evenings. Joe helped out when he could, but they were busy with haying as well, and most nights he was too tired to do anything other than fall into bed. However, on the Friday the week before the wedding, he again turned up to help with painting and found Mike there alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s the haying?\u201d Mike asked, clapping Joe on the shoulder. \u201cNo injuries yet? Joe, you\u2019re slipping!\u201d It was Doc Martin\u2019s standing joke that Joe always got sick at haying time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, leave off!\u201d Joe shot back, grinning. \u201cJust because you have a cushy job.\u201d He looked around. The house looked fresh and clean and someone had tackled the wilderness that had been the garden. \u201cHow\u2019s the painting?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve just got the attic room to paint,\u201d Mike said, heading upstairs as though reminded. \u201cBut the rest is done.\u201d He kept up a constant stream of talk as he led the way upstairs, showing Joe his handiwork, oblivious to his friend\u2019s discomfort. It was only when he led the way up the last flight of stairs and threw open the attic door that Joe could no longer cope.<\/p>\n

Gasping for breath, Joe collapsed to his knees. Dimly, he heard Mike calling his name, but he couldn\u2019t have responded if his life depended on it. He felt Mike\u2019s arm under his, dragging him downstairs and outside into the fresh air. Gradually, Joe\u2019s breathing came back under control and he was able to look into his friend\u2019s concerned face. \u201cThanks,\u201d he gasped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that, Joe?\u201d Mike asked, taking his pulse with a professional air. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Reluctantly, but knowing he owed his friend the truth, Joe told him the story of Lucy and her obsessive love for him. He kept it to his own and his family\u2019s troubles; there was no point telling Mike that two people had died in there.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo wonder you collapsed,\u201d Mike breathed, when Joe fell silent. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not your fault,\u201d Joe told him, feeling better now. \u201cNo reason why you should know.\u201d He straightened up and got to his feet. \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be,\u201d Mike replied. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing for you to be sorry about, Joe. I\u2019m surprised you were able to come into the house at all.\u201d He eyed his friend, and seeing Joe looked better, he ventured a joke. \u201cBut if you are going to collapse, it\u2019s always better to do it when there\u2019s a doctor around!\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe laughed. \u201cCome on,\u201d he said, \u201cI\u2019ll buy you a beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

The morning of the wedding dawned warm and sunny. Joe dressed carefully in his new suit and headed downstairs. The rest of the Cartwrights had been invited to the wedding as well, and they were also dressed up. Joe left before his family to go and join Mike, who was leaving from the house, where he had been living for a few days now. Joe felt almost comfortable going there now.<\/p>\n

He found Mike in a state of excited nerves. \u201cHow do I look?\u201d he asked, checking himself in the hall mirror once more. He tweaked at his string tie, which promptly came undone.<\/p>\n

Grinning, Joe re-tied his tie for him and brushed a minute speck of lint from his shoulder. \u201cYou look like a doctor,\u201d Joe told him. \u201cAll you need is your bag.\u201d As Mike glanced round for it with a distracted air, Joe patted his shoulder again. \u201cMike, I was joking. All you need to give me are the rings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRings; right.\u201d Mike fished about in his pocket until he found the two ring boxes and handed them over to Joe, who tucked them safely away. He was impressed that Mike was wearing a wedding ring, as most men didn\u2019t bother.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Joe suggested, and they went out to the buggy which Joe had brought. It only took a few minutes to arrive at the church and the minister greeted them at the door and led them to the front of the church.<\/p>\n

The guests had mostly arrived, and Joe found himself exchanging grins with his family and various other friends. Mike looked quite calm now that they had arrived. Joe checked again that he had the rings and they waited.<\/p>\n

The organist struck up, and the doors opened to admit Joanna. Joe heard Mike catch his breath and could quite understand why. Joanna was dressed in pale pink silk, with a full veil and carried a bunch of roses. Her dark coloring was set off beautifully by the dress and she looked radiant. All the way up the aisle, her eyes were locked on her groom and Joe felt a pang of envy. He wished he could find a girl who looked at him that way.<\/p>\n

They stepped up to the altar, and Joe smiled at the young woman who was bridesmaid. He knew her slightly, and together they joined the bride and groom.<\/p>\n

And so they were married. Later, Joe could recall only fragments of the wedding. He heard Mike\u2019s low, clear voice repeating his vows, then Joanna\u2019s voice, husky with unshed tears as she recited, \u201cIn sickness and in health, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto me.\u201d Joe handed over the rings without the interminable fumbling that some best men seemed to find so funny and then it seemed to him that he was signing the register, and the service was over.<\/p>\n

The reception afterwards at the home of Joanna\u2019s parents was great fun. The food and drink was plentiful and there was a lot of laughter. Joe claimed the traditional best man\u2019s kiss from the bride, who threw her arms round him exuberantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did it, Joe!\u201d she exclaimed. \u201cWe got married.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout time too,\u201d Joe scolded. \u201cYou\u2019ve been breaking hearts around here for far too long!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d she gasped, amused by his effrontery. \u201cWhat about you? All those poor girls in the church wondering which of them is going to drag you to the altar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rolling his eyes, Joe shook his head. \u201cThey weren\u2019t there to look at me,\u201d he insisted. \u201cThey were there to see your dress and be jealous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen are you going to get married, Joe?\u201d Joanna asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I find a girl to love,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cI can\u2019t predict when that will be, as well you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd in the meantime, he\u2019ll keep up his membership in the girl-of-the-week club,\u201d Mike put in, coming over to put his arm round his new wife\u2019s waist possessively. \u201cAre you flirting with my wife, Joe?\u201d he went on, grinning.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d call it flirting,\u201d Joe answered, in a pensive tone. \u201cNot unless flirting includes talking about when I\u2019m going to get married.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure the fathers of Virginia City will bless the day it happens,\u201d Mike assured him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks a lot!\u201d Joe replied, but he couldn\u2019t keep his face straight. They all burst out laughing.<\/p>\n

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

Later, as he drove home, Joe thought back over the day. It had been one he would remember for a long time. He\u2019d driven Mike and Joanna to their new home that evening and laughed as Mike insisted on carrying Joanna over the threshold, despite her protests. He had wished them both a good night and driven off, despite their attempts to persuade him to come in. They were starting their new life together, and didn\u2019t need him there.<\/p>\n

The family was home before him, as he\u2019d known they would be. A hand came to take the buggy horses, which suited Joe just fine. He\u2019d drunk more than enough that day to make falling straight into bed a pleasant thought.<\/p>\n

However, the family had other plans and when he went in, he found Ben had poured him a glass of brandy. Taking it, they had a toast to the new bride and groom. Sitting down on the settee and taking off his jacket, Joe stretched. \u201cIt was a good day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA very good day,\u201d Ben agreed. \u201cYou handled your duties like a veteran, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo he should,\u201d Adam remarked. \u201cHe\u2019s done it often enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne o\u2019 these days, Shortshanks, you\u2019re gonna make it up the aisle for real,\u201d Hiss joked. \u201cAn\u2019 when you git there, you\u2019ll be a-huntin\u2019 in your pockets for the ring!\u201d He laughed and so did everyone else.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m going to bed,\u201d Joe announced, draining his glass. \u201cSee you in the morning, all.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Life fell back into its usual pattern. Haying was long over, and round-up was on the horizon. Joe was busy breaking a string of horses to fill an army contract. Originally, Adam had been going to help him, but Adam had become involved in bidding for a timber contract, and Joe soon found he was doing the work by and large alone. That didn\u2019t bother him. He could work at his own pace, and not have to put up with Adam\u2019s fussing when he took a particularly bad spill.<\/p>\n

He was also schooling a mare for Mike to give to Joanna. Mike himself had a big sorrel that he had bought from the Ponderosa when he returned home, and said he preferred it to driving a buggy, like Paul Martin did. Joanna was an expert horsewoman, too, and asked her new husband if she could get a horse of her own. Mike was only too quick to give Joanna what she wanted, and Joe was busy working the horse.<\/p>\n

Every few weeks, an invitation would come for Joe to dine with the newly weds, and he would go along and they would have a fun evening. Joanna sang, and played the piano, and she and Mike and Joe would reminisce about their days at school, and Mike would tell funny stories about his teachers at university. When there were dances, Joe and his \u2018girl of the week\u2019 would double date with Mike and Joanna. It was one of the most settled periods of Joe\u2019s life that Ben could ever remember.<\/p>\n

Round-up came and went and the herd fetched a good price at market. Joe returned to finish the last of the horse-breaking. Adam and Hoss were supervising the tree felling for the timber contract, and Ben decided to treat himself to a day or two of sitting about the house doing nothing much at all.<\/p>\n

The accident happened as Joe went to bridle the last of the horses he was finishing schooling. He had Joanna\u2019s horse already in town, ready for Mike to give to her when he was ready. This was the last of the army mounts, and was an ugly, wall-eyed Appaloosa. It had proved difficult to break and Joe wasn\u2019t looking forward to schooling it much.<\/p>\n

Standing at the left side of the horse, Joe took the cheek-pieces of the bridle in this right hand and put the bit flat on his left hand. Wrapping his right arm under the horse\u2019s head, with his hand over its nose, he began to coax the brute into opening its mouth and accepting the bit.<\/p>\n

There were always some horses that didn\u2019t like to take the bit, however, gently it was introduced to them, and this was one of those beasts. It kept its teeth gritted until Joe, his patience running out, stuck his left thumb into the corner of its mouth to gently open the jaw.<\/p>\n

Quick as a flash, the appaloosa tore its head from Joe\u2019s grasp and bit him heavily on the ball of his thumb. Its teeth ripped flesh away and Joe let out a startled cry. The horse, startled itself, reared. Joe ducked hastily out of the way. But that wasn\u2019t enough for this horse. Teeth bared, it went after Joe, who dived towards the rails of the corral to escape. His last minute swerve prevented the horse ploughing him down, but the horse\u2019s shoulder struck his hip and Joe lost his footing, crashing headlong into the rails.<\/p>\n

For several minutes, he was dazed; not unconscious, but dizzy and mostly unaware of his surroundings. Then everything came back into focus, and he found the hands crowded round him debating the best way to help him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m all right,\u201d Joe told them, although blood was flowing freely from his hand. When he touched his throbbing head, he discovered that it was bleeding too.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to see the doc,\u201d one of the hands insisted, and Joe couldn\u2019t argue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll ride into town,\u201d Joe agreed. \u201cYou go and tell my Pa and say that I\u2019ll probably stay the night in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing, Joe,\u201d he nodded and headed off to do just that. Joe got to his feet and mounted stiffly, his bleeding hand wrapped in a bandanna.<\/p>\n

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

The doctor\u2019s surgery was empty and the door locked. Sighing, for he was tired and sore, Joe mounted Cochise again and rode out to Mike\u2019s house, not knowing where else to go. He could hunt high and low for either of the doctors, and not find them. But at least Mike would go home eventually.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d Joanna exclaimed as she opened the door. \u201cWhat happened? Come in and sit down at once.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to bother you, Jo,\u201d he said, truthfully. \u201cBut I couldn\u2019t find Mike or Paul and I didn\u2019t want to go all the way home again.\u201d He didn\u2019t say that, in all honesty, he wasn\u2019t sure if he could ride home again.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be silly, sit down,\u201d Joanna ordered. She ushered him into the kitchen, where something on the stove smelt good.\u00a0 As she put water on to boil, Joe realized that Joanna didn\u2019t look very well.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you all right?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Smiling brightly, which fooled Joe not at all, Joanna nodded. \u201cI just have a sore throat,\u201d she admitted. \u201cI had a friend here, passing though on her way to San Francisco, and we talked too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen was she here?\u201d Joe asked, making conversation. He just wanted to lie down somewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe day before yesterday,\u201d Joanna replied, coming over with rolls of bandage and a bottle of anti-septic. She coughed slightly, and Joe took her hand. Her skin was hot to the touch and slick with sweat.<\/p>\n

\u201cJo, you aren\u2019t well,\u201d he said, concerned. \u201cLook, I\u2019ll go home and I\u2019ll see Mike another time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Joanna protested. \u201cBesides, we haven\u2019t seen you for ages. Look, I\u2019ll clean up your hand and you can tell me all the news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reluctantly, for Joe thought she\u2019d be better off in bed, he allowed her to clean his wounds while he told her about the cattle drives.<\/p>\n

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

It was into the evening before Mike arrived back, and by then, Joe was frantic with worry. After bathing his wounds, Joanna had complained of feeling tired and had lain down for a rest on the settee. Then she fell into a sort of unconsciousness. Her breathing had become desperately tight and she seemed to have extreme difficulty in swallowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMike, thank goodness!\u201d Joe exclaimed as he heard to door open.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u201d Mike questioned, sounding exhausted. \u201cI thought that was your hoarse. What are you\u2026are you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be okay, its Joanna. Hurry!\u201d Joe was less concerned about himself by that time.<\/p>\n

Kneeling by his wife\u2019s side, Mike examined her closely, and his face grew grimmer by the second. Finally, he turned, his eyes meeting Joe\u2019s, and Joe knew instantly that it wasn\u2019t good news. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d he breathed, not wanting to hear the answer, but not able to bear the not knowing.<\/p>\n

Tears suddenly filled Mike\u2019s eyes, and Joe felt a corresponding dampness in his own, even without knowing what was wrong. \u201cMike?\u201d he ventured, softly, suddenly scared.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts diphtheria,\u201d Mike replied.<\/p>\n

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

For a long time, Joe could only stare at Mike, struggling to assimilate the news. Joe had heard of diphtheria \u2013 who hadn\u2019t? It had swept across America in a terrifying series of epidemics, and wherever it hit, people died. It was infectious Joe knew; very infectious.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d better go home,\u201d he murmured at last, unsure of what to say in the face of Mike\u2019s immobility and grief.<\/p>\n

That brought Mike back to life. \u201cNo!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cYou can\u2019t do that! You might have been infected!\u201d He got to his feet and clutched Joe\u2019s arm. \u201cYou\u2019d better stay here, Joe.\u201d Shaking his head, Mike looked around, seeing the bowl of water on the table, along with the bandages. \u201cWhy are you here?\u201d he asked, and blinked, seeing for the first time the gash on Joe\u2019s head. \u201cSit down, Joe, you need attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Joanna\u2026\u201d Joe protested, sitting as he\u2019d been told to do. In truth, the shock of hearing what was wrong with Joanna and being told he couldn\u2019t go home made him easier for Mike to treat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing I can do for Joanna right now,\u201d Mike admitted, struggling to keep calm. \u201cI\u2019ll see to you, then you can stay here with her while I go and tell Paul about this. It answers a lot of questions we\u2019ve had about various people.\u201d Working quietly, Mike tended to Joe\u2019s minor hurts, then left to inform his boss of the outbreak of diphtheria. He took Joe\u2019s horse to the livery stable on the way.<\/p>\n

Left alone with the unconscious Joanna, Joe sat and gazed at her. He felt completely helpless and more than a little scared. He knew the statistics \u2013 one in ten people died of diphtheria. Would he ever see his family again?<\/p>\n

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

By morning, the news was all over town. Paul Martin had got Roy to close off the town, so no one could get in or out and so spread the disease further. People were sickening rapidly, and Paul and Mike began to trace the sickness, trying to find out the source of the infection. By dint of careful questioning, the trail led back to the friend who had been visiting Joanna. Susan had been at school with Joe, Mike and Joanna, had married a man from the east and had only been home once or twice. Paul surmised that she must be a carrier of the disease and hurried to telegraph San Francisco, in the hopes that she could be found before the epidemic spread. Unfortunately, Susan had vanished before she reached the city by the bay, and she was never seen again.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, word reached them of other townships that had outbreaks of diphtheria. They were also places where the stage had stopped.<\/p>\n

Waiting at Mike\u2019s house, Joe tended to Joanna as best he could. Her breathing was very labored, and Joe knew from Mike\u2019s haggard face that he didn\u2019t hold out much hope for her. He worried constantly about his family, fearing that Ben would insist on coming into town, to see for himself that Joe was all right. The thought that Ben might be exposed to this terrible disease was almost too much for him to bear.<\/p>\n

There was also the nagging fear that he himself would become infected. Daily, as he did what he could for Joanna, Joe knew that he was risking his own life; knew that he\u2019d risked it the first day he\u2019d come to town. By then, Joanna was already sick and Joe, too, might already be infected. As he lay awake at night, Joe could see no future for himself at all.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cMike! Come quick, Jo\u2019s choking!\u201d Joe shouted, fear in his voice.<\/p>\n

Roused from his much-needed slumber, Mike was at his wife\u2019s side in a heart beat. \u201cIt’s what I feared,\u201d he whispered finally. \u201cA membrane is closing off her air way. I\u2019ll have to do a tracheotomy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Joe asked, quietly. It was three days since he had arrived, and that morning, he didn\u2019t feel well. His throat hurt, and he was running a slight temperature. He said nothing to Mike. It was plain to anyone with eyes that Mike, too, was ill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI cut a hole in her windpipe to allow her to breathe,\u201d Mike informed him, trying to hide his shaking hands from his friend. \u201cI\u2019ve never done one on a living person before.\u201d He glanced at Joe. \u201cCan you help?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Joe whispered, sure he couldn\u2019t, but unable \u2013 or unwilling \u2013 to admit that.<\/p>\n

It took all Joe\u2019s fortitude to remain on his feet during the operation. He could hardly believe that this was necessary, but even he could tell that Joanna wouldn\u2019t live if it wasn\u2019t done. As Mike made the cut, Joe turned his eyes away, but he was needed to mop up the blood, and so he closed his mind to what he was doing, trying to keep this on a clinical level, and failing dismally.<\/p>\n

Finally, Mike inserted the plug that would keep the wound open. Joanna\u2019s breathing settled a lot and Joe began to feel more hopeful. Joanna had been out of it for days, but Joe wondered if this would set her on the road to recovery.<\/p>\n

Slumping back, Mike looked totally drained. \u201cYou should get some rest,\u201d Joe told him. \u201cJoanna is resting more easily now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t rest,\u201d Mike replied. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and burying his face in his hands. \u201cThere\u2019s so much to do. I can\u2019t leave it all to Paul.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMike,\u201d Joe began, troubled, but he got no further. There was a sudden choking noise, and Joanna\u2019s breathing stopped.<\/p>\n

For a frozen second, neither of them moved, then Mike was working frantically on Joanna, breathing through the pipe and pumping frantically at her chest. But there was nothing he could do. The disease had proved too strong for Joanna and she was gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cNO!\u201d Mike cried, the sound torn from his throat. \u201cDon\u2019t leave me, Jo!\u201d he begged her. \u201cDon\u2019t die, not now!\u201d He dropped his head onto her body and began to sob piteously.<\/p>\n

Stunned by the swiftness of her demise, Joe just stood. He clasped his hand onto Mike\u2019s shoulder, but he was sure he friend didn\u2019t know he was there. Turning, Joe made his slow way through to the other room, giving Mike the only thing he could \u2013 privacy. Standing at the window, looking out, Joe wept for the loss of his friend\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing we can do but wait!\u201d Adam exclaimed. \u201cPa, I\u2019m as worried as you, but we can\u2019t get into Virginia City and Joe can\u2019t get out!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that supposed to comfort me?\u201d Ben demanded angrily. He was beside himself with worry and had been since he\u2019d heard Joe had gone to the doctor a few days before. He had ridden to town the next day and had been turned back, told of the outbreak of diphtheria. It was the not knowing that was worst. Ben didn\u2019t know if Joe was ill, or even still alive. He wouldn\u2019t know until the outbreak had been contained and they were able to go into town.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, of course not,\u201d Adam replied. \u201cBut there\u2019s nothing we can do. I know it\u2019s dreadful, but would it help Joe if you went in and caught it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ben grunted, knowing Adam was right, but resenting his son\u2019s logic just the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at it this way, Pa,\u201d Hoss suggested. \u201cIf\u2019n he\u2019s stayin\u2019 wi\u2019 Mike, he\u2019s in the right place, ain\u2019t\u2019 he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ben agreed. But he also knew that there was very little Mike could do, and there was as much chance of Mike contracting the disease as there was of Joe getting it. \u201cI just wish there was some way we could find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo do we,\u201d Hoss agreed, softly, and they stood there, united by their worry and fear.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cShe was expecting our first child, did you know?\u201d Mike asked Joe, many hours later. They sat together in the front room, where they didn\u2019t have to see the place where Joanna had died. Joe had gone and got the undertaker, who came to the house wearing something over his face to prevent himself from catching the disease. Joe hoped it would work; but there was no guarantee. The undertaker had told Joe that there had been over 20 deaths so far and wood and nails were becoming scarce.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t,\u201d Joe replied, startled. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry.\u201d He knew that Joanna had longed for their baby, because she had told him so several times.<\/p>\n

\u201cA spring baby,\u201d Mike muttered, talking mostly to himself. He poured some more whiskey into the glass in front of Joe. \u201cCome on, Joe, drink up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you should drink any more,\u201d Joe suggested gently. \u201cWhat if someone comes to the door needing you?\u201d The whiskey he had drunk sat uneasily in Joe\u2019s stomach and made his head swim.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not gonna do that!\u201d Mike insisted. \u201cI\u2019m sick, Joe. So are you. We\u2019ve both got it. We\u2019re both going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t say that,\u201d Joe denied.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, come on, we both know its true,\u201d Mike asserted. \u201cI\u2019m too sick to work. I\u2019d be passing it on to people. Why shouldn\u2019t I get drunk? It might take the pain away.\u201d He took a big swig of his drink. \u201cCome on, while you can still drink anything.\u201d Joe silently downed the whiskey.<\/p>\n

\u201cD\u2019you know,\u201d Mike said, after a long period of silence, \u201cthat a woman I once treated told me that epidemics were nature\u2019s way of keeping the population down?\u201d He gave a drunken laugh, but didn\u2019t sound amused. \u201cHonestly. She told me that only poor people caught diseases that killed, because being poor meant they weren\u2019t as good as you or I, who have a bit of money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s lousy,\u201d Joe muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI refused to treat her after that,\u201d Mike went on. He gave another abrupt, humorless laugh. \u201cShe died from the influenza, you know. I wonder if that meant she was really a poor person in disguise.\u201d He took another slug of the whiskey. On top of exhaustion, grief and illness, and on an empty stomach, Mike was becoming drunk really quickly.<\/p>\n

More silence. It seemed to them both indecent that the sun was shining outside when Joanna lay dead in a coffin, buried in a mass grave, because there wasn\u2019t enough time or people to dig individual graves. Joe said no more as Mike continued to drink the whiskey. He could see the fever in his friend\u2019s eyes, and the grief. He thought oblivion would be the best thing for him, even if it did come out of a bottle. Joe\u2019s throat ached and he just wanted to lie down somewhere and sleep, but whenever he shut his eyes, all he could see was Joanna dying right there in front of him.<\/p>\n

At long last, Mike passed out, and Joe laid him tenderly on the sofa and covered him with a blanket. Mike\u2019s temperature was raging, and Joe wearily did as he had been taught for fevers and got some cool water and a cloth and began to bathe his head.<\/p>\n

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

Over the next 24 hours, that seemed to Joe to be all he did. Mike never roused again properly, and Joe did what he could for him. Through all that time, he never saw another soul. Everyone knew the young doctor had diphtheria and they kept their distance. Joe couldn\u2019t blame them. He thought, had their situations been reversed, that he might have kept his distance, too.<\/p>\n

Exhaustion finally claimed Joe and he fell into a deep sleep on the couch in the front room. His temperature was way up, and his thumb throbbed with every beat of his heart. Joe had almost forgotten about the injuries he\u2019d had which had brought him into town, but he had finally realized that his thumb was infected. Lying on the couch, Joe wondered vaguely if he was going to get lockjaw on top of diphtheria. The thought didn\u2019t disturb him much.<\/p>\n

As he slept, he dreamt of a huge fire, keeping him warm on a cold night. He could hear the flames crackling and the warmth of the fire and thought that he was home at last. His throat ached and he coughed miserably, the cough further lacerating the rawness of his throat.<\/p>\n

Looking down at Joe Cartwright, Paul Martin shook his head. \u201cHe\u2019s pretty badly off,\u201d he told the men with him. \u201cLet\u2019s get him down to the saloon with the others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, doc,\u201d one of the men responded and between them, he and his companions carefully lifted Joe and carried him away. Paul watched them for a moment, before turning back to the burning remains of Mike and Joanna\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

The first tendrils of smoke had been seen quite by chance, and by the time rescuers got there, the house was well ablaze. Joe had been found unconscious but coughing in the front room, and Mike had been found dead in the kitchen. From where he was lying, it seemed Mike had been trying to poke up the stove, and the fire had somehow escaped, setting the house ablaze. Watching it burn, Paul wasn\u2019t sorry the house wasn\u2019t going to be saved. Far too many bad things had happened there for anyone to want to live there.<\/p>\n

The fire brigade, or what was left of them, did what they could to keep the fire under control, but by the time the flames were out, the house was a ruin. Long before then, Paul Martin had returned to the vigil he was keeping over the remaining sick in town. Isolating the community had done its job and the infection was no longer spreading. But the death toll was high, with very few families untouched by the tragedy.<\/p>\n

When the town was back to \u2018normal\u2019, the school role had more than halved. Some families were wiped out all together; others had lost fathers, mothers, children, grandparents. The disease had hit rich and poor alike. There was no church man to see to the burials, as the minister had succumbed almost at once. Houses, empty of the people who had once lived there, were torn apart to make coffins. It was many years before the town recovered completely.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cMr. Cartwright! Mr. Cartwright!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rising from his desk, Ben hurried to the door, frowning, wondering why Charlie was shouting for him with such urgency in his voice. \u201cWhat is it, Charlie?\u201d he asked, coming into the yard, where Charlie was dismounting from his sweating horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cVirginia City\u2019s open again, sir,\u201d he panted. \u201cI seen them take down the barricades this morning\u2019. I bin havin\u2019 the place watched from a distance, an\u2019 the roads is open again!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSaddle the horses,\u201d Ben ordered, his heart in his throat. \u201cAdam! Hoss!\u201d He hurried back to the house calling for his sons.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Adam asked. He and Hoss were still at the breakfast table, putting off for as long as possible starting work for the day. Everyone in the house was tired, for worrying about Joe had deprived them all of sleep. They had heard the shouts, but weren\u2019t sure they were ready to face yet another crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cVirginia City\u2019s open again,\u201d Ben told them. \u201cCome on, we\u2019ve got to find Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a heartbeat, neither Adam nor Hoss moved. Then they jumped to their feet and hurried to strap on their gun belts, and snatched up their hats. They were outside and mounted without having said a word, and they galloped to town as fast as their horses could carry them.<\/p>\n

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

The town did not look quite the way they remembered it. It had only been 6 days since they had last been there, but the streets were quiet and the stores were shut. The few people who were on the streets seemed terrified of contact.<\/p>\n

Arriving at the sheriff\u2019s office, Ben was relieved to discover that Roy Coffee had survived the outbreak. \u201cNo, I weren\u2019t ill,\u201d he confided to Ben. \u201cI were down-right lucky, Ben, I can tell ya.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you seen Joe?\u201d Ben asked, urgently.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Roy replied. \u201cI\u2019m right sorry, Ben, but I ain\u2019t. Have ya tried the saloon? Paul was takin\u2019 people there, last I heard. The Silver Dollar.\u201d He looked round their worried faces. \u201cI sure hope the boy\u2019s all right, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Roy,\u201d Ben said, and hurried back out to his horse.<\/p>\n

The saloon was a little distance up the road and they could easily have walked it. But, although they were eager to see Joe, there was a growing dread in their hearts, and they did anything that would use up those few moments until they found out his fate.<\/p>\n

The Silver Dollar was deserted. Looking around, they could see where tables had been moved to become make-shift beds, but there was no one there. Swallowing down disappointment, Ben looked at his sons. \u201cGuess we should try Paul\u2019s,\u201d he suggested and Adam and Hoss nodded. Ben wondered briefly if he was as pale as they were, then decided he didn\u2019t want to know.<\/p>\n

Once more they mounted up and rode slowly down the street. There didn\u2019t appear to be any signs of life in Paul Martin\u2019s office, either, when they got there. Ben opened the door and they went slowly into the outer office. He stood, irresolute for a moment, before opening the door to the inner office and going in.<\/p>\n

The first person he saw was Paul Martin, sound asleep at his desk, his head cradled on his arms. For one horrid moment, Ben thought he was dead, but then he saw the steady rise and fall of his back, and heard a snore.<\/p>\n

Relieved, he hurried over and shook his somnolent friend. \u201cPaul! Paul!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Paul raised his head, and wiped the sleep from his eyes. \u201cOh, Ben, it’s you.\u201d He yawned mightily and scrubbed his hands over his face. \u201cWhat time is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea,\u201d Ben responded. \u201cPaul, where is Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe?\u201d Paul repeated, as though he didn\u2019t know who Joe was.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was coming to see you or Mike, and was going to stay in town. Is he here? Is he all right? Paul, tell me!\u201d Ben\u2019s anguish was plain to see. A cold hand was squeezing his heart.<\/p>\n

By now, Paul was properly awake. \u201cHe\u2019s here, Ben,\u201d he replied. Ben almost fainted with relief. \u201cCome on, I\u2019ll take you to him.\u201d He got wearily to his feet and led the way through the door that led to his private quarters. \u201cDo you know about Joanna and Mike?\u201d he asked, quietly and Ben shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about them?\u201d he asked, trepidation once more in his heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey both died,\u201d Paul reported, grief in his voice. \u201cJoanna was one of the first to die. Mike died in a fire in their house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA fire?\u201d Ben gasped. \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know, Ben. Joe was rescued from the front room, but he\u2019d inhaled a lot of smoke and he hasn\u2019t been at all well. He had diphtheria, too, but a mild case. Unfortunately, he also had an infection from a bite injury and his fever only broke last night. But he\u2019s going to be all right, Ben.\u201d Paul opened a door and stood aside.<\/p>\n

There, lying in the bed, was Joe. His face was very pale and he was so still that for a moment, despite Paul\u2019s words, Ben feared the worst. He was across the room in an instant, touching Joe\u2019s head tenderly, murmuring his son\u2019s name over and over again, tears of relief and gladness pouring down his face.<\/p>\n

Joe stirred, and opened his eyes. For a moment, he gazed disbelievingly at Ben and then he was in his father\u2019s arms, and Adam and Hoss were crowding close, too, all needing to touch Joe, to reassure themselves that he was warm, breathing \u2013 alive.<\/p>\n

Watching for a moment, Paul felt tears pricking behind his eyes. Quietly, he closed the door and left them alone.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cYou\u2019ll need to give him a long time to recover,\u201d Paul remarked as he took Joe\u2019s pulse later that morning. \u201cGetting up too quickly after diphtheria can cause a relapse, even paralysis. Do you hear me, Joe?\u201d he added, in a threatening tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear ya,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cWhat makes you think I want to get up?\u201d He could barely lift his head from the pillow.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you,\u201d Paul returned, bluntly, and Joe grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, doc, I hear what you\u2019re saying,\u201d he capitulated. Joe turned his eyes to his father. \u201cAnd it didn\u2019t reach the ranch, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Joe nobody out with us was sick,\u201d Ben assured him. He still sat by Joe\u2019s bed, touching his son constantly, reassuring himself that the lost boy was truly there. \u201cBut we were worried about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Joe replied, remorsefully. \u201cI wanted to come home, but Mike wouldn\u2019t let me.\u201d A spasm of grief crossed his face, and Adam looked away, to give Joe what privacy he could. Hoss gazed unseeing out of the window. \u201cMike\u2019s dead, isn\u2019t he?\u201d Joe whispered.<\/p>\n

It was the first time he\u2019d asked, and to Paul, that told him Joe was on the mend at last. Before, Joe had been too sick to ask anything, and since he had wakened that morning, he had spoken very little, content just to be with his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, he is,\u201d Paul replied, quietly. His own grief for Mike was still close to the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe diphtheria,\u201d Joe stated. \u201cBoth he and Joanna.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMike didn\u2019t die from the diphtheria,\u201d Paul corrected him softly. \u201cMike died in the fire that destroyed his house. We pulled you out in the nick of time, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA fire?\u201d Joe repeated numbly. He frowned, clearly thinking hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, Joe?\u201d Ben questioned, his thumb making comforting circles on the inside of Joe\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI dreamt about a fire,\u201d Joe told him. \u201cI could feel the heat, and it made me cough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thing it did make you cough,\u201d Paul interjected. \u201cThat was how we knew you were there, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gazing at Paul for a minute, Joe\u2019s eyes suddenly filled with tears. Embarrassed, Paul turned away and let Ben minister to his youngest. But when he heard the words Joe sobbed out, he turned back, his own eyes awash with tears, too. In fact, at Joe\u2019s words, there wasn\u2019t a dry eye in the room. \u201cJoanna was pregnant,\u201d he confided, and the pain and grief became too much and Joe sobbed uncontrollably in Ben\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

Exhaustion finally claimed him and Joe fell asleep once more, secure in his father\u2019s grasp. Ben laid him gently back onto his pillows and looked round at the others. \u201cWhy?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Nobody had an answer.<\/p>\n

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

The Joe they brought home a day or so later wasn\u2019t quite the same Joe that had ridden into town the week before. He was, of course, recovering from a serious illness, but he was also grieving for two people, his friends, that he had been unable to help.<\/p>\n

For several weeks, Joe was sober, and took things easily as he had been instructed to do. As his natural strength and vitality crept back, Joe was allowed to go further afield and as he rode around the ranch and saw the cycle of life preparing to renew itself once more, he began to recover spiritually as well as physically.<\/p>\n

There was a change in Joe. His close brush with death had showed him that he was mortal after all, and for a time, it dampened his natural ebullience. But as the winter settled in, something in the air seemed to buoy him up and his enthusiasm returned. His unique high pitched giggle was heard round the house once more, and never more than on the day of the first deep snowfall of winter. His aim with the snowball was as deadly as ever, and Adam was his first, and preferred, victim.<\/p>\n

As Christmas approached, Ben sensed that Joe had done his grieving and made his peace with the fact that he had lived and his friends had died. That one, unanswerable question \u2013 why? \u2013 no longer kept him awake at nights, for he had learned that there was no answer to it. Things happened in God\u2019s own time, and were beyond the understanding of mere human minds. He had grieved for his friends, but life was for living, and Joe had always had a deep love of life. Mike and Joanna had had several months of intense happiness, Joe reasoned. Who was to say what the future held for them? Joanna might have died in childbed, as many women did. The baby might have died \u2013 life was uncertain at the best of times. But it was comforting to know that they had been as happy together as two people could possibly be.<\/p>\n

This realization had allowed Joe to move on with his life, and he had stumbled over an explanation of it to Ben one evening. Ben had fully understood. He didn\u2019t think the dead would begrudge the living their life. To go around constantly mourning would not bring back the dead. It would just make the mourner sad. Life was too precious to waste it in regrets for something that could not be changed. Ben was relieved that Joe had been able to see this for himself.<\/p>\n

Of course there was a change in Joe, Ben thought, watching as his sons had a fierce snowball fight in the yard. He was amused as Adam the aloof threw snowballs with all the fervor and passion of his youngest brother. Nobody could go through an experience like that and not mature. But in essence, Joe was the same \u2013 impulsive, loving, infuriating and dependable.<\/p>\n

He was Joe.<\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0 As the best man at his friends\u2019 wedding, Joe is unable to foresee the tragedy ahead.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 T \u00a0(8,900 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":6096,"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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23],"tags":[16],"class_list":["post-5335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","tag-joe","wpcat-23-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1931,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/With-This-Ring.jpg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1784,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1784","url_meta":{"origin":5335,"position":0},"title":"The Commitment (by Cheaux)","author":"Cheaux","date":"June 20, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0\u00a0Joe makes a commitment without fully understanding what's involved. \u00a0 Rated: \u00a0T -- WC \u00a01200","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/bonanza.jpg?fit=295%2C295&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6628,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6628","url_meta":{"origin":5335,"position":1},"title":"Forever – The Love of My Life – #3 (by Rider)","author":"Rider","date":"May 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Joe and Alice think about their relationship on the eve of their wedding. 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