{"id":56044,"date":"2025-02-28T11:21:14","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T16:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=56044"},"modified":"2025-09-27T05:40:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T09:40:01","slug":"a-ghost-passed-this-way-by-harpistforhim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=56044","title":{"rendered":"A Ghost Passed This Way (by HarpistforHim)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: <\/strong>During the events of “A Stranger Passed This Way,” Adam struggles against his own emotions while trying to comfort Joe as they both face the grim reality of losing Hoss to the Vandervorts. A Missing Scene Story because these boys deserve some comfort.<\/p>\n

Rating: <\/strong>G\u00a0 Word Count: <\/strong>2,106<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nHoss\u2019 loud, familiar snoring drifted through the windows and Adam forced himself to savor the sound. After hearing it filter so often down the hall and under the crack of his bedroom door, or having it keep him awake night after night on long trail rides, not once did he ever think he would miss the jarring noise if it suddenly disappeared.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sitting on the porch that fateful night, Adam drank in the sound like it was water in the desert. He had grown used to it over the years, sure, but never did he think he\u2019d miss it.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, Lord above, he was going to <\/span>miss it.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Beyond that, the inside of the house had been quiet for at least an hour, now. Everyone else, it seemed, had finally settled into bed. Though he and Joe hadn\u2019t talked much while caring for the Vandervort\u2019s horse, something about being in the barn among the animals\u2014amidst the <\/span>quiet<\/span><\/i>\u2014had soothed them both in a way neither could explain. Somehow, things would turn out all right. They always did.<\/span><\/p>\n

Somehow\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Adam scoffed, prying himself off the edge of the porch and giving a loose clump of dirt a good kick. He\u2019d let that soothing quiet lower his guard, so much so that he\u2019d been thrown for a loop when Pa broke the news earlier that evening.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pa had tried to jog Hoss\u2019 memory to no avail.<\/span><\/p>\n

In that one, awful moment of clarity, Adam hadn\u2019t been able to tell if his youngest brother was going to punch out his own father for daring to give them such devastating news\u2026 or burst into tears right there in the doorway.<\/span><\/p>\n

The argument that followed had been more of the same. Brief, painful, and fruitless, its only conclusion coming out loud and clear. Hoss would be joining the Vandervorts on their trip to Michigan first thing in the morning. Any effort on their part to help Hoss remember could potentially injure Hoss further and was forbidden. Pa\u2019s word was law on that front.<\/span><\/p>\n

After that, Joe had retreated upstairs without another word.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had sucked in a breath, eyeing his father\u2019s weary face and slumped shoulders. He knew the man was suffering just as much as he and Joe\u2014no doubt even more so\u2014and yet, he couldn\u2019t stop that twinge of anger. Of betrayal. Knowing Pa could put a stop to all this horrible nonsense just like <\/span>that<\/span><\/i> but refused to for Hoss\u2019 own sake was equally the most infuriating thing Adam had ever been forced to witness\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026 And the most selfless.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa,\u201d Adam had said, voice barely keeping its balance on the thin ledge of <\/span>steady.<\/span><\/i> His father hadn\u2019t looked up, keeping his gaze fixed on the far wall. \u201cI need you to tell me we\u2019re doing the right thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing. No response as Pa had sucked in a shallow breath of his own and swallowed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam took another breath and pressed on. \u201cI just\u2026 I need to hear you say it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Please, let me hear you say it.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

But Pa had only shaken his head and made for his desk.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s when Adam had decided to find his solace in the darkness outside. Though, if there was any solace to be found, he hadn\u2019t been privy to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

He shifted and leaned against the wooden pole that so faithfully held up the roof of the porch year after endless year. And he willed his body not to crumble beneath the weight of it all. <\/span>You\u2019ve held on this long. What\u2019s a little longer?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A little longer\u2026<\/span><\/i> He wanted to scoff, to shout. Time was a luxury none of them had right now. It could take a day, a week, a year, <\/span>forever,<\/span><\/i> and they would never know. Never get the chance to help Hoss remember. To help him break free from the claws of amnesia.<\/span><\/p>\n

So\u2026 Why wait a little longer? <\/span><\/i>He would have the rest of his life to mourn the loss of his brother, so why not scream and shout now? Why not punch a hole in the wall<\/span> now<\/span><\/i> and rail against the unfair decision to rip his best friend out of his life forever?<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam clenched a fist, taking a slow, deep breath before letting it out. This wasn\u2019t his decision. He didn\u2019t like it, he didn\u2019t <\/span>agree<\/span><\/i> with it\u2026 but damned if he didn\u2019t admit he saw the logic behind it.<\/span><\/p>\n

But to be robbed of any sort of meaningful farewell? To not even be able to call him \u201cbrother\u201d one last time\u2026?<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 snoring derailed his train of thought, and for that, Adam was grateful. He didn\u2019t need to self-destruct. Not right now\u2026 No, right now, he needed sleep. He needed to shut off his brain and let the darkness consume him\u2014and hope to heaven his raging fears about losing his brother wouldn\u2019t startle him awake.<\/span><\/p>\n

The house was dark when he finally forced himself back inside. The fire cast only a dim glow as embers crumbled in on themselves in a slow, agonizing death. Was Adam\u2019s happiness to die with them? How could their family ever hope to be the same without\u2014?<\/span><\/p>\n

Stop it.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

He took a breath.<\/span><\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t anything he could do about it now. Everyone else was sound asleep, so he figured the best course of action\u2014the only one, really\u2014was to join them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trudging up the stairs, he never got further than the first door on the right.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 door.<\/span><\/p>\n

And there sat Joe, knees all curled up into his chest as he leaned his head against the old wood.<\/span><\/p>\n

From inside, Hoss\u2019 snoring carried through the cracks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam tried for levity, clearing his throat as he whispered, \u201cEnjoying a front-row seat to the symphony?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe didn\u2019t reply. He barely glanced up, shifting only slightly as he fought to find a more comfortable position.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLast I checked,\u201d Adam went on, \u201cthe floor doesn\u2019t have many comfy patches, but if anyone would be the first to find one, it\u2019d probably be you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

More levity. More humor. A last-ditch effort to keep his own chest from caving in under the pressure of his grief.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe wasn\u2019t in the mood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to go in there,\u201d came his soft admission.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s next breath didn\u2019t come easy\u2014or hardly at all\u2014as he replied,\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 I know. I <\/span>know\u2026<\/span><\/i>\u201d With a shaky hand, Joe tugged at his hair and slumped back against the door, eyes shut so tight, Adam began to wonder if he\u2019d ever be able to pry them open again. \u201cDo you know how many times I used to run in there when I was a kid? Thunderstorms, missing Ma, bad dreams\u2026\u201d Joe shook his head.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam managed a soft smile. \u201cProbably as many times as Hoss sought refuge in <\/span>my <\/span><\/i>bed. Then,\u201d he sighed, \u201cthere were those nights when your own fright was too contagious for him to be the strong one, so you\u2019d both find your way across the hall to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Reaching out a hand, he offered Joe what he hoped was a smile of reassurance, even though it felt for all the world like a grimace. \u201cCome on. You don\u2019t want anyone scrounging for a midnight snack to trip over you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe if they trip over me,\u201d came the mumbled answer, \u201cthey\u2019ll be too hurt to leave tomorrow\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But Joe accepted the hand up all the same, albeit with great reluctance. Adam practically had to pry him off the floor, he was mostly dead weight. Almost as though he\u2019d given up on the world entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n

What kind of world would that be like, Adam wondered? A world where they let Hoss leave and Joe was reduced to a husk of his former self\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Joe,\u201d he repeated, his tone gentler now, not a trace of humor or levity to be found. <\/span>One step at a time.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

That\u2019s all any of them could do in this situation, wasn\u2019t it? If he thought too hard about the future, if he calculated the odds of his family making a recovery from a loss like this\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam swallowed. Merely entertaining such thoughts made his head spin. If he thought any further past the next ten minutes, the weight of it all would crush him, <\/span>suffocate<\/span><\/i> him. Breathing was already hard enough, he didn\u2019t need his rapid thoughts running amok and making it impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite his baby brother making it harder than it needed to be, somehow, they made it to Adam\u2019s room and he let Joe slump onto the edge of the bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not fair,\u201d Joe whispered as Adam shut the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Breathe\u2026 Just breathe\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one ever said it was.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The sound that left Joe\u2019s mouth couldn\u2019t decide if it wanted to be a dismissive chuckle or a choked sob. \u201cDo you know how easy it would be? How <\/span>easy<\/span><\/i> it would be to just waltz right in there, wake him up, and tell him everything?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard Pa,\u201d came Adam\u2019s quiet reply as he kicked off his boots. \u201cWhat he said about the doctor\u2019s diagnosis.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut what if that\u2019s what he <\/span>needs?<\/span><\/i>\u201d Joe pressed on, his voice taking on a pleading tone that cut straight through Adam\u2019s heart. \u201cSomeone who\u2019ll tell him everything like it happened. Someone to wake him up from that darkness. Someone who can bring him back to us and\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe clapped a fist to his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. Always the emotional one, the youngest Cartwright. Always quick to anger, quick to joy or love. Joe had been that way for as long as Adam could remember. Always the one to be the first to let the tears fall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Standing there that night, however, in the wake of all their grief and misery, Adam couldn\u2019t fault him for it. For any of it. The pain twisting Joe\u2019s face as he fought to compose himself mirrored the turmoil in Adam\u2019s chest\u2014mirrored the heartache and emotion that he\u2019d striven so hard to keep off his own features.<\/span><\/p>\n

He was the oldest. He was supposed to be the calm one, the steady one. The one you run to when you have a problem. When you\u2019re sad, hurt, or angry. The one who <\/span>gives<\/span><\/i> the comfort\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Not the other way around.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

With a slight burst of resolve, Adam set his face in what he hoped was a soothing expression. Joe needed something inviting, something <\/span>comforting.<\/span><\/i> Someone to lean on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our last night with him,\u201d Joe bit out, voice wavering, \u201cand we can\u2019t even go <\/span>see<\/span><\/i> him. Can\u2019t be with him, or even <\/span>talk<\/span><\/i> to him! It\u2019s like\u2026 like he\u2019s a <\/span>ghost<\/span><\/i> or something. How\u2019re we supposed to\u2026? How\u2019ll I ever\u2026?\u201d He sucked in a breath as his face threatened to crumble. \u201cAdam, why can\u2019t we at least just <\/span>talk<\/span><\/i> to him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Breathe\u2026 Steady\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Steady\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t\u2014\u201d Adam clamped his lips shut, cursing his throat for betraying him like that. For letting that stray half-sob rise up before he could stop it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Breathe!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

It took a few steadying breaths for him to regain even a small semblance of calm. What good was a steady, soothing expression if his voice sounded like it was about to snap in two?<\/span><\/p>\n

Get a hold of yourself. Joe needs you, so just\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Just\u2026 <\/span><\/i>what?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Just breathe\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Right.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Then, Joe glanced up. When their eyes met, Adam realized with a jolt that he hadn\u2019t been hiding his pain as well as he\u2019d thought. The further shattering of Joe\u2019s expression made that much abundantly clear.<\/span><\/p>\n

Breathe\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Uncertain as to what kind of tone might come out if he opened his mouth, Adam clenched his jaw and joined Joe on the bed. Maybe the simple act of being together, of sitting shoulder to shoulder and leaning on each other for support both physically and emotionally\u2026 Maybe that could be enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

Enough for tonight.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Tomorrow would be a whole new beast to tame, but if they could just get past tonight\u2026 <\/span>If we could just get through this first wave of pain\u2026 Maybe then, the others will come easier. Be easier to handle. Maybe\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019d this have to happen?\u201d Joe\u2019s voice was barely audible now and Adam felt him shiver. \u201cWhy him? Why <\/span>now?<\/span><\/i> Why can\u2019t he just <\/span>remember <\/span><\/i>us\u2026?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, Joe.\u201d Adam couldn\u2019t get his own tone to rise above a hoarse whisper. His voice had failed him and so had his face. All he had left to offer his little brother by way of comfort was a steady arm around Joe\u2019s shoulders.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Joe melted instantly into the embrace, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs, Adam\u2019s grip tightened.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The end…<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0\u00a0Adam Cartwright, brothers, ESA, ESJ, JAM, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: During the events of “A Stranger Passed This Way,” Adam struggles against his own emotions while trying to comfort Joe as they both face the grim reality of losing Hoss to the Vandervorts. A Missing Scene Story because these boys deserve some comfort.
\nRating: G\u00a0 Word Count: 2,106<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11949,"featured_media":56052,"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":[1091,41,61],"tags":[1135],"class_list":["post-56044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-joe","category-hurtcomfort","category-missing-scene","tag-a-stranger-passed-this-way","wpcat-1091-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-61-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\/2025\/02\/IMG_6540.jpeg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56044","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\/11949"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56044"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56044\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/56052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}