{"id":57304,"date":"2025-06-04T09:29:33","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T13:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=57304"},"modified":"2025-12-31T21:26:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T02:26:20","slug":"im-fine-by-pat-d-in-pa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=57304","title":{"rendered":"I’m FINE! (by Pat D in PA)"},"content":{"rendered":"

SUMMARY:<\/strong> Adam\u2019s heart is set on attending a performance by actor Edwin Booth at a production of Hamlet at San Francisco\u2019s Adelphi Theatre. As his departure date nears, he can feel himself coming down with a cold.\u00a0 He knows the moment he sneezes, Ben and Hop Sing will have him confined to bed. Can he manage to hold his illness at bay long enough to not miss something he wants so very, very badly to experience?\u00a0 And how much is he willing to risk in order to do so?
\nRating:<\/strong>\u00a0 K+
\nWord Count: <\/strong>17,156<\/p>\n

\n

I’m FINE!<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Personally, I\u2019d rather go to Piper\u2019s and see a pretty gal singing,\u201d observed Joe, spooning a good portion of mashed potatoes onto his plate and passing the bowl down to his father.\u00a0 \u201cBut Shakespeare?!”\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>His machine-gun giggle managed to clearly state his viewpoint on the matter.\u00a0 “Older Brother, you truly need to learn how to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled to himself, accepting the bowl and serving himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you are more than welcome to do so, Joe,\u201d nodded Adam, gesturing with his butter knife, \u201cbut I, personally, am excited as all get-out to see Edwin Booth play the Melancholy Dane.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss paused with a forkful of roast beef half-way to his mouth, and looked at his older brother, frowning.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s a Great Dane, melancholy or any other kind, got t\u2019do with anythin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Even Hop Sing, the Cartwright factotum, stopped at that one, mouth open, and stared, a basket of fresh biscuits halfway to the table.\u00a0 Joe took advantage of the pause to lift a couple before Hop Sing managed to continue getting the basket down beside the vegetables.<\/p>\n

Adam sighed as Ben laughed.\u00a0 \u201cNot a dog,\u201d he grumbled, also snagging one of Hop Sing\u2019s good biscuits and putting his butter knife to its best purpose.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Hop Sing, these look good!\u00a0\u00a0 Hamlet\u2026 the Melancholy Dane.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss studied his older brother, and just shook his head, giving up, causing Ben and Joe both to chuckle.\u00a0 Hoss grinned good-naturedly.\u00a0 \u201cNow, Joseph, if Older Brother here chooses to sit in a stagecoach for four days, turnin\u2019 his brains inta scrambled eggs, that\u2019s\u00a0his\u00a0<\/em>business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure is, Hoss,\u201d giggled Joe in agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo stagecoach line for me, brothers,\u201d declared Adam, leaning back in his chair. \u201cI\u2019m going to ride Sport overland and take my time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh sure,\u201d Joe complained, setting down his coffee cup. \u201cHaying starts in a couple of days and you\u2019re taking off for three or four weeks!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, all right,\u201d chuckled Ben, giving his oldest son a mildly stern glance when the twenty-nine-year-old raised a mocking eyebrow at his disgruntled baby brother. \u201cAdam\u2019s done more than his share of hard work over the summer, and you know it.\u201d\u00a0 Ben smiled at the young man and winked. “Even if spending eight to ten days on horseback each way just to enjoy a couple of hours of a play seems a little crazy to me, he deserves some time off.”<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all do,\u201d grumbled Joe, cutting his meat.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe sure ain\u2019t wrong, Pa,\u201d Hoss sighed, downcast.\u00a0 \u201cThis summer we bin so all-fired short-handed, we\u2019ve all been busier\u2019n a blind hound dog in a chuck wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u00a0\u2018O! beware, my lord, of jealousy!\u2019<\/em>\u00a0\u201d quoted Adam, striking a pose – remarkably well done consider he was still seated, with a forkful of roast beef in his hand. \u201c\u00a0\u2019It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the Meat it feeds on.\u2019<\/em>\u00a0\u201d He glanced at his fork, grinned and took his bite. And winked at the green-eyed monster sitting across from him.<\/p>\n

Hoss chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cGreen-eyed monster, hey?\u201d gesturing with a meaty pointer finger at his own blue orbs then pointing, snorting with laughter, at the emerald-eyed seventeen-year-old across the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cHardy har har,\u201d sneered Joe.<\/p>\n

Ben rolled his own dark chocolate eyes and reached for the coffee pot.\u00a0\u201cNow, now, enough of that foolishness, the three of you,\u201d he chuckled, his laughter belying the firm words.\u00a0 \u201cYou had your getaway in the Spring, Hoss, and Joseph, you\u2019re a little bit too young to be kicking up your heels alone in a place like San Francisco, anyway.\u00a0 At least too young for\u00a0my<\/em>\u00a0liking.\u201d He eyed his youngest son meaningfully.<\/p>\n

Joe grunted in disdain, making Adam\u2019s mouth twist in a smirk.\u00a0But the smirk twisted further, as he felt an odd tickle in the back of his throat as he sprinkled pepper on his potatoes.\u00a0 A sudden, explosive sneeze erupted.<\/p>\n

Ben looked up, eyebrows raised, then narrowing his eyes. \u201cBless you.\u00a0 Are you coming down with something?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam made a face. \u201cNo, of course not!\u00a0 I just must have inhaled some pepper, that\u2019s all,\u201d he replied, laughing.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing poked his head out from the kitchen, eyeing Adam keenly, making Hoss and Joe grin at each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m\u00a0fine<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d Adam insisted, irritated.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, would you pass the string beans, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By about nine that evening, Adam knew it wasn\u2019t the pepper.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the evening, he\u2019d noticed his throat growing scratchy and sore, and had retired early, saying he wanted to read.\u00a0 Normally disgustingly healthy, Adam had one Achilles heel: his lungs.\u00a0 On the rare times he caught a cold, it seemed to settle in his chest and almost invariably turn into bronchitis.\u00a0 So invariably, in fact, that it had become\u00a0de rigeur<\/em>\u00a0at the first sign of a sniffle for Hop Sing and Pa to have him slapped into bed with a mustard plaster on his chest faster than Joe could rope a calf and have its four hooves tied.<\/p>\n

Adam groaned to himself\u2026\u00a0no no no!!\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0He tossed his book on the bed beside him, frustrated.\u00a0 Could he manage to hold them off long enough to take off a day early, maybe, and be on his way to San Francisco before they cottoned to his illness?<\/p>\n

Wearily, the young man lay back on his pillows, propped up enough to help him breathe…thinking…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Boots gripped in one hand, packed saddlebags over his shoulder, Adam slowly made his way down the stairs in the near dark, carefully avoiding the center of the treads, knowing from old experience how several of them squeaked like mad. It was awkward, to say the least, to make his way down, legs splayed wide on either side of the carpet, but he managed it. And all the while, stifling a nagging urge to cough.<\/p>\n

Safely on the ground floor, he glanced around the room and listened.\u00a0\u00a0Silence. No pots quietly clinking, no sound of the pump working to fill a coffee pot.\u00a0\u00a0Hop Sing wasn\u2019t up yet.\u00a0\u00a0Adam decided he\u2019d been wise to avoid the back stairs that went over the Chinese man\u2019s room.\u00a0\u00a0He almost breathed out a sigh of relief until remembering doing so would probably bring on a coughing fit.<\/p>\n

Quietly, Adam padded in his stockinged feet to the gun cabinet and slipped his rifle from its position on the rack, palming a box of shells as well, and carried them over to the credenza, gently laying them down. He pulled on his boots, stifling both a cough and a yawn, now, and set an envelope flat on the credenza\u2019s polished top.<\/p>\n

After thinking last night \u2013 and burying his face in a pillow whenever he had to cough – Adam realized the only way he\u2019d make it to San Francisco to see the play was if he hightailed it out before dawn, before anyone could hear his wheezing breath.\u00a0\u00a0All evening, his thoughts had danced back and forth between dismay, thinking of his father worrying himself to distraction about his oldest son becoming ill on the trail and dropping dead somewhere, and the potential fury of having to pass up a performance by the man many called the greatest dramatic actor of the day.<\/p>\n

He realized he missed it!\u00a0\u00a0He deeply missed the intellectual stimulation of a performance of a great playwright’s work.\u00a0\u00a0He missed the emotional connection that a performance of a brilliant operatic singer gave to him, or that of a live reading by the author of evocative and beautifully crafted poetry.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0More than that, he missed the ability to just\u00a0talk<\/em>\u00a0after a performance with others who found it brilliant, too.<\/p>\n

All of these inner conflicts and churnings brought on one of the rarest of occurrences in Ben Cartwright\u2019s serious, reliable eldest boy.<\/p>\n

In a completely atypical flash of pure selfishness (and cussedness, if he was honest with himself), Adam stubbornly chose to please himself at the expense of people he loved, and who loved him. He knew he\u2019d pay for it, eventually, even if that cost might only be finding himself sick in a San Francisco hotel bed for a week. But, knowing his father as he did, Adam was under no illusion that his tab for this little escapade would really rack up to being anything so minor.<\/p>\n

However, his bull-headed obstinacy had totally engaged.\u00a0\u00a0Come hell or high water, he was going to be in that seat at the Adelphi Theatre watching Edwin Booth dramatically spout the \u00a0time-honored lines he\u2019d read in pleasure these last nearly twenty years.<\/p>\n

Coat on, gun belt strapped around his hips, Adam gathered his belongings and reached for his hat.\u00a0 He glanced again at the letter, with just the word \u201cPa\u201d across the front, and wavered, hesitating.\u00a0\u00a0But when another tickle in his throat threatened to erupt, the young man\u2019s dark brows knitted together, his lips firmed in resolve, and he turned.\u00a0 Jamming his\u00a0hat on his head, he quickly slipped out, pulling the door shut almost silently.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dear Pa,<\/em><\/p>\n

I know you will not be best pleased with this news, but I have decided
\nto head on out to San Francisco a day early.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Attending this performance means a great deal to me.\u00a0\u00a0It is a chance
\nfor a taste of culture that I frankly haven\u2019t been truly able to enjoy
\nsince I returned home from Boston.\u00a0\u00a0Oh, I know we have been to plays
\nin San Francisco, but no one of the caliber of Booth, and not a
\ncompany as illustrious as this one producing Shakespeare\u2019s Hamlet.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m afraid that I just wasn\u2019t willing to allow anything to risk my missing
\nit.\u00a0 \u00a0As you know, almost anything can happen, and on the Ponderosa,
\n\u2018anything\u2019 usually\u00a0does<\/u>. Somehow, something always seems to come
\nbetween me and whatever I want badly to do.\u00a0\u00a0Well, I\u2019ve decided.
\nNot this time.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry if this upsets you, but please know that I mean no
\ndisrespect.\u00a0 I am simply following my own mind and heart.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be home in a month, five weeks at the outside. I know that saying <\/em>
\nthis \u00a0will be a waste of ink,\u00a0but please don\u2019t worry.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0fine<\/u>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 means no disrespect!\u201d Ben growled as he tossed the letter, read for the fifth or sixth time since coming across it that morning, onto his pile of correspondence on the dining room table next to his barely touched breakfast.<\/p>\n

Joe and Hoss, cautiously glancing at each other, kept their heads down and focused on their own plates.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSorry for holding up breakfast, Hop Sing.\u00a0\u00a0Looks like I overslept.\u00a0\u00a0Adam down yet?\u201d asked Ben Cartwright, buttoning his shirt sleeves as he came into the kitchen, an eyebrow raised as he glanced around the kitchen, as if expect his oldest son to pop out of one of the cupboards.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Chinese man looked up in surprise from his using his spatula to lift light, fluffy biscuits off the hot baking tray and into the napkin-lined basket.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cNo see Numbah One son since last night,\u201d he frowned.\u00a0\u00a0He glanced at the window and noticed the height of the sun. \u201cUsually up by now. Not out in barn?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben smiled and nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll bet you\u2019re right.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s probably gone out to start the morning chores,\u201d he agreed and head back toward the front of the house. \u201cI just wanted to check on him and see if his cold is any worse.\u00a0\u00a0You know how he is.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019ll work until he drops.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou heah coughing in night, too?\u201d asked Hop Sing, standing up straight and looking directly at his employer.\u00a0\u00a0Number One Son not good at taking care of self, always take care ev’y’one else; must have honorable father and Hop Sing do it for him\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Cartwright turned at the door and nodded. \u201cI certainly did,\u201d he declared\u00a0meaningfully, raising a dark brow, and continued out toward the front door.<\/em><\/p>\n

But Adam wasn\u2019t in the barn. What\u2019s more, Sport wasn\u2019t in the barn, either.\u00a0\u00a0Ben\u2019s brows had just knitted together into one long angry black line when he whirled on his heel and nearly plowed down Hoss and Joe talking together as they headed in the barn door.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d Joe flattened himself against the door as his father stormed past him.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it? What\u2019s wrong, Pa?\u201d demanded Hoss.<\/em><\/p>\n

Neither got an answer, and Joe turned to his older brother in shocked surprise. \u201cWhat the heck – ?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

But Hoss was looking at an empty stall and whirled to the sawhorse and wall hooks that usually held Sport\u2019s saddle and tack.\u00a0\u00a0Hoss scowl quickly matched their father\u2019s as he, too, stormed past Joe.<\/em><\/p>\n

Back in the house the younger brothers were just re-entering the front door as they saw their father stomping back downstairs.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 of all the reckless, stump-brained\u2026 \u201c Ben sputtered as he stalked down the steps.\u00a0\u00a0He spied his younger sons.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cDid he say anything to you?!\u201d he demanded.<\/em><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes were wide.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cN-no, sir.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cGone, ain\u2019t he?\u201d snorted Hoss, angrily, his big hands on his hips in a remarkably good imitation of his father.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he\u2019s not in his room and there\u2019s enough of his belongings gone to indicate he\u2019s not home!\u201d snapped Ben.\u00a0\u00a0At that point, Joe turned to look at the hat rack, as if expecting to see Adam\u2019s black gambler\u2019s Stetson resting there in its usual place, and his eyes narrowed as he spied the\u00a0envelope on the credenza.\u00a0\u00a0He picked it up and, reading the name, quickly held it up for his father\u2019s eyes.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben crossed the great room in no time flat, and ripped open the envelope, reading the missive within.\u00a0\u00a0His younger sons watched his face grow redder by the moment.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chinese mutterings could be heard as Hop Sing slammed shut the oven door. How the small man was able to stomp and sound like a herd of bison while wearing his soft felt slippers was beyond Hoss and Joe, but he was pulling it off with gusto.\u00a0 The muttering continued as he stalked toward the table with a platter of ham.<\/p>\n

Joe tried to spear a piece on his way by, but Hop Sing charged past him to bring the platter to Ben\u2019s side. \u201cYou eat. Go hungry, no can help Number one Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmph!\u00a0 What ‘Number One Son’ needs is a good \u2013 \u201c began Ben furiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeed bed!\u00a0\u00a0Need Hop Sing med\u2019cine!\u00a0\u00a0Need\u00a0rest<\/em>!\u201d The platter slapped down on the table and the Chinese man stalked back to the kitchen, still expostulating in Cantonese.<\/p>\n

Wincing slightly, Hoss’ fork tentatively inched toward the ham platter.\u00a0\u00a0He caught Ben\u2019s eye, and his fork receded.<\/p>\n

Irritated, Ben shoved the platter toward him.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cGo ahead.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m not hungry.\u201d\u00a0The older man sighed and leaned back in his chair.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhat the devil was he thinking?\u201d he muttered, rubbing his forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cKinda seems like he was thinkin\u2019 that he wanted to see this actor more than anything he’s wanted in a real long time,\u201d offered Joe, softly.<\/p>\n

Ben glared at him. \u201cAt the risk of his health?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the risk of just about anything,\u201d Joe said with a slight shrug.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThere isn\u2019t much that Adam\u2019s that \u2026 that\u2026 I dunno\u2026\u00a0passionate<\/em> about, is there?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Joe exchanged glances with his older brother and father, and shrugged, a little helplessly. \u201cI guess this is one of \u2018em.”<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a reckless, foolhardy, bone-headed\u2026\u201d But Ben\u2019s anger began to sputter out as he really registered what Joe said.\u00a0\u00a0The man gazed at his youngest son, cradling his chin on his fist as he pushed his food around his plate.\u00a0\u00a0Sighing, Ben shook his head and managed a small smile, then reached over and patted the youngster\u2019s forearm, making him look up in surprise.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re a good brother, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe smiled then and winked at his father. “He’ll be all right, Pa, you’ll see,” Joe reassured him confidently, attacking his breakfast again with gusto.<\/p>\n

But Ben wasn’t so sure.\u00a0 He could remember the lung ailments Adam seemed to be plagued with.\u00a0 Hearing the muttering from the kitchen, he knew Hop Sing remembered them as well.\u00a0 And they weren’t the only ones, apparently.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well,\u201d grunted Hoss, still peeved, \u201cpassion or not, if\u2019n he ends up with pneumonia \u2013 \u2018cos mark my words, them clouds in the west show storms fixin\u2019 to burst between here and the California side! \u2013 he ain\u2019t gonna be able to enjoy no play while he\u2019s sick in bed!\u00a0\u00a0And he\u2019ll<\/em><\/strong> be the one what\u2019s melancholy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben tried to smile, but sighed and leaned back in his chair, placing his napkin beside his barely touched plate, giving up any pretense of eating.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to hitch up the wagon, load it up with some supplies and go after \u2018im, Pa?\u201d asked Hoss, as he sawed at his ham.<\/p>\n

But Ben firmed his lips and shook his head.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cNo, your brother\u2019s right, Hoss.\u00a0\u00a0Adam wants this trip more than anything.\u00a0\u00a0And as your older brother also regularly points out to me, he\u2019s a grown man.\u00a0\u00a0So, no.\u00a0\u00a0We won\u2019t be going after him.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Sighing, Ben got to his feet and gathered up his correspondence.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ll be working on the ledgers today.\u00a0\u00a0You boys get to those last fence repairs before haying starts, clear?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYessir, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got it, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both brothers watched, dismayed, as their father walked toward his desk, head bowed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For the first two days of his trip, Adam had been able to shove to the back of his awareness of his growing physical discomfort.\u00a0\u00a0Yes, the tightness in his chest was annoying and uncomfortable.\u00a0\u00a0Yes, he found the persistent pressure when he tried to breathe worried him some.\u00a0\u00a0But it wasn\u2019t until his second night under the stars that he had severe second thoughts about this benighted endeavor.\u00a0\u00a0Mostly, because he didn\u2019t seem to be under the stars; the clouds overhead were so plentiful that even the brightest stars were obscured.<\/p>\n

In the middle of the night, a fierce cannonade of rolling thunder woke him from a restless sleep, just as the heavens opened up over his head and rain dumped over him as though the angels were wielding ever-filling buckets.<\/p>\n

He looked around desperately to find shelter, but none was to be had.\u00a0\u00a0Huddling under his slicker \u2013 at least he\u2019d had the good sense to bundle it under his bedroll, in easy reach! – was the best he could do.\u00a0\u00a0Even his fire fizzled and spat in refusal to remain strong for him.\u00a0\u00a0By morning, he was exhausted and could feel his fever rising to a noticeable level.<\/p>\n

He studied his surroundings as best he could, and, as he sighed in frustrated acceptance, realized he had only one sensible route open to him: turn around and go home.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa\u2019s gonna roast me – cough! –<\/em> <\/strong>like Christmas chestnuts,\u201d he muttered hoarsely to Sport, untethered and nibbling away at the grass nearby the stream when Adam had found – in his fevered state – the best likely place to camp for the night.\u00a0\u00a0The gelding raised his head for a moment and seemed to share a commiserating glance at his boy, nickered, and then resumed his breakfast.\u00a0\u00a0Adam chuckled, until the laugh turned into a tight, painful bout of coughing. “You’ve got the right – cough! –<\/em> <\/strong>idea there with breakfast, boy…”<\/p>\n

He glanced wearily around himself and burrowed in his pack for the coffeepot he\u2019d packed, and a sack\u00a0of ground coffee.\u00a0 Chuckling slightly, his hand found a carrot he’d tossed into his pack for the horse.\u00a0 He walked over to Sport and fed him, patting his neck and hoarsely talking to him.\u00a0 When the horse finished chomping, Adam slipped Sport\u2019s bridle over the big gelding\u2019s head and picked up the coffeepot.<\/p>\n

He was damp, cold and sick, yes. But he was grateful, too.\u00a0\u00a0In this spot he’d chosen, he had access to fresh water for himself and his horse via the nearby stream, there was plenty of downed wood nearby to try to coax into flame for a campfire, as well as good grazing for Sport. Things could be worse.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reluctantly, Adam made up his mind that he had to accept the truth. He really couldn\u2019t continue this foolish exercise any further.\u00a0\u00a0He could feel the chest cold taking hold.\u00a0\u00a0Sick as he was, he realized that even if he had the good fortune to reach to his destination \u2013 which he was beginning to seriously doubt \u2013 he\u2019d likely end up in a hospital rather than a box seat at the Adelphi anyway.<\/p>\n

Irritably, he turned abruptly to head to the stream, and was hammered with vertigo. He squeezed shut his eyes, putting his hands out for a moment for balance as the world tilted a little and spun.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 Dammit\u2026\u201d he muttered, grinding his teeth together as he fought for his equilibrium to stabilize.\u00a0\u00a0Finally, the world righted itself.\u00a0 Sweating and panting, he slowly and carefully made his way to the stream bank to fill the coffee pot.<\/p>\n

What had last night just been an easy-going current in the river was now a riffling torrent, cluttered with debris and carrying along a great deal of sediment and downed branches.\u00a0\u00a0Blearily, he knew that should mean something to him but shook his head to try to clear it when nothing came to mind.<\/p>\n

He leaned over, using his long reach to try to dip the pot into the water to fill it, when he felt the sponginess underfoot.\u00a0\u00a0And suddenly the meaning of that amount of sediment made sense… the streambank was being undercut by the fast-moving water.<\/p>\n

Alarmed, he tried to step back but felt the stream\u2019s edge completely buckle under his weight, plummeting him headfirst into the fast-moving current.<\/p>\n

Desperately, Adam struggled to find purchase, a handhold, a foothold, anything that would slow the dizzying\u00a0pace as he was swept along by the storm-swollen creek. Painfully bruised by banging into rocks and debris, wrenching his ankle as he tried to jam his bootheels into the creek bed when he found himself in a shallow enough area\u2026 but nothing worked.\u00a0\u00a0Nothing slowed his progress.<\/p>\n

Tumbling over and over in the water to the point of having trouble figuring out which way was up, he could feel himself struggling to find the surface, to grab what breath he could, especially since breathing was a challenge beforehand. And he began to get scared\u2026 to really worry if he was going to die out here in the middle of nowhere, all because he\u2019d wanted so very badly to see a performance of a Shakespearean play\u2026<\/p>\n

The fool doth think he is wise, but the wiseman knows himself to be a fool\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now, doesn\u2019t it just figure a quote from \u201cAs You Like It\u2019 would come to me at a time like this!?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he felt the pace of the water slack off\u2026 he\u2019d been swept into a larger bend in the swollen creek and tossed into a shallower area.\u00a0\u00a0Nearly worn out with attempts to try to slow himself, he gave one last burst of effort and successfully got his arms around a log rigidly jammed between two boulders in the current.<\/p>\n

Panting and choking, coughing up both water and mucus, he sagged against the log, hanging onto branches with everything he had left, trying to regain some strength and wind.<\/p>\n

Finally, after perhaps five minutes, he hauled himself around, shivering with cold and exhaustion, and painstakingly, hand over hand, made his way to the stream bed.\u00a0\u00a0Dragging himself out of the water, he collapsed on the creek bank, dazed and grateful just to be alive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The big man made his way downstairs just as the sun\u2019s first rays began to streak through the dining room window, giving the great room a pink and orange glow.\u00a0\u00a0As Hoss rolled up his shirt sleeves and turned at the bend in the landing he stopped short and sighed.<\/p>\n

Seated in his red leather chair before the fireplace, its embers mostly cold now in the hearth,\u00a0Ben’s\u00a0cheek\u00a0rested\u00a0on his fist,\u00a0his elbow propped\u00a0up on the arm of the chair, quietly snoring.\u00a0\u00a0Just as quietly Hoss continued down the steps, not wishing to wake his father.<\/p>\n

He, too, had heard the crashes of thunder and seen the bright flashes of lightning in the night.\u00a0\u00a0But he hadn\u2019t heard Pa come downstairs.\u00a0\u00a0Pa can be sneakier\u2019n Joe or Adam ever thought o\u2019 bein’,<\/em>\u00a0Hoss thought to himself with a sad smile.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing padded out of the kitchen with place settings for breakfast and nodded at the big man.\u00a0\u00a0Hoss carefully and very gently laid the knitted throw from the settee over his father\u2019s lap, without the older man budging an inch, and followed the Chinese houseman back into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cHim there, all night,\u201d whispered Hop Sing as he poured coffee into the coffeepot, and shaking his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I figured.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe worry ’bout Number One Son, out in rain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned, firming his mouth.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI figured that too.\u00a0\u00a0Dadburn that older brother o\u2019 mine\u2026\u201d he groused, still quietly, not wanting to awaken his father. He reached for a mug and poured himself a cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cMistah Hoss\u2026 it time go find Mistah Adam,\u201d said Hop Sing, his stubborn chin raised.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing, Pa done made it real clear.\u00a0\u00a0Adam\u2019s a big boy, and if he doesn’t wantin\u2019 anybody to follow him, then we ain\u2019t gonna.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow you know him no want?\u00a0\u00a0Could be sick!\u00a0\u00a0Could be .. be\u2026 \u201c and the Chinese man slipped into rapid Cantonese, turning his back on the big man, angrily stirring scrambled eggs.<\/p>\n

Hoss sighed, and taking his coffee into the dining room, saw his father start suddenly, and lift his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’ve bin up all night, ain\u2019t you, Pa.\u201d\u00a0 It wasn’t a question.<\/p>\n

Ben sighed and rubbed his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell you what, when that older brother o\u2019 mine gits back, him and me, we\u2019re gonna have words.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Rarely did Hoss get this irritated, and rarer still with his older brother.<\/p>\n

Ben waved a hand.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHoss, Adam is a seasoned outdoorsman.\u00a0\u00a0He knows what to do when weather is bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss harrumphed and handed his cup of coffee to his father, then walked over to the fire and using a poker stirred the embers.\u00a0\u00a0The great room had a chill after the night\u2019s weather.\u00a0 As the fire caught once more, a cheerful blaze began to warm the hearth area.<\/p>\n

Ben smiled gently at his middle son and sipped his coffee, and his face quickly settled into a worried frown.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHoss\u2026 \u201c<\/p>\n

The big man, looked back at him, inquiringly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHas your brother shared with you anything\u2026 oh, I don\u2019t know, anything that might be bothering him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cPa, I bin trying to think about that ever since he left,\u201d he sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking down at his father, a little helplessly. \u201cNo, sir, he ain\u2019t said nothing to me.\u00a0 Joe, neither.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben sighed. \u201cWell, thankfully, it looks like the weather turned and should hold well the next few days,\u201d he said, trying to get his worries back under control.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m going to go up, shave and change.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ll be down for breakfast in just a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss watched him go, feeling helpless to see his father\u2019s steps drag wearily.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam wrung out his clothes as much as was possible, knowing that remaining in them dripping wet would make him sicker than he already was.\u00a0 The barn coat was just going to have to slowly dry out, no way around it. When he\u2019d finally achieved an upright status after lying down, exhausted, in the sun to rest following his dunk in the river, he was finally able to muster enough energy to try to assess where he was.<\/p>\n

He honestly wasn\u2019t able to pin down how long he might have been swept along by the torrent, but it couldn\u2019t have been as long as it had felt like.\u00a0Based upon the position of the sun in the sky, it was still mid-morning.\u00a0And cold.<\/p>\n

He prayed that by the time the sun was fully overhead, its heat would burn out the chills and shivering he was experiencing. He tried to pinpoint his whereabouts from landmarks around him and was disheartened to realize he had to have been swept along at least three or four miles from where he\u2019d left Sport\u2026\u00a0Good God, my poor horse! This ridiculous situation just keeps getting better and better…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Soaked to the skin, sick.\u00a0\u00a0No horse. No food.\u00a0\u00a0No shelter. No water\u2026 well, unless one counted the dirty water of the churned up creek, though if push came to shove he\u2019d drink it if he had to.\u00a0\u00a0I was willing to make coffee with it, after all\u2026\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>He vigorously rubbed his face, trying to clear the feverish cobwebs that were keeping his thinking from its usual ordered status.<\/p>\n

\u00a0No help for it.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019d better start walking.\u00a0\u00a0But\u2026 which way?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

He\u2019d got badly turned around during his unexpected swim, and his weakened state wasn’t making his perception any better.\u00a0Seeing the direction the water flowed, he could at least see in which direction he\u2019d come and figured the first thing he needed to do was get back to Sport.\u00a0\u00a0But he\u2019d taken no more than ten or fifteen steps, when he was overcome with a bout of coughing.\u00a0\u00a0He sank down to the ground to rest – knowing if he didn’t sit down of his own volition, he’d simply fall down. He was appalled by how weak he felt, and leaned forward, dreadfully dizzy.\u00a0\u00a0He set his forehead on his arms, resting a moment.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ll never make three or four miles.\u00a0\u00a0What on\u00a0earth<\/u><\/em>\u00a0am I going to do?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cY\u2019know, God\u2026 I could use a little help here,\u201d he rasped, not truly realizing he\u2019d spoken aloud.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019d really upset Pa badly if I died out here\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Once his breathing calmed down a little and the wheezing rattle eased up slightly, he could hear it.\u00a0\u00a0Hoofbeats.\u00a0\u00a0Startled he raised his head, and his jaw dropped, his eyes wide.<\/p>\n

There was Sport, ambling toward him.\u00a0 \u00a0How in the hell\u2026 My God, am I dreaming this?\u00a0 Is this a fever hallucination?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0“Don\u2019t look a gift horse in the mouth.”<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Suddenly, a vivid memory flooded his awareness, seeming sharper, his father’s voice clearer and crisper, than usual…<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was one of your mother’s favorite phrases… \u2018Don\u2019t look a gift horse in the mouth,\u2019 she\u2019d say,\u201d his father smiled at him.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0He’d been about fourteen, and they were talking about an unexpected stroke of amazing luck that allowed Ben to purchase a good-sized chunk of a neighboring rancher’s spread when he died unexpectedly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0“Adam, your mother never let anything get her down and always saw the bright side of a situation.\u00a0\u00a0Oh, that\u2019s not to say she couldn’t let her temper rip now and again.\u00a0\u00a0But she understood gratitude, and she had such faith\u2026If you do nothing else to emulate her, son, be like her in that way. And you’ll do fine.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As Sport came up beside his master, nuzzling around his ear, convincing him that he was, indeed, very real, Adam’s eyes watered a little, and he drew in a shaky breath, chuckling a little hysterically.\u00a0\u00a0He shook himself, his fever making him feel as though drunk, his thoughts wild and disconnected.\u00a0\u00a0He didn\u2019t know if it was his mother, or Marie or Inger, or God, or maybe just plain dumb luck that had made his horse follow along the riverbank, but he decided he simply wasn\u2019t up to puzzling it out at the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, all right then,\u201d he rasped, getting shakily to his feet.\u00a0\u00a0It took more effort than he\u2019d expected, but he managed to mount Sport, bareback, and looking around, decided to follow the river.\u00a0\u00a0Surely, there had to be a settlement somewhere nearby along the running water.<\/p>\n

And they set off.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2026hot\u2026 how can I be shivering and yet feel so hot?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

But of course… he knew<\/em><\/strong> why.<\/p>\n

Wearily, he squinted up at the sun, all the while feeling a constant need to try to cough up whatever kept him from being able to breathe easily.<\/p>\n

During the first two or three days of his illness he\u2019d\u00a0had what Doc Martin used to call a \u201cproductive cough.\u201d \u00a0Now, he felt as though concrete had been poured down his gullet.\u00a0\u00a0Expanding his lungs enough to get a chest full of air was well nigh impossible.<\/p>\n

He’d felt this progression before and knew it didn\u2019t bode well.\u00a0\u00a0He was sick\u2026 sicker than he wanted to admit.\u00a0\u00a0His fever was worse.\u00a0\u00a0It was easily feeling like his usual bronchitis. What was it Paul always drummed into him during these bouts\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cPlenty of water, tea, coffee\u2026 anything that will help your body thin out the mucus in your chest, Adam.\u00a0\u00a0Stay away from alcohol, though.\u00a0\u00a0Drink, drink, drink.\u00a0\u00a0And REST!\u00a0\u00a0That doesn\u2019t mean on the back of a horse!\u00a0\u00a0That means in\u00a0bed. Clear?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

As he winced at the ache in his chest and back as he tried, futilely, to loosen the phlegm in his chest, Adam swore he\u2019d obey Paul\u2019s orders to the letter\u2026 provided he could ever again find somewhere to lie down.<\/p>\n

He leaned over a little, gripping Sport\u2019s mane, and hoarsely crooned, \u201cWe gotta find\u00a0– cough! –\u00a0someplace to stop, boy.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Though God alone knows who\u2019d be willing to take me in, the state I’m in.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Dobbs Brackett leaned against the porch upright in front of his office, smoking his cigar and scanning the town around him.\u00a0\u00a0Waverly was a good-sized little town, not too big, not too small.\u00a0\u00a0Not too noisy, but not boring, either.\u00a0\u00a0And Brackett was pleased to have served as its sheriff for the last eleven years.<\/p>\n

Waverly wasn\u2019t really on the way to anywhere, so rarely did he have to deal with major crime.\u00a0\u00a0Some petty thefts, some drunk and disorderlies.\u00a0\u00a0A few young\u2019uns that needed a firm hand, and once or twice a couple of break-ins.\u00a0\u00a0But in general, Sheriff Dobbs Brackett had a quiet time of it.\u00a0\u00a0He didn\u2019t make a load of money, but he was happy just to do his job, protect his citizens, and not have to work so hard that he didn\u2019t have the time to raise his young\u2019uns since their Mama died five years back, only a year after his daughter was born.\u00a0 Eleven-year-old\u00a0Hank and little Melissa were good children, and with his housekeeper, Mrs. Denning, seeing to their needs when he had to work, it was a good life; all he needed, anyhow.<\/p>\n

He smiled at the matrons coming out of the mercantile next door with their shopping, touching the brim of his hat.\u00a0\u00a0He walked along the wooden walkway along the main street of town on his twice-daily patrol, chatting the shopkeepers and the blacksmith, talking with little boys excitedly sharing a peek at their treasures \u2013 everything from a prized new marble to a harmless garter snake (\u201cYou\u2019d best find that fella a new home before you give your poor ma the vapors, Harvey, y\u2019hear?\u201d).<\/p>\n

As he walked along, Brackett contentedly surveyed windows, looked to see where repairs might need to be made that a busy shop owner might not have noticed.\u00a0\u00a0But he stopped dead when his eye caught a wavering, dark blur on the outer edge of town.\u00a0\u00a0He narrowed his eyes.<\/p>\n

It was a man, on a handsome, good-sized sorrel with three white socks.\u00a0\u00a0And the fella looked like hell, even at this distance.\u00a0\u00a0Dobbs glanced around him and noticed most residents were away from the street anyway, so he stepped down from the planking into the middle of the street.\u00a0\u00a0His sharp eyes saw the man was riding bareback\u2026 no saddlebags, no tack on the horse other than a handsome bridle.\u00a0Something ain\u2019t right here\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The man himself was rumpled and dirty. Looked like he\u2019d been dragged backwards through a knothole.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I do somethin\u2019 for you, stranger?\u201d he said, a certain amount of command in his voice, and yet a measure of compassion as well.<\/p>\n

The man, a big fellow, easily six feet tall or a smidge more perhaps, with very dark hair, was probably about five or six years shy of Dobbs\u2019 own age.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019d been riding hunched up into himself, as though he was trying to keep himself from flying apart, and at Brackett\u2019s question, wearily lifted his head. His bleary, reddened eyes took in the man in front of him, and his badge.<\/p>\n

\u201cHope so,\u201d came a voice so raspy that it hurt Brackett just to listen to him.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cNeed\u00a0– cough! –\u00a0help\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Dobbs leapt forward\u00a0in the nick of time to catch all two hundred pounds of the big man\u2019s dead weight as he pitched forward over the sorrel’s withers.\u00a0 The sheriff was dismayed at the amount of heat rolling off him in waves.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHey!\u00a0\u00a0You, there, Dusty!!\u00a0\u00a0Go fetch Doc! NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what do you make of him, Doc?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Jonas Ridgemont washed his hands with soap and water at the basin by the door, where he\u2019d insisted Sheriff Brackett wait while he examined his patient.<\/p>\n

He raised a grizzled salt and pepper eyebrow and peered at the Sheriff over the tops of his spectacles as he dried his hands on a linen towel. \u201cMake of him?\u00a0\u00a0I make of him that he\u2019s sick as hell, Dobbs.\u00a0\u00a0But I think you\u2019d already guessed that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cY\u2019know, Jonas, you\u2019re nowhere near as humorous as you believe yourself t\u2019be,\u201d sighed Brackett, leaning up against the door jamb, and opened his mouth to ask more pointed questions, but the middle-aged doctor chuckled and patted the air between them placatingly, and turned back to eye the figure in the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got a bad case of bronchitis that\u2019s just next door to pneumonia, but we\u2019re going to do everything we can to keep that from happening.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s also dehydrated and exhausted, which is why he\u2019s out like a snuffed candle right now.\u00a0\u00a0Otherwise, he\u2019s young, obviously used to an active, physical life, based upon his weight and muscle tone.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s strong, too.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s in his favor.\u00a0\u00a0But that fever is pretty high.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ve asked Dusty to go fetch some ice from the saloon, see if we can\u2019t cool him down a bit.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The older man placed his hands on his hips and studied the young man in bed, stripped down now to his underclothes and cleaned up a bit, tucked into one of the doc’s spare rooms, warm blankets and fresh, clean sheets around him.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cFrom the condition of his clothes, I think he was caught in the rain that hit a couple days back.\u00a0 That, or he took an unexpected swim in the river.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cContagious?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNah, I don\u2019t think so. C\u2019mon in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brackett picked up and examined the black pants and shirt, the still very damp yellow barn coat.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re right, Doc.\u00a0 Coat\u2019s still damp.\u201d\u00a0 The Sheriff studied the clothing carefully. \u201cThese duds aren\u2019t cheap. Working clothes, to be sure, but good quality.\u00a0 Not somethin\u2019 just any saddle bum would wear.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He glanced at the doctor. \u201cAnd that sorrel he rode in on is a thoroughbred\u2026 the bridle on \u2018im cost a pretty penny, I\u2019ll tell ya.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what we\u2019ve got here is a young man of substance who accidentally landed himself in some trouble\u2026 that, or he had someone help him into it,\u201d the doctor shrugged.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBut for right now I just want to get that fever under control so we can find out who he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not some tramp,\u201d observed the Sheriff, thoughtfully.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 Cart\u2026wright\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Startled, the two men looked at one another, each of them thinking the hoarse speech had come from the other. Then realization dawned and both whirled to the bed.<\/p>\n

The dark man\u2019s eyes were open\u2026 glassy with fever, but aware.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, hello there,\u201d smiled Dr. Ridgemont, coming over to his side and gently picking up his wrist, checking his pulse.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWelcome back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young man licked his lips, his brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026 Where\u2026\u201d\u00a0\u00a0But his question devolved into a coughing fit that forced the doctor to have to help him sit up a bit to try to catch his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy, son, don\u2019t try to talk just yet,\u201d soothed the doctor.\u00a0\u00a0He glanced at the Sheriff. \u201cDobbs, grab me all the pillows off the bed in the next room, will you?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0When the sheriff left the room, he eased the young man to a seated position, supporting his trembling body.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re in pretty rough shape, young man, so you\u2019re going to have to be patient while we get you back on your feet.\u00a0\u00a0Just nod or shake your head.\u00a0 You’ve been sick for\u2026 what, about four or five days?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man, his dark complexion unnaturally flushed from the coughing fit, nodded, trying to wheeze in air.<\/p>\n

The doctor nodded.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou have a good case of bronchitis,\u201d said the doctor quietly, raising an eyebrow when he saw the man nod. \u201cAh\u2026 not your first rodeo, hm?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man shook his head, gritting his teeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cProne to it, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Another nod, and a hand with beautiful, long fingers almost angrily tapped at his chest.\u00a0\u00a0Ridgemont frowned trying to understand, and his face cleared suddenly.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cPneumonia\u2026 You\u2019ve had that before, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Grateful to not have to speak, the man looked up and nodded; he looked so, so tired.\u00a0\u00a0By this time, the sheriff was back with three large pillows and the doctor swiftly had them arranged behind his patient. He gently eased him back and the man relaxed, gratefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, then, we know we need to get a mustard plaster on you as quickly as possible, then,\u201d he mused, and chuckled to see the expression of discouraged distaste on the young man\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake your time, mister, but do you think you can spit out your name without coughing up a lung?\u201d asked Sheriff Dobbs with a droll smile.<\/p>\n

The dark young man\u2019s own mouth turned\u00a0up a little at the corners, and he whispered, \u201cAdam\u2026 Cartwright\u2026 Pon\u2026 dero\u2026sa\u2026.\u201d But fell into another bout of coughing.<\/p>\n

Brackett\u2019s eyes widened in surprise.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cPonderosa\u2026 down in Nevada Territory?\u00a0\u00a0One of those Cartwrights?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man panted and nodded, wincing.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Dobbs, we’ve\u00a0got a name.\u00a0\u00a0We can get more later, but right now what he needs is rest,\u201d insisted Ridgemont, firmly shooing the lawman out the door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe carried two cups of coffee out onto the front porch, pausing a moment to watch his father lean against the porch upright and stare off into the distance\u2026 and in the direction Adam would have traveled in.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, Pa,\u201d he said quietly, not wanting to startle him.\u00a0 \u201cHop Sing thought you might like some coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned, settling his expression from the frown of concern he\u2019d worn to a blander one, seemingly at peace. \u201cWhy, thank you, Joseph, I appreciate that,\u201d he replied, warmly, taking his cup and having a sip of the rich, hot dark drink.<\/p>\n

Joe smiled and nodded, and turned to return to the house, not wanting to disturb his father from his thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Surprised, the boy turned and looked respectfully at his pa. \u201cYes, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other morning\u2026 what you said\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Ben sighed, and sat down at the wooden table, gesturing Joe to the opposite bench.\u00a0 \u201cCan I ask you something?<\/p>\n

\u201c \u2018Course, Pa. Anything.\u201d\u00a0 Joe slid onto the bench opposite.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat made you think of that?\u00a0 That Adam was \u2026 passionate, I think was the word you used, about seeing this actor in San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe frowned a little while he thought. \u201cWell\u2026 I mean\u2026\u201d He shrugged helplessly. \u201cYou know how Adam is.\u00a0 The things that are important to him are the things he won\u2019t talk that much about, mostly \u2018cos he knows \u2026\u201d\u00a0 Joe scratched his head and looked a little shamefaced. \u201cWell, he knows we don\u2019t give a rap about most of \u2018em,\u201d he admitted, blushing.\u00a0 \u201cI guess\u2026 well, I guess he just stopped talkin\u2019 about stuff he loves, either so\u2019s Hoss and me wouldn\u2019t tease him, or \u2018cos he didn\u2019t want to see the bored expressions on our faces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben winced and sipped his coffee.\u00a0 Sadly, he knew exactly what Joe meant.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlder Brother, he\u2019s got so much packed inside that head of his, and most of it is stuff that I\u2019ve never heard of.\u00a0 Or that I can\u2019t see a reason for being interested in myself,\u201d said Joe apologetically, then studied the wooden tabletop. \u201cSayin\u2019 that out loud makes me realize how that\u2019s kinda mean.\u00a0 Just because I<\/em><\/strong> ain\u2019t interested, doesn\u2019t mean he<\/em><\/strong> isn\u2019t.\u00a0 Not \u2026 very fair, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but you\u2019re not alone, Joseph,\u201d replied Ben, gently.\u00a0 \u201cWhen your brother clams up, nothing short of a blasting cap and powder will jar information loose.\u00a0 And, as you say, if he senses that people feel his ideas and interests aren\u2019t worth listening to, then yes\u2026 he clams up.\u00a0 But I\u2019m as guilty of making him feel that way as anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shrugged. \u201cHoss kind of explained it to me,\u201d he mused, sipping his coffee.\u00a0 \u201cIt isn\u2019t that we\u2019re stupid, or anything.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that our minds work different than Adam\u2019s does.\u00a0 Hoss says that Adam can\u2019t look at anything without trying to figure out how it works\u2026 how something happened\u2026or how to keep something happening, if that makes any sense?\u00a0 Hoss and me\u2026\u201d he shrugged a little helplessly. \u201cOur brains just don\u2019t work like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cNor mine, Joseph.\u00a0 Nor mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe sighed. \u201cSo, it isn\u2019t surprising he gets lonesome sometimes\u2026. When nobody else\u2019s brain works the way yours does, it\u2019s gotta be. \u00a0\u00a0And when something happens that does<\/em><\/strong> make that crazy brain of his kick into action\u2026 well, he just can\u2019t turn it off.\u201d\u00a0 Joe shifted excitedly, thinking of something. \u201cYou remember when he first got back from college, and he kept trying to explain to you why it was so important to spend the money for the parts for that pump he designed?\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t that you didn\u2019t believe him, just that there was too much goin\u2019 on for you to really see it the way he did, right?\u00a0 You were so busy and just couldn\u2019t take the time just then to imagine it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben blushed a little himself, then.\u00a0 The man remembered the hot argument he and his oldest son had got into.\u00a0 He recalled Adam stalking off after he had said something that shut down the conversation absolutely, too tired and concerned about a major contract for horses for the Army to spare one iota of energy thinking about one of his oldest son\u2019s \u201cdaydreams.” He vividly remembered his anger as the boy – no! the young man!\u00a0 – had slammed the front door in a way that a few years earlier would have earned him an unpleasant session with Ben\u2019s belt.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo ol\u2019 Adam, he just went ahead and built the darned thing.\u00a0 Once you were able to see it in action, you understood.\u00a0 Everythin\u2019 Adam said about how it would save a lot of work and ultimately a lot of money, made sense to ya.\u00a0 But he just couldn\u2019t let it go until you did.\u201d\u00a0 Joe spread his hands in a grin that was both exasperated and proud.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s Adam.\u00a0 Mind like a steel bear-trap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pursed his lips, thinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does make him prickly to be around sometimes, though\u2026\u201d Joe sighed.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe he needs to learn a little about enjoying life from you,\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if I thought he\u2019d pay me the least mind, I\u2019d be glad to give him the benefit of my experience!\u201d Joe grinned.<\/p>\n

Ben laughed and leaned over, gripping his youngest son\u2019s forearm. \u201cI wish he would, Joe.\u00a0 I wish he would.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long after Joseph had returned inside, leaving Ben to watch the sun set and the stars begin to sparkle overhead, Ben thought about that conversation\u2026 and wondered.\u00a0 Was this crazy trip of his just Adam needing, once again, to show<\/em><\/strong> him something so clearly that there was no way he\u2019d misunderstand?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dr. Ridgemont frowned while his ear rested against one end of a rolled-up piece of parchment, the other end against Adam\u2019s chest.\u00a0\u00a0He moved the end of the paper to various positions on the man\u2019s chest and finally leaned back, tapping his chin.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhen you fell into the river, can I safely assume you swallowed a good amount of water?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cartwright nodded, wincing and shifting restlessly in bed.\u00a0\u00a0He ached badly all over; if at all possible, he felt sicker now than he had when he\u2019d first been brought in.<\/p>\n

Ridgemont sighed. \u201cYes\u2026 I can hear it.\u00a0\u00a0Here, sip some of this,\u201d he directed, easing Adam up with one strong arm and directing a small glass of water to his mouth with the other.<\/p>\n

Annoyed at having to be helped, but realizing he had no other choice, Adam did as he was bid and had one or two swallows.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeel\u2026 weak\u2026 as water\u2026\u201d he grumbled, irritated, panting as he tried to get his breath.\u00a0 He brought a hand up to rub at his aching temples, irritably pushing aside the excess fabric of a sleeve that flopped into his face. Yesterday, the doctor had been able to unearth a few nightshirts he kept on hand to try to find one his size, but being such a big man only one came even close to fitting him.\u00a0 And that one would have been even a little roomy on Hoss, Adam decided as he’d shakily buttoned the top of an over-large number that swam on him. Seeing how it barely reached his knees, Adam concluded the previous owner must have been about 5’5″… in every direction.<\/p>\n

The doctor smiled sadly. \u201cI know it\u2019s frustrating, but your body is working hard trying to kill that infection in your lungs.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s where all your energy is going.\u00a0\u00a0On top of the fact that you pushed yourself for several days before arriving here in town, didn\u2019t get enough water or other liquids down your gullet, and didn\u2019t rest\u2026 end result?\u00a0\u00a0Weak as water.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The doctor set his rolled-up parchment to the side and hesitated just slightly, eyeing the young man.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cSon…wouldn\u2019t you like me to contact your family in\u2026 Virginia City area, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head. \u201cI don\u2019t\u2026 want \u2013 cough! –<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0to worry \u2026 them,\u201d he wheezed.<\/p>\n

Ridgemont studied him, shook his head and sighed.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cGood Lord, but you\u2019re a stubborn cuss!\u201d he declared, raising an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

Adam snorted slightly with laughter, and closed his eyes wearily, leaning back against the mound of pillows, both shivering with chills and uncomfortably hot.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cSo\u2026 I\u2019ve been\u2026 told\u2026\u201d He frowned; he very much wished he knew what went into some of the teas that Hop Sing always concocted for him when he had a bad chest cold, so that he could tell Dr. Ridgemont\u2026 that was assuming the good doctor would even listen.\u00a0\u00a0God knows if they even have any Oriental physicians around here\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, perhaps I\u2019ll give it another couple of days, but if you\u2019re not any better soon, I\u2019m going to overrule you.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The old man pulled out his pocket watch and nodded, then turned to the bedside table, picking up the dark brown bottle and spoon resting there on a napkin.\u00a0 \u201cHere.\u00a0 Time for another dose of cough medicine, then in 40 minutes or so, I\u2019ll bring in another mustard plaster.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ll keep giving them a try.\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps by tomorrow you\u2019ll get some cumulative relief.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0After dosing his patient, who grimaced at the bitter taste of the elixir, he rose to his feet and drew the bedclothes up to the young man’s chin. \u201cIn the meantime, I want you to close your eyes and try to nap.\u00a0\u00a0Stay covered, you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stifled another round of coughing and nodded, closing his eyes.\u00a0\u00a0Ridgemont paused at the door, studying his patient, biting his lip as he thought and shook his head, frustrated.\u00a0\u00a0He didn\u2019t like the way this illness was progressing, not one bit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After a couple of days of treating the young man, Dr. Jonas Ridgemont had been able to glean a little more information from him.\u00a0 Including the rather benighted reason for why he was out on the road alone, as well as the fact – rather shamefacedly admitted – that the young fella knew he was under the weather and made the decision to continue on anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, in VERY few words,\u201d the doctor eyed the young man meaningfully but with a smile, \u201ccan you tell me what on earth possessed you to embark on a trip like this when you knew you were feeling ill? Keep taking sips of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed, trying with a very shaking hand to put aside the cup of broth he\u2019d been sipping.\u00a0\u00a0\u201c\u2026not\u2026hungry\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh ah ah, no sir,\u201d the doctor shook his head firmly, tapping the young man\u2019s hand and gesturing to him to take another sip, \u201cI want that finished.\u00a0\u00a0You need nourishment, young man, or your body simply won\u2019t have any fuel to fight with.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the man continued to balk, the doctor chuckled.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cSon, in your condition there are two ways to introduce liquids and nutrients into the human body.\u201d He tapped the cup again. \u201cTrust me when I tell you that\u00a0this\u00a0<\/em>way\u00a0– <\/em>orally –\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>is easier on you.\u00a0 The other you’ll find much less comfortable, besides being a lot messier for both of us.\u00a0 However, one is just as effective as the other, so I’m content with using either method. Your choice.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He raised an eyebrow meaningfully.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes widened in alarm.\u00a0\u00a0Grimly, he glanced down at the cup, then narrowed his eyes at the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you think I won\u2019t do whatever I have to do in order to keep you alive\u2026 well, you just don\u2019t know me very well yet,\u201d the doctor told him very seriously.<\/p>\n

Adam grunted and forced himself to take another sip.\u00a0I wonder if it\u2019s a class they have to take in medical school\u2026 Introduction to Patient Browbeating or something like that\u2026 Paul\u2019s good at it, too\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The doctor nodded, a smile tucked into the corner of his mouth.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWise choice, youngster.\u00a0\u00a0So, then\u2026 why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Embarrassed, Adam swallowed.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cA play,\u201d he admitted, his voice raspy and raw.<\/p>\n

Ridgemont\u2019s eyes widened.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cA\u2026 a\u00a0play?!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNot just\u00a0\u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>any<\/em>\u00a0play,\u201d Adam tried to make him understand.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cEdwin\u2026 Booth\u2026 as Hamlet\u2026 San \u2026 Francisco\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ridgemont studied him, then tapped his hand again.<\/p>\n

Rolling his eyes, Adam took another sip.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear a touch of East Coast in your speech,\u201d said the doctor quietly.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou were educated in the East?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cCollege?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded again and sipped once more at the doctor\u2019s gesture.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 Harvard\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Jonas Ridgemont blinked in surprise.\u00a0\u00a0Well, that explains a lot\u2026<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou studied the Classics?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled slightly, remembering. \u201cI studied them\u2026 but my course \u2026 was\u2026 engi \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em>\u00a0 <\/strong>engineering\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ridgemont studied the enigmatic young man in front of him with interest.\u00a0 For the next twenty minutes or so, he slowly, gently talked with the young fellow as he examined him, gave him another dose of cough elixir, coaxed him to drink and skillfully extracted from him details about his life in Nevada, about his family.\u00a0 What the doctor was able to glean was a combination of pride in his family and their accomplishments, self-deprecation when it came to his own achievements, and a softly veiled sense of cultural deprivation.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take a great mind to make the intellectual leap. The doctor could easily understand how hearing the news that the great Edwin Booth was doing a limited tour in a production of Hamlet could have pushed all normal common sense out of \u00a0this young man, and the vacuum left\u00a0 behind making him give in to his desire to experience that performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou felt\u2026 if you didn\u2019t see him now, you might never get to do so,\u201d said the doctor with gentle understanding.<\/p>\n

Eyes closed and worn out, Adam nodded and sighed.\u00a0 “If it’s any \u2013 cough! \u2013 <\/em><\/strong>consolation, I realized I had to \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> turn around and head back home \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> before I fell in the river…”<\/p>\n

Ridgemont took the cup, empty now, from the young man\u2019s hot hand and placed it on the bedside table.\u00a0\u00a0The doctor\u2019s fingers skillfully found his pulse and was satisfied with the rate he felt.\u00a0\u00a0He slipped the young man\u2019s hand back under the covers, tucking them firmly around him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get some sleep,\u201d he said softly, seeing that Adam had nearly nodded off already, his stomach warm and full.<\/p>\n

The doctor paused at the door and turned back, thoughtful.\u00a0\u00a0A most intriguing personality\u2026 loving culture the way he does, what brought him back here after Boston, I wonder?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By midnight, the young man\u2019s fever had suddenly spiked dangerously and Dr. Ridgemont had roused his hired man, sending him over to the Sheriff\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

No more than ten minutes later, the young Sheriff arrived rubbing his face vigorously to try to wake up.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhat\u2019s up, Jonas?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s much worse, Dobbs,\u201d the doctor sighed, rubbing his own eyes.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI was able to bring the fever down a little by constantly wiping him down with ice water, but\u2026 \u201c\u00a0He looked sadly at the other man. \u201cEven though he didn’t want me to, I think we need to contact his family.\u00a0\u00a0What do you think\u2026 what\u2019ll be the best way to reach them?\u00a0\u00a0Just a general inquiry to Virginia City?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brackett had been studying the restless, fever-wracked figure in the bed, then shook his head and looked over at the doctor.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ll send a wire to the Sheriff in Virginia City and ask that word be sent to the Cartwrights. That\u2019s the biggest spread in the territory.\u00a0\u00a0Chances are that name\u2019ll carry some weight, and goin’ through the law might speed the process up a little bit.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He looked back again, sorrowfully, at the handsome young man fighting so hard to breathe.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe isn\u2019t gonna make it, is he, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ridgemont hesitated, then grew fiercely determined.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re going to give him every chance we can.\u00a0\u00a0I think having someone near him who cares even more about him than we do might help give him the extra fight he needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sheriff nodded abruptly and turned to go.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ll go roust Clarence out of bed and get that wire sent right away, Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ridgemont slowly walked back over to the bed and placed a gentle hand on the young man\u2019s hot cheek, then pressed lightly on his chest, feeling his heart pounding, working so hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, Adam,\u201d he whispered.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou can do this.\u00a0\u00a0You keep on fighting.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019re gonna get someone here that loves you, you hear me? You just hang on.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the doctor received no answer beyond labored, wheezing breaths.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss lugged the 50-lb sack of flour over to the wagon and tossed it in as though it weighed no more than Hop Sing’s settee cushions.\u00a0\u00a0He whistled as he dusted off his hands and headed back to the other two sacks waiting for him, stopping briefly to tip his hat politely as a middle-aged lady exiting the general store with her arms full.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need any help with that, Miz Harrison?\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman smiled at him. \u201cOh, no, Hoss, these aren\u2019t heavy but thank you so much for asking!\u00a0\u00a0Give your pa my best, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI shore will, ma\u2019am,\u201d he smiled, nodding at her, and continuing on to his own supplies.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Hoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man looked in surprise at the sound of Roy Coffee\u2019s voice and smiled broadly. \u201cWell, howdy, Roy.\u00a0\u00a0How ya doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u00a0I\u2019m<\/em>\u00a0doin\u2019 just fine, but it \u2018pears you got a brother who ain\u2019t,\u201d the older man said, his face very serious, a telegram in his hands that he tapped. \u201cI was just about to head out to the Ponderosa to see yer pa when I saw ya here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 face grew grave.\u00a0\u00a0Adam, has to be\u2026<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>\u201cWhat’re ya talkin’ about, Roy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sir, I got me a\u00a0telegram from the Sheriff in Waverly, California that Adam\u2019s there, sick with\u2026\u201d the sheriff frowned and consulted the telegram again, \u201clung fever, he says. Been there the last couple\u2019a days.\u00a0\u00a0You know anythin\u2019 about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned. \u201cYeah\u2026 Adam headed out overland for San Francisco about a week ago, a vacation, sort of,\u201d he replied, taking the telegram and reading it for himself.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWaverly\u2026 never heard of it.\u00a0\u00a0You got any idee where that is?\u201d<\/p>\n

Coffee shrugged. \u201cMe, neither, but we could check it out on a map in my office.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know this\u2026 Brackett feller?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope, never heard of the town or o\u2019 him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHang on just a sec,\u201d nodded Hoss, poking his head in the door of the store and asking Bill Jenkins to have one of his boys finish loading up the supplies and to bring the wagon down to the Sheriff\u2019s office, that one of his brothers appeared to be in some kind of difficulty.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d said Hoss, firmly, gesturing to the lawman, a no-nonsense tone to his voice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou boys make sure that hay gets in before the rains hit again, all right?\u201d ordered Ben, firmly, as he watched his valise and another with things for Adam get hoisted onto the stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, yer sure you don\u2019t want one of us goin\u2019 with you?\u201d asked Hoss, uneasily.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, if Adam is that seriously ill, it isn\u2019t going to help any of us to have you or your younger brother cooling your heels in this town he’s at, watching him sleep,\u201d said Ben seriously, patting his arm.\u00a0\u00a0But he understood Hoss\u2019 ambivalence.\u00a0\u00a0He smiled at him. \u201cBesides, you know Adam.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019ll have seven fits just knowing I\u2019m there, all the while insisting he\u2019s \u2018fine\u2019,\u201d Ben chuckled, trying hard to ease the big man\u2019s fears.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess so, Pa,\u201d his middle boy sighed.<\/p>\n

Joe nodded and offered a hand to his father. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about anything, Pa,\u201d he said solemnly, his green eyes mirroring his older brother\u2019s worry but trying manfully to disguise it. \u201cHoss and me\u2019ll make sure everything is taken care of.\u00a0\u00a0You just\u2026 you just make that big brother of ours do whatever he\u2019s told to so’s he can get well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took the hand and then pulled his youngest boy into a quick embrace.\u00a0\u00a0That worry he\u2019d seen the boy try so hard to hide manifested now as Joe \u2013 usually loath to have these kinds of scenes in public \u2013 hugged him back tightly, if very briefly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise, I\u2019ll wire Adam\u2019s condition as soon as I know anything, boys,\u201d Ben promised as he took his seat, and the stage driver closed the door, climbing up top and gathering the reins.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be waitin’, Pa,\u201d Hoss nodded, his blue eyes boring into his father\u2019s dark ones.<\/p>\n

Joe nervously glanced up at Hoss as the stage departed in clouds of dust.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam\u2019ll be all right, Hoss\u2026 won\u2019t he?\u201d he asked in a small voice.<\/p>\n

Hoss started to try to reassure him but looked at the boy and sighed, making his little brother swallow hard. \u201cI don\u2019t know, Short Shanks.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ll just have to pray that he will.\u00a0\u00a0Best thing we can do right now for ol\u2019 Adam – and<\/em> <\/strong>Pa! – is ta get the jobs done that need doin\u2019 and do ’em in a way they’d be proud of. Hey?\u201d He very gently punched the boy in the upper arm, making at least a small smile surface on Joe\u2019s face.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cC\u2019mon, we\u2019d best head back and get started.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sheriff Brackett shuffled through the broadsheets that had been delivered through the mail this morning and selected a few that would be worthwhile posting up on his soft-wood tack board.\u00a0 Just as he was using a small tack hammer to hang the last sheet, his door opened behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

Brackett turned with a grin toward the infectiously cheerful boyish voice. \u201cHank!\u201d he smiled at his son. \u201cYou done somethin\u2019 naughty enough that Mr. Bridges decided you needed to be in a cell?\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Course not,\u201d scoffed the boy, swinging his schoolbooks tethered firmly in a buckled strap over his shoulder. \u201cTeacher just let us out early today.\u00a0 He\u2019s gotta go to someplace.\u00a0 Said there\u2019s some kinda family gatherin\u2019 or somethin\u2019.\u00a0 So, we got extra homework,\u201d the boy sighed.<\/p>\n

Brackett chuckled at Hank\u2019s expression regarding the homework.\u00a0 He noticed an envelope in the boy\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cYour teacher send you home with a note?\u201d he asked, frowning as he set his tack hammer down.<\/p>\n

The boy looked blank for a moment, then awareness hit and, startled, he blushed.\u00a0 \u201cGosh, I forgot.\u00a0 This here\u2019s a telegram.\u00a0 Mr. Bennett, he said it come in just a few minutes ago and asked me to run it over to you,\u201d said the boy, abashed. \u201cSorry, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brackett gave his son a stern look, shook his head and took the proffered envelope.\u00a0 Sure enough, it was a response from an Erik Cartwright in Virginia City, saying that his father (so this Erik was Adam\u2019s brother, then) was already on the stage on his way to Waverly.\u00a0 Should be there within three days if the weather held and the roads were good.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext time, lead with this, all right, son?\u201d suggested Brackett wryly, lifting the envelope.\u00a0 \u201cYour feelin\u2019s about extra homework can wait.\u201d He softened the reprimand with a grin and tousle of his son\u2019s light brown hair.\u00a0 Lord, Ellen\u2026 it\u2019s just like looking at you.\u00a0 Miss you, Girl\u2026 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d agreed Hank, smiling back.\u00a0 \u201cBad news?\u201d<\/p>\n

“Nope,” smiled his father, folding up the telegram and returning it to the envelope.\u00a0 “Just a message for the Doc and that feller who came into town a few days back.”<\/p>\n

The boy brightened.\u00a0 This dark and mysterious man who’d arrived sick was an ‘excitement’… something different to break up the boredom of normalcy that was the usual rhythm and routine that was life in Waverly.\u00a0 \u00a0“You gonna bring it over to Doc Ridgemont\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup,\u201d nodded his father.\u00a0 \u201cThen we can head home for some lunch. Sound good to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure does, Pa!\u201d agreed Hank, enthusiastically.\u00a0 Having Pa home for lunch would be a real treat!<\/p>\n

Together, the two headed out, Brackett locking the door after hanging out the sign \u201cAt home, catch me there,\u201d then walked together to the doctor\u2019s big, two-story clapboard house.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s three for three,\u201d sighed Ridgemont, tipping his over his king, signaling defeat.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI liked you better when you were comatose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled, leaning back against his pillows to rest.\u00a0\u00a0He still found himself growing dizzy when he moved too quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill some lightheadedness?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The doctor came over and gently used his rolled parchment to listen to Adam\u2019s lungs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The word erupted in a wet, wracking cough.\u00a0\u00a0The doctor left him alone and merely observed as Adam hacked, growing breathless and red in the face, then finally spat up a nasty glob of phlegm into the basin Ridgemont stuck under his nose. \u201cGood job!\u201d praised the doctor, causing Adam to roll his eyes at him as he panted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOdd reason \u2026 for accolades,\u201d he sighed, exhausted.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot odd for someone who just managed to kick pneumonia by the skin of his teeth,\u201d observed Ridgemont sternly as Adam got his breath back and gave the room time to stop spinning around.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s enough trouncing for a bit,\u201d he chuckled picking up the chessboard and moving it to the dresser.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI want you to nap for an hour or so before we do another steam treatment.\u00a0\u00a0It seems to be helping quite a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems like \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> all I do is sleep,\u201d complained Adam as the doctor drew the curtains to darken the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense,\u201d observed Dr. Ridgemont with a grin. \u201cOver the last two days you\u2019ve kicked my tail at chess regularly, we\u2019ve discussed Shakespeare\u2019s depiction of Richard III until you were blue in the lips – \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHa.\u00a0\u00a0Ha.\u00a0\u00a0Ha.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, true, you were blue in the lips from the pneumonia,\u201d chuckled the doctor. \u201cAh, well, details, details.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ve debated the merits of Dante vs. Chaucer.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ve argued the finer points surrounding projective geometry\u2019s premise of duality.\u00a0\u00a0And, just today at lunchtime, you\u2019ve finally managed to chew your way through half of a small steak.\u00a0\u00a0What possible reason could you have to be bored?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam snorted but smiled.<\/p>\n

It had been a long, miserable day after the longer, miserable night when his fever spiked into dangerously high territory, causing the doctor and Sheriff Brackett to send out the alarm to Roy Coffee to alert Pa to his illness.\u00a0\u00a0The following day, Brackett heard back and exchanged some wires with Adam\u2019s younger brother, who informed them their father, Ben Cartwright, was already on a stage headed for Waverly.<\/p>\n

Adam spent that first day mostly drifting in and out of awareness, coughing, being dosed with ipecac and vomiting; it was a day he’d been mightily happy to see the back of.\u00a0\u00a0His chest muscles had been sore, his stomach muscles had been sore, his throat had been sore. But he was<\/em> slowly, if surely, finding it easier to breathe.<\/p>\n

Now, a few days later, he was feeling much better, though still weaker than he wanted to be.\u00a0\u00a0But what gave him pause more than anything else was the knowledge that Ben Cartwright was due anytime that afternoon.\u00a0 That definitely had him feeling queasy.<\/p>\n

Ridgemont smiled and patted his shoulder.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAdam\u2026 trust me,\u201d he said gently.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe’s your father. He\u2019ll understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know he\u2019ll understand,\u201d Adam sighed, clearing his throat in annoyance.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019ll just first treat me \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> to a lecture that will make me wish I was \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 still having febrile seizures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo less than you deserve,\u201d observed the doctor firmly.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cNow, lay back, close your eyes and take a nap.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He stopped at the door and smiled at his young patient.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cDoctor\u2019s orders,\u201d he finished in mock severity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The stagecoach door swung open allowing a tall, very tired-looking silver haired man in a rather limp white shirt, buff vest and string tie to emerge, then turn to assist two ladies down from the coach.\u00a0\u00a0He touched his hat brim to them, distractedly, and looked around.<\/p>\n

Sheriff Brackett studied him and noted the deep tan on his face and hands.\u00a0\u00a0Someone used to working outdoors, then.\u00a0\u00a0Since Dobbs knew everyone else who\u2019d lighted from the coach, he pushed away from the porch upright and walked to the man, who was taking the two valises being handed down to him<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man spun, his face suddenly a bit paler.\u00a0\u00a0And Dobbs realized why.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019d been traveling for four days without having any idea of his son\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s much better, sir,\u201d reassured the Sheriff, quickly and kindly.\u00a0\u00a0He watched the older man sag slightly, then firm his mouth and get control of himself once more.\u00a0\u00a0Brackett leaned over and picked up one of the valises.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s over at Doc Ridgemont\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0C\u2019mon, sir, I\u2019ll take you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d the man said, his voice a deep, rich bass that seemed to emanate from his toes.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWe didn\u2019t \u2026 I mean, I had no way\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sheriff smiled at him and nodded. \u201cYessir.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s why I made it my point t\u2019greet you, sir.\u00a0\u00a0Your boy\u2019s doin\u2019 real well.\u00a0\u00a0Doc feels he\u2019s out of danger.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man smiled in relief, then grew stern. \u201cWell, at least until I get my hands on him,\u201d he noted grimly, making the Sheriff chuckle. Guess a Pa’s always gonna be a Pa, no matter how old your young’un gets…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I have to admit even the doc was a might squiggle-eyed at yer boy\u2019s choices,\u201d he agreed.\u00a0\u00a0Brackett gestured up the steps of the Doc\u2019s house with a grin.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo, once we got the infection loosened a bit and made that cough more productive, he started to respond right away to treatment, sir,\u201d Ridgemont was telling him as he offered the tired man a cup of fresh coffee.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI would have taken you in to see him first thing, but he\u2019s asleep right at the moment and I figured you\u2019d want to know his condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Dr. Ridgemont, truly,\u201d sighed Ben, relaxing finally, taking a sip of his coffee and leaning back, crossing his legs finally in a chair large enough to fit his big frame.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe fever?\u00a0\u00a0Still going?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but it\u2019s low grade now.\u00a0\u00a0More of a nuisance than anything else.\u00a0\u00a0We keep pouring liquids down his throat and have him on a regular regimen of steam with peppermint oil to loosen up the mucus, as well as lathering him with mustard plasters, and making him swallow down juice of onion\u2026 seems to do well to reduce the inflammation and mucus build-up in his lungs.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s responding very well.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The doctor smiled at the tired and worried man across from him.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cReally, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s doing extremely well, I promise you, considering how ill he was four days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben rubbed his eyes, wearily.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI just wish\u2026 he\u2019s always tended toward issues with his lungs\u2026 ever since he had \u00a0pneumonia as a little shaver, just three years old.\u00a0 It\u2019s\u00a0really the only thing that ever seems to knock him down hard enough to put him in bed.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s usually healthy as a horse,\u201d Ben sighed.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe knows better\u2026 he\u00a0knows<\/em>\u00a0better!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben angrily slapped the arm of the overstuffed chair he sat in.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe could have\u00a0died<\/em>\u00a0out there, if he hadn\u2019t had the devil\u2019s own luck and got here in time for you to treat him!\u201d The man placed a hand over his eyes, massaging his forehead.<\/p>\n

The doctor silently allowed the overwrought father to vent his anxiety, knowing it had been a long and stressful four days cooped up in the stagecoach and at way stations overnight.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows that, too,\u201d said the Doctor quietly, \u201cnow.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He leaned forward. \u201cHe knows he\u2019s disappointed you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s head came up sharply.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cDisappointed\u00a0<\/em>me?! He hasn\u2019t disappointed me, he\u00a0scared<\/em>\u00a0me!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Ben looked searchingly at the doctor.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhy\u2026 why on earth would he think I was disappointed in him?\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor leaned back and crossed his legs.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWell, I might be wrong, but I got the feeling he sees himself as having a job to fulfill\u2026 that of being the \u2018dutiful son\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0And with this little \u2026 aberration\u2026 \u201d chuckled Ridgemont, \u201chis halo\u2019s slipped a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s just\u2026\u201d But then Ben stopped and gazed seriously at the doctor. \u201cDid he say that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he didn\u2019t have to.\u201d The doctor shook his head and sipped his coffee, thinking over his next words carefully.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMr. Cartwright, a good doctor needs to do an assessment not just of a patient\u2019s physical condition, but his state of mind as well.\u201d\u00a0 He looked to the man in front him to see if he understood his meaning.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s mouth firmed, and he nodded, shortly.\u00a0 He\u2019d heard Paul Martin say much the same thing over the years.<\/p>\n

Dr. Ridgemont set his coffee cup down and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, looking at the tired father directly.\u00a0 \u201cThis is a bright young fella who graduated from Harvard College\u2026 a good degree in engineering, apparently.\u00a0\u00a0A mathematics scholar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you\u2026 \u201c Bewildered, Ben tried to follow.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s been so sick\u2026 how can you know all this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause in between sharing with me his pride in the ranch you all have built, and the kindness of one younger brother and the love of life of the littlest one, as well as his respect for you, all he can talk about are the\u00a0arts\u2026\u00a0\u00a0the plays of Shakespeare\u2026 the poetry of Dante and Chaucer.\u00a0\u00a0The writings of Samuel Johnson, John Rawls and\u00a0Thomas Paine. The mathematical conundrum of duality.\u201d\u00a0 The doctor spread his hands helplessly.\u00a0 “I graduated from Yale, Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 But all I ever wanted to do was practice medicine.\u00a0 It didn’t matter to me where I was, as long as I could help people.\u00a0 Your son has a sharp mind, a mind that was thoroughly educated in Boston, a town overflowing with culture. This boy\u2026 thinks<\/em><\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

Ben stared at the doctor, his heart beginning to sink.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it made me wonder\u2026 does he get those joys and ideas fed enough now?\u00a0\u00a0Could\u00a0that<\/em>\u00a0be why he was desperate\u2026 desperate to the point of risking his fool head and his health\u2026 in order to see the greatest dramatic actor of our age perform?\u201d said the doctor gently.<\/p>\n

Ben Cartwright looked pale and startled at first.\u00a0 And then troubled.<\/p>\n

The doctor rose to his feet and gestured toward the door. As the big man came abreast him, he gently touched the man\u2019s arm. \u00a0\u201cMr. Cartwright\u2026 go easy on him.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s had a rough time.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben stepped into the room quietly behind the doctor, who quickly made note of Adam\u2019s breathing, touched a hand to his cheek very lightly, and nodded, winking, back at him.\u00a0 \u201cFever\u2019s much lower. He should be waking soon,\u201d Dr. Ridgemont whispered.\u00a0 He gestured to the overstuffed chair by the bed and left the room.<\/p>\n

Ben crossed to the chair and sank into it, swallowing hard as he studied the gaunt, too-thin face, the eyes so darkly circled they almost looked bruised.\u00a0 How, in one short week, could he go from vibrantly healthy, to this?!\u00a0 Oh, Adam\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Very quietly, he drew the chair up closer and glanced down at the hand that had slipped free from the bedclothes, half-on and half-off the bed.\u00a0 Smiling sadly to himself, Ben tenderly studied it: the graceful, long fingers that could pick notes out on a guitar or draft complex architectural designs as capably they could wield an axe or farrier\u2019s tools.\u00a0 Doing his best not to allow the emotion to overwhelm him, Ben drew in a shaky breath and gently clasped that hand.<\/p>\n

Not too hot, thank God.\u00a0 Oh, son, if I\u2019ve\u2026 I\u2019ve let you down, I\u2019m so sorry\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Still clasping his son\u2019s hand, Ben used his other hand to rub at his temples, trying to think back over the last few years.\u00a0 Adam had been home from college for six years, now.\u00a0 The first flush of excitement of all he\u2019d learned during his four years in Boston had faded, Ben realized now.\u00a0 Oh, to be sure, the applied mechanics and engineering he\u2019d learned had been of tremendous help as they continued to build the Ponderosa, but Ben realized that the boy had to be\u2026 lonely, to a certain degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, it isn\u2019t surprising he gets lonesome sometimes\u2026. When nobody else\u2019s brain works the way yours does, it\u2019s gotta be.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Joe\u2019s words came back to Ben, and he sighed.<\/p>\n

Oh, it was true that Adam had friends.\u00a0 Good ones, in fact.\u00a0 But there were few with whom he could truly converse about those things the doctor mentioned.<\/p>\n

Literature, for example.\u00a0 While Ben enjoyed reading, he leaned heavily on the Bible, or histories.\u00a0 Hoss wasn\u2019t a big reader at all, unless the subject matter was the natural world, and Joe still preferred dime novels.\u00a0 Ben couldn\u2019t remember the last time he had read Milton beyond the passage of Paradise Lost that held the most common memory for himself and Liz.<\/p>\n

And what was that other thing Ridgemont had mentioned \u2026 \u2018the conundrum of duality\u2019?\u00a0\u00a0What in all perdition was\u00a0that\u00a0when it was at home?!<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Ben sighed.\u00a0 Just because he’d been so busy or tired creating his own empire – or because\u00a0he didn’t understand the advanced mathematics, he humbly admitted to himself – he’d done the equivalent of patting the boy on the head, as though he’d brought home a prize at school instead of acknowledging the man his son had become.\u00a0 The educated, capable\u00a0man\u00a0<\/em>in his own right.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s nose twitched slightly, and he frowned\u2026 leather.. bay rum\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Pa?<\/em><\/p>\n

His weary eyes fluttered open, and his heart caught painfully in his chest, though that pang had nothing to do with his illness.\u00a0 The young man was riddled with remorse to see how pale and worn his father looked.\u00a0 Truly, his father looked years older than he had just a week ago.\u00a0 How much of that is due to my stupid lack of judgement? Oh, Pa\u2026 I\u2019m so, so sorry\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam remained still not wanting to disturb his father, but his damned chest had other notions, and he found himself coughing despite his best efforts.<\/p>\n

Startled, Ben\u2019s eyes flew open, and he stared down at his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, well\u2026 awake, are we?\u201d he smiled, tenderly.<\/p>\n

Flushed from coughing, Adam leaned back again on his pillows, his breathing slowly coming back under control.<\/p>\n

\u201cI seem\u2026 to sleep\u2026 more than\u2026 anything\u2026 else\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben winced slightly to hear the struggle for normal breath.\u00a0 He shook his head and sighed, releasing the warm hand and sitting up straighter. Oh, Adam, what\u2019ve you done to yourself this time?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 He reached out and smoothed a wayward black wave off the young man\u2019s forehead and lingered there a moment.\u00a0 He smiled. \u201cYour fever\u2019s nearly gone, the doctor says.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded, sighing.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m …much better,\u201d he murmured looking down.\u00a0 \u201cSorry\u2026 for worrying you.\u201d He peered up through thick black lashes, making Ben\u2019s heart ache at the familiarity of the expression. God, Liz, but he\u2019s just like you!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben raised an eyebrow, thinking of what the Ridgemont had said.\u00a0 \u201cAdam\u2026 while I\u2019m upset with you for having put yourself at risk\u2026\u201d He tipped his head to one side and raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

Adam swallowed hard, and sighed, nodding.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 I\u2019m more upset with myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Startled, Adam\u2019s head came up, his eyes wide.\u00a0 \u201cWhat for?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned forward, looking directly into his son\u2019s hazel eyes. \u201cFor you feeling you couldn\u2019t talk to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled. \u201cI know I could\u2019ve talked to you.\u00a0 And I \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> I know exactly what you\u2019d \u2026 have said.\u201d\u00a0 He cleared his throat, irritably, shaking his head in frustration.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you\u2019d \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> have \u2026 been right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at him. \u201cThat wouldn\u2019t have changed the way you felt, though, would it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaned back and closed his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cMoot point.\u00a0 The performance \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> was last night,\u201d he shrugged, despondent.\u00a0 \u201cAll \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> for nothing. I promise, Pa\u2026 I won\u2019t\u2026 let my \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> feelings\u2026 overtake me\u2026 like that\u2026 again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned back, a severe look on his face.\u00a0 \u201cIf anything, young man, I think you should allow it far more often.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes popped open wide in surprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, do you have some belief that I expect you to be\u2026 I don\u2019t know\u2026 \u201c\u00a0 Ben waved his hand helplessly.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone other than who you are?<\/p>\n

\u201cI.. I don\u2019t under \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, son, that when you need to \u2026 scratch some creative itch you have,\u201d smiled Ben gently, \u201cstop burying it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s work that has to be done \u2013 \u201c began Adam, in frustration.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it will be there when you return,\u201d nodded Ben seriously.\u00a0 \u201cOr better yet, it\u2019s work that your brothers can start to learn to handle.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to do it all.\u00a0 You need time to enjoy the things you love, son.\u00a0 Hoss gets out to enjoy the wildlife and nature that he loves.\u00a0 Joseph wouldn’t give up something he loved if my life depended on it!\u201d Ben declared, eyebrows raised though his tone was light.\u00a0 He leaned over and gripped his son\u2019s forearm.\u00a0 \u201cWhy do you think you have no right to do the same?\u201d<\/p>\n

Troubled, Adam licked his lips and shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThe things\u2026 I love\u2026 well, there\u2019s\u2026 not a \u2026 \u201c but a bad coughing fit over came him, and it took several minutes to get his breathing back under control.\u00a0 Alarmed, Ben stood, crossing to the washstand to pour a glass of water.\u00a0\u00a0He sat down on the bed beside his son,\u00a0supporting him, helping him remain upright.<\/p>\n

It was so bad that the doctor came in, took one look at him and reached toward a small, brown bottle on the bureau and the large spoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019ve been talking quite enough for the time being,\u201d he said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cTime to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Irritably, Adam shook his head, his lips thinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to go send a wire to your brothers and let them know you\u2019re on the mend, and to find a room,\u201d said Ben, rising to his feet. He recognized that obstinate look on his oldest son’s face, imagining it wasn’t the first time Adam had balked at having to swallow down some medicine.\u00a0 However, Ben also figured that Dr. Ridgemont had handled him pretty well so far and certainly didn’t need any help from him. \u201cSo, you can rest while I’m out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright, I\u2019m sure you\u2019d like to stay close to your son, so I\u2019ve had my housekeeper prepare a room for you down the hall,\u201d the doctor smiled.<\/p>\n

Surprised, the rancher looked at him. \u201cThat\u2019s very generous, Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a bit,\u201d assured Dr. Ridgemont. \u201cIt\u2019ll do my patient good to have someone who cares so much about his welfare nearby.\u201d\u00a0 He grinned. \u201cBesides, he\u2019s been beating me too regularly at chess.\u00a0 My ego needs a break!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0 He headed for the door. \u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young man\u2019s tired eyes looked up, troubled, at his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe things you love\u2026 it\u2019s time to start figuring out how to make room for them in your life.\u00a0 So do some thinking.\u00a0 We can talk more about it later.\u201d\u00a0 He nodded firmly, and headed out the door, leaving his surprised son open-mouthed, staring after him.<\/p>\n

Jonas Ridgemont smiled and gestured to the young man.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou need to rest.\u00a0\u00a0And to do as your father tells you!\u00a0 But first….”\u00a0 He held up the bottle of ipecac in one hand, the large spoon braced against its neck and the basin in his other hand.\u00a0 Adam sagged, unhappily, making a ‘face’ as the doctor advanced.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam closed his eyes and allowed the fragrance of the medicinal tea, doctored with a healthy dollop of honey, to fill his nose and sinuses.\u00a0\u00a0The comforting memories that scent evoked did as much to make him feel loved, nurtured and cared for as his father\u2019s soothing back rub with the lavender salve that had accompanied this tea.\u00a0\u00a0It brought to mind many times over the years that the gentle, comforting hands of Hop Sing had patted his shoulder while handing him a cup of tea or dosed him with a cough elixir made with many Chinese herbs, but a good amount of whiskey and lemon as well. That lavender salve had eased the muscle aches that accompanied days of coughing as well as other aches and pains for many years, now.\u00a0\u00a0He and Joe particularly appreciated it after a long day of bronc busting.<\/p>\n

Dr. Ridgemont had been deeply curious about what went into the medicinals, and Ben had gladly shared the Chinese man\u2019s recipes.\u00a0\u00a0That curiosity turned to respect when he saw his previously restless, uncomfortable patient doze off for the first truly decent night\u2019s sleep he\u2019d had since tumbling off his horse more than a week earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/em><\/strong> believe Hop Sing\u2026 had you \u2026 bring these,\u201d he said, smiling tiredly at his father, sniffing the jar of salve.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019d have climbed into my luggage if he could,\u201d replied Ben, grinning as he set Adam\u2019s supper tray on the night table.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHe was convinced you couldn\u2019t possibly be cared for by anyone else as well as he could.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam snorted, then looked a little tiredly at the tray. \u201cI\u2019m not really very hungry,\u201d he said apologetically.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Ridgemont thought you might not be. He said to remind you to think of it as medicine, rather than a meal…apparently, just as he’s had to do the last few times you didn’t want to eat,\u201d Ben said with a meaningful look at his son.\u00a0 That little ruse doesn’t work any better on the doctor than it does on me, does it?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes, and gave in, sitting up to allow the tray on his lap.<\/p>\n

While he picked at his stew with a marked lack of interest, Ben chatted away, giving him the news of the Ponderosa, of their friends and neighbors.\u00a0\u00a0Finally, when Ben good-naturedly threatened to spoon feed him if he didn’t finish his meal, the young man sighed, buckled down and finished all but two or three bites.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0\u00a0Now you \u2013 \u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cNeed to rest,\u201d Adam finished glumly.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly right,\u201d agreed Ben, both eyebrows raised and an amused expression on his face, as he drew the curtains closed, and pulled his son’s bedclothes up around him.<\/p>\n

“It’s been a number of years since you’ve \u2013 cough! \u2013<\/strong> <\/em>needed to tuck me in,” Adam grumbled, annoyed.<\/p>\n

“A father’s privilege,” said Ben, tenderly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As Adam continued to improve \u2013 and grow more and more irritable at being restricted to bed rest \u2013 Ben continued to grin inwardly, but made it sternly clear\u00a0he would brook no nonsense about his son disobeying the doctor\u2019s orders.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe man spent most of a week laboring to keep you alive.\u00a0\u00a0I raised you to be a lot more grateful than that,\u201d\u00a0he reminded the young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to go stark, staring – cough! –\u00a0\u00a0mad<\/em><\/strong> if I have to stay stuck in this bed\u00a0– cough! –\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>much longer!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Adam tossed his book onto the other side of the bed, frustrated.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled.\u00a0\u201cWell, you might, but you\u2019ll be warm, covered up and lying down while you do it,\u201d he said calmly,\u00a0peering at Adam’s empty lunch plate.\u00a0 Thankfully, he didn’t have to fight with him about\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>today.\u00a0\u201cHave you given any more thought to what we talked about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stared out the window, his black brows knitted together.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cPa, the things that\u00a0– cough! –\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>interest me don\u2019t interest\u00a0– cough! –\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>most folk.\u00a0\u00a0You know that.\u00a0\u00a0For heavens\u2019 sake\u00a0– cough! –\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>oh<\/strong>,\u00a0damn this cough<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0to hell!…<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0– cough! –\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>they don\u2019t even interest my own family!\u201d<\/p>\n

“Mind your language.”\u00a0 Ben shrugged. \u201cNo one said they had to.\u00a0\u00a0But you have friends who like the same things you do.\u00a0\u00a0You have an interest in history; so do a lot of people in both Virginia City and Carson.\u00a0\u00a0Why not get together with several friends and organize some historical lectures?\u00a0\u00a0Or some poetry readings.\u00a0\u00a0Now that Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles are within a week of Carson City and Virginia City, there\u2019s no reason why poets, writers and other interesting speakers\u00a0couldn’t be invited to do some speaking engagements.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Ben fought to keep his lips steady as he watched his normally sensible,\u00a0articulate and witty\u00a0son regress into a surly adolescent version of himself, achieving a truly monumental pout.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you CAN be as cantankerous and miserable as you want,\u201d he said seriously.\u00a0 \u201cBut the person you\u2019re hurting most is you.\u201d\u00a0 He got to his feet and headed for the door.\u00a0 “Close your eyes and rest.\u00a0 A nap always improved your crankiness when you were small.”<\/p>\n

And with that, he carried Adam\u2019s lunch tray out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen, smirking at the soft growl he heard behind him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just as he reached the main parlor, the doctor\u2019s surgery door opened and Ridgemont gestured a young matron and small boy, with a tear-streaked face and a bandage on his hand, out cheerfully.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cNow, you do your best to keep that cut clean, Bobby, all right?\u201d he said gently. \u201cI really didn\u2019t like having to hurt you with those stitches. Not keeping it clean could make it get infected and hurt more. That would make me sad.\u00a0\u00a0Do as your mama says, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

The little fellow nodded, tears still very close to the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood boy.\u201d The doctor reached over to his bookshelf and drew down a large bowl of penny candies and smiled at the little fellow.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMaybe one or two of these will help cheer you up a little, hm?\u201d<\/p>\n

The youngster looked to his mother, who smiled at him and nodded.\u00a0\u00a0He helped himself and looked up at the doctor. \u201cThank you, Doctor Jonas,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome, Bobby.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He turned to the young mother. \u201cNow don\u2019t you worry. If you follow my instructions, his hand should heal very nicely within 10 days to two weeks\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled, and continued into the kitchen, wondering if a couple of candies might sweeten\u00a0his<\/em>\u00a0\u201clittle boy\u2019s\u201d disposition\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s our patient?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben glanced up as he soaped the stew bowl and spoon in the dishpan. \u201cGrumpy,\u201d he sighed. \u201cOnce he gets past the \u2018I think I\u2019m gonna die\u2019 stage, Adam is absolutely the world\u2019s worst patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood!\u201d chuckled the doctor.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMeans he\u2019s feeling better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised an eyebrow, and his baleful expression indicated just what he thought of the doctor\u2019s comment, but Ridgemont just laughed. \u201cYou know, at the rate he\u2019s improving, you should be able to start home in a week or so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cartwright wiped his hands on the kitchen towel and looked brighter. \u201cReally?\u00a0\u00a0Hearing that would improve his mood!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s give it until tomorrow morning,\u201d nodded Ridgemont, thoughtfully.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIf he\u2019s still doing as well then as he has been these last two days, we can start letting him get out of bed for a little bit each day to start to regain his strength.\u00a0 Then I think you two could start heading home on a week from Saturday\u2019s stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Hmm,” said Ben thoughtfully.\u00a0 “He’s – God willing – having a nap.\u00a0 Would it be all right if I stepped out for an hour or so?’<\/p>\n

“Certainly,” nodded the doctor, as he snagged an apple and took a bite.\u00a0 “Something you need? Can I send out my man for you?”<\/p>\n

“No, just an idea I have,” Ben mused.\u00a0 He smiled at the doctor.\u00a0 “I should be back in no more than two hours.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For the nine days between the time Dr. Ridgemont first released Adam from total bedrest \u2013 \u201cthat means a little while at first, youngster! No more than half an hour out of bed on the first day. Don\u2019t go getting any ideas that you\u2019re getting dressed and walking around town!\u201d \u2013 until he and Ben were packed and ready to leave, Adam and his father had had some time for serious talking.\u00a0\u00a0Given this time to themselves, without ranch business distracting him or deflecting the necessity of the message he wanted to impart, Ben\u00a0tried to\u00a0impress on his oldest son that while it was true he leaned on him a great deal for the ranch to be a success, his son needed to learn a little \u2018balance\u2019 in his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll work and no play makes Adam a dull boy,\u201d teased his father gently one afternoon as they were seated in the doctor\u2019s parlor, Adam still in a robe and slippers, but at least out of the confinement of the room in which he\u2019d been convalescing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019d said that to you fifteen years ago, I\u2019d have been marched to the barn,\u201d smirked Adam, his voice and expression droll.<\/p>\n

At that Ben sighed, and sobered.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI know, and I\u2019m sorry about that,\u201d he said humbly.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou had it harder than your younger brothers.\u00a0\u00a0There was just so much work to do, so little time to just \u2026 oh, I don\u2019t know, just be a boy.\u00a0\u00a0Our circumstances made you have to grow up far too fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grew pensive as he studied his father\u2019s face and leaned over, gripping the man\u2019s forearm. \u201cPa\u2026 I understood,\u201d he said gently.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBelieve me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do,\u201d nodded Ben, his own big, broad hand covered his son\u2019s graceful, artistic one.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBut that doesn\u2019t change the reality, son.\u00a0\u00a0From babyhood, your character was forged in work, deprivation and loneliness for so many years.\u00a0\u00a0Our lives are a bit different now,\u201d he said wryly, raising an eyebrow at his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s still a lot of work needing to be done on a ranch,\u201d reminded Adam, leaning back and closing his eyes, as though trying to distance himself from having to really dig into this subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo denying it.\u00a0\u00a0And a man\u00a0needs<\/em>\u00a0to have work to do.\u00a0\u00a0But he also needs enjoyment\u2026 time to allow himself the things he loves to do.\u00a0\u00a0So\u2026 think on that, all right?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Ben glanced at the grandfather clock across the room.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m going to go get some coffee. You have about ten minutes left before you have to get back to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Pa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled. \u201cNow,\u00a0that<\/em>\u00a0sounds like your youngest brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

He rose to his feet, looking down at his son. While he was undeniably better, Adam was still pale and weakened, and on impulse, Ben leaned over and kissed his son\u2019s dark head, startling him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that<\/em><\/strong> for?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged and patted the young man\u2019s shoulder. \u201cSometimes, I think you didn’t get enough of that<\/em><\/strong> as a youngster.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m taking advantage of your weakened condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That conversation opened the door to many others over the course of that week.\u00a0\u00a0Plans Adam wanted to see enacted on the ranch \u2013 some of which Ben struggled with but still listened to \u2013, ideas that Ben wanted to see take hold \u2013 some of which Adam felt were counter-productive and lacking progressive thinking but still listened to.\u00a0\u00a0Memories were shared, some with great emotion, and others with just as much laughter.\u00a0\u00a0The bottom line, however?\u00a0\u00a0They talked. Truly talked<\/em>\u00a0for the first time in far too long.<\/p>\n

It was something both men had badly needed in order to find, once again, that amazing strength-filled bond they shared.\u00a0\u00a0It wasn\u2019t that Ben loved one son more than another.\u00a0\u00a0It was that he had a special connection with each one, each particular to that son. And with this oldest boy of his it was the incredible closeness they\u2019d shared, forged in having only had each other to lean on for so many, many years.<\/p>\n

Ben knew that as terrified as he\u2019d been for Adam, this period of their lives had been an unparalleled gift.\u00a0\u00a0For too long, the two had allowed the activity and never-ending work of the ranch to supersede the importance of their relationship with each other.\u00a0\u00a0This time, alone together in sleepy little Waverly, had given them back that connection.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~o0o~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Arrangements were made for Sport to be ridden back to the Ponderosa by someone at the livery.\u00a0\u00a0Chances were good he\u2019d be home before they were.\u00a0\u00a0The trip home was wearying, but uneventful.\u00a0\u00a0Ben made sure Adam obeyed the doctor\u2019s orders and took it easy.\u00a0\u00a0And to be honest, his energy was still depleted enough that though he made a good show of annoyance\u00a0at his father\u2019s admonitions, he was just too tired to buck him much, anyway.\u00a0\u00a0The funny part was that both he and his father knew it and allowed the little charade.\u00a0\u00a0It reminded both of times as a child on the wagon train west when he\u2019d pouted at not being allowed to take part in some of the \u2018men\u2019s work,\u2019 while secretly grateful he was too small to really participate.<\/p>\n

When the stage finally pulled into Virginia City, Adam thought he\u2019d never been so happy to see his younger brothers\u2019 faces anxiously awaiting as he and his father climbed down.\u00a0\u00a0Hoss embraced him in a bear hug that took him right off his feet, making him laugh and bat at the big man\u2019s sugarloaf hat, demanding to be set down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna give you a few days to rest up,\u201d said Hoss sternly, \u201cthen you and me, we\u2019re gonna have us a talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled, and blushed. \u201cI know, Hoss.\u00a0\u00a0Pa\u2019s made it clear. Sorry I worried you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, no matter what \u2018Pa said\u2019, when you get home you\u2019ll be lucky if Hop Sing don\u2019t take a wooden spoon to you,\u201d Hoss declared, making Adam wince a little, remembering several memorable occasions when Hop Sing\u2019s wooden spoon had been put to good use.<\/p>\n

He turned to his baby brother. Joe started with a handshake, but Adam pulled him into a brotherly hug, which was returned. \u201cI said you\u2019d do anything you could to get outta hayin\u2019!\u201d Joe declared, his eyes damp. \u201cGood to have you home, older brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam put a hand on the back of his brother\u2019s neck and smiled into his eyes. \u201cGrateful to be home, Joe, believe me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was greeted as well, and Adam noticed an odd pair of grins on his brother\u2019s faces.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d he asked, his eyes narrowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019,\u201d replied Hoss, with that overly innocent look he had that was utterly useless, making his guilt obvious.\u00a0\u00a0Adam frowned, but they said nothing more.<\/p>\n

\u201cFigured older brother would appreciate a soft ride, so I threw a couple pillows in the back o\u2019 the wagon,\u201d teased Hoss. \u201cIt\u2019s yonder, over by Piper\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ll get your bags Pa, if you want to go ahead and get settled.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Hoss winked at Joe as he grabbed their bags.<\/p>\n

Tiredly, Adam made his way toward the opera house \u2013 wondering why in the world Hoss had left the wagon all the way over there \u2013 then he stopped short, his jaw dropped.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d best shut your mouth, son,\u201d said Ben softly, with a small smile.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cFlies are terrible this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned his head in amazement at his father, then back at the sandwich board sign outside the theatre.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n

MONDAY \u00a0NIGHT, 7 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

DRAMATIC READINGS BY THE<\/strong><\/p>\n

GREAT EDWIN BOOTH!<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut…\u00a0how<\/em>\u2026\u00a0when<\/em>\u2026\u201c sputtered Adam, turning in shocked amazement to his father.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled, nudging his son up into the wagon seat, then following him, gathering the reins.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAs I said, you\u2019re not the only one in the area with an interest in the arts.\u00a0\u00a0I wired Mrs. Duffy at the Virginia City Literary Society, and she agreed that if I could make it worth Mr. Booth\u2019s while and his schedule permitted it, we\u2019d arrange for him to do a side trip here.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He gripped his son\u2019s forearm. \u201cIt won\u2019t be the full production, I\u2019m afraid, but he\u2019s going to be doing soliloquys from Hamlet, <\/em>as well as Henry V, Richard III, Tristan and Isolde<\/em>\u2026 and some works by other playwrights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had a good idea what “worth his while” would probably calculate up to be, and even with all ticket sale proceeds going to Booth as well as perhaps a small amount kicked in by the Literary Society, he knew that his father was footing most of this bill… which would be huge.\u00a0 Had he been at full health, he probably could have held onto his composure, but\u2026<\/p>\n

Ben\u00a0grew alarmed to see Adam\u2019s lips tremble slightly and his hazel eyes blink hard, welling up. \u201cSon\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head and swallowed. \u201cNo, Pa, it\u2019s all right.\u00a0\u00a0I just\u2026 \u201c Helplessly, he waved a hand at the sign and looked with deep love and gratitude to his father. \u201cThank you.\u00a0\u00a0Thank you so very much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe and Hoss came up alongside the wagon, and Joe became alarmed at the obvious emotion on his older brother\u2019s face.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAdam! You alright?\u00a0\u00a0We all thought you be pleased!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am, Joe,\u201d Adam sniffed and smiled. \u201cReally, I\u2019m \u2013 \u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we know,\u201d snorted Hoss. glancing at his father and brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re<\/em>\u00a0fine!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>chorused Joe, Ben and Hoss together sarcastically, then burst into laughter and sheepishly, Adam chuckled as well.<\/p>\n

THE END<\/p>\n

\n

Author\u2019s Notes:\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. This short story kind of negates the plot premise in \u201cThe Actress\u201d that Adam and Edwin Booth knew each other. Apologies to episode writers Norman Lessing, Fred Hamilton and David Dortort.<\/li>\n
  2. Historically, Virginia City\u2019s Piper\u2019s Theatre wasn\u2019t built until the mid-1860s, so at 17 Joe wouldn\u2019t have been able to see a \u2018pretty gal singing\u2019\u2026 but since it was there in \u201cA Rose for Lotta\u201d (snort!) I\u2019m content to thumb my nose at history, too\u2026<\/li>\n
  3. My thanks to the lovely Bonanza Brand members who so kindly gave me feedback, comments and encouragement through a very different process for me!!\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

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

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

    SUMMARY: Adam\u2019s heart is set on attending a performance by actor Edwin Booth at a production of Hamlet at San Francisco\u2019s Adelphi Theatre. As his departure date nears, he can feel himself coming down with a cold.\u00a0 He knows the moment he sneezes, Ben and Hop Sing will have him confined to bed. Can he manage to hold his illness at bay long enough to not miss something he wants so very, very badly to experience?\u00a0 And how much is he willing to risk in order to do so? (17,156 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12518,"featured_media":3223,"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":[1005,1016,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-cartwright","category-adam-pa","category-drama","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-1016-id","wpcat-23-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1210,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/adam_11.jpg?fit=796%2C638&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":48039,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=48039","url_meta":{"origin":57304,"position":0},"title":"Fourth of July Fun (by AH83)","author":"BZTrailRiders","date":"July 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Adam gets a Fourth of July surprise. Rating: K, Word Count: 720","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Preserving Their Legacy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/BTR.png?fit=442%2C255&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18752,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=18752","url_meta":{"origin":57304,"position":1},"title":"Germantown Lady (by Hart4Ben)","author":"Hart4Ben","date":"October 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: While Ben and young Adam are making their way west, they make a brief stop in Germantown, Ohio. An unusual festival is in progress when they arrive. Set in approximately 1834 or 1835. Rating: K WC: 1419","rel":"","context":"In "Prequel"","block_context":{"text":"Prequel","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=30"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/hoernchen.jpg?fit=790%2C605&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/hoernchen.jpg?fit=790%2C605&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/hoernchen.jpg?fit=790%2C605&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/hoernchen.jpg?fit=790%2C605&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49406,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=49406","url_meta":{"origin":57304,"position":2},"title":"The Great Divide (by SandyW)","author":"Preserving Their Legacy Author","date":"May 17, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Synopsis:Ben has begun to worry about Adam's sudden irresponsible behavior and the poor example he is setting for his younger brothers. Rating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 (12,285 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Ben \/ Adam"","block_context":{"text":"Ben \/ Adam","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1016"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63227,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=63227","url_meta":{"origin":57304,"position":3},"title":"Cartwright Saga #11 – San Francisco Trip (by Lyn Robinson)","author":"Lynrobinson","date":"February 13, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 An accident causes a change in plan and for Joe at least a very pleasant interlude. Rating:\u00a0 PG\u00a0 (23,760 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41182,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=41182","url_meta":{"origin":57304,"position":4},"title":"Creatus Arrisum Est (by AMG)","author":"Preserving Their Legacy Author","date":"March 20, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: An unexpected adventure and some equally unexpected help, from the perspective of each of the characters involved. A little bit of suffering Adam. Rating: PG\u00a0 \u00a0 Words:\u00a0 11,720","rel":"","context":"In "Action\/Adventure"","block_context":{"text":"Action\/Adventure","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5284,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5284","url_meta":{"origin":57304,"position":5},"title":"No Flash in the Pan (by Cowgirl8)","author":"Cowgirl8","date":"April 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0This is\u00a0a story that I wrote for my English class. My teacher really liked it. It's about the boys while Ben is out of Town. There is foreshadowing. And we weren't supposed to have blood and Gore so nothing gruesome in this story. Any spelling or grammar errors\u00a0are my fault.\u2026","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\/03\/Bonanza24.jpg?fit=526%2C372&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Bonanza24.jpg?fit=526%2C372&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Bonanza24.jpg?fit=526%2C372&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57304","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\/12518"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=57304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=57304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=57304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=57304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}