Disclaimer: I don’t own the Cartwrights or Bonanza. No copyright infringement is intended. Original plot and characters are property of the author. This story is for entertainment and no money was made from it.<\/span><\/p>\n Reviews from the Old Library are on the last page.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Middle Child Syndrome<\/strong><\/p>\n Six year old Hoss Cartwright wandered around the big room downstairs, picking things up at random and then setting them down again. Everyone else was upstairs with six-month old Little Joe. Hoss had been excited about having a baby in the house at first. He was finally getting to be a big brother, like Adam. But he didn\u2019t get to hold the baby like Adam did. Just because Adam was twelve, Mama and Papa seemed to think that he could do things like rock Little Joe to sleep and carry him down the stairs. Mama and Papa even let Adam do those things when they weren\u2019t in the room.<\/span> <\/p>\n
Hoss looked up to see Adam coming down the stairs. Adam was smiling, Hoss noticed.<\/span>
\u201cYou should seem him, Hoss\u201d said Adam. \u201cLittle Joe can almost flip himself over. Pretty soon, he\u2019ll be crawlin\u2019 all over the house.<\/span>
\u201cHmph\u201d was Hoss\u2019 only response.<\/span>
Papa was next to come downstairs. Hoss noticed he was smiling, too.\u00a0<\/span>
\u201cLittle Joe will be crawling sooner than you or Hoss did\u201d he said to the boys.<\/span>
Oh great, thought Hoss. Next thing I\u2019ll have to watch where I walk so I won\u2019t step on him.<\/span>
Marie then came downstairs with Little Joe. Hoss noticed that his Papa and Adam looked at her and the baby. They had just been upstairs with him. You\u2019d think they hadn\u2019t seen the baby all day the way they were grinning.<\/span>
\u201cI think our petit Joseph will be getting teeth soon\u201d said Marie.<\/span>
Ben and Adam went over to Marie, who had Little Joe propped up on her shoulder. Ben was trying to open Little Joe\u2019s mouth with a finger to feel for teeth. Adam made funny faces to try to get Little Joe to open his mouth. Hoss just looked on in disbelief.<\/span>
\u201cI think I got a loose toof\u201d announced Hoss to no one in particular.<\/span>
\u201cWell, leave it alone, son\u201d said Ben. \u201cThe tooth will come out on its own.\u201d<\/span>
Little Joe let out a squeal as Adam made a particularly funny face. Ben popped his forefinger into Little Joe\u2019s mouth quickly. \u201cI think I can feel one just below the gum\u201d said Ben to Marie.<\/span>
\u201cWill the toof fairy bring me money if my toof comes out?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/span>
\u201cLeave your tooth alone, son\u201d said Ben as he pulled his now slobber-covered finger out of Little Joe\u2019s mouth.<\/span>
\u201cTry eating some apples to loosen it up\u201d advised Adam without even looking at Hoss.<\/span>
Hoss went over to the fruit bowl on the table and grabbed an apple. As he bit into it, Marie said \u201cYou\u2019re going to spoil your dinner, mon fils. Put the apple down for later.\u201d<\/span>
Reluctantly, Hoss set the apple down on the table.<\/span>
Hop Sing poked his head into the dining room and announced \u201cSupper leady in ten minute. Numbah 2 Son come help Hop Sing.\u201d<\/span>
\u201cGo ahead, Hoss\u201d said Ben as Little Joe clutched his father\u2019s wet forefinger in a pudgy fist.<\/span>
Hoss went into the kitchen with Hop Sing, expecting to have to dry dishes or mash potatoes.<\/span>
\u201cYou sit here and these biscuit\u201d said Hop Sing, pointing to three biscuits sitting on a plate. \u201cBiscuit burn and no good. You do Hop Sing favah and eat so faddah no make big fuss.\u201d<\/span>
\u201cBut these biscuits look okay\u201d said Hoss, eyeing Hop Sing with suspicion. Hop Sing\u2019s response was a wink as he set a dish of butter and a knife down beside the biscuits.<\/span>
When Hoss came out of the kitchen five minutes later, Ben and Adam were sitting by the fire.<\/span>
\u201cWhere\u2019s Mama?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/span>
\u201cShe took Little Joe upstairs to feed him\u201d replied Ben.<\/span>
\u201cLittle Joe shore seems puny\u201d commented Hoss.<\/span>
\u201cHe\u2019s just a baby\u201d said Adam. \u201cOf course he\u2019s puny.\u201d<\/span>
Adam went back to reading his book and Ben went back to reading the newspaper. Marie came downstairs as Hop Sing brought supper out to the table.<\/span>
\u201cYa wanna play some checkers after supper?\u201d Hoss asked Adam hopefully.<\/span>
\u201cI gotta finish my book so I can start on my book report\u201d responded Adam.<\/span>
\u201cWhat about you, Papa?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/span>
\u201cI\u2019ve got to write some letters so we can bid on more timber contracts\u201d said Ben.<\/span>
\u201cHow \u2018bout you, Mama?\u201d asked Hoss, making sad puppy eyes.<\/span>
\u201cOh, I can\u2019t mon chere\u201d replied Marie. I\u2019ve got to get the buttons sewn back on your shirt, Adam\u2019s new pants hemmed, and Papa\u2019s socks darned. Maybe another time\u201d Marie said with a smile.<\/span>
Just then, a wail from upstairs announced that Little Joe was awake. Marie jumped up from the table and practically flew up the stairs.<\/span>
\u201cI\u2019ve never heard anything cry so loud\u201d said Adam.<\/span>
\u201cYou had a good set of lungs when you were a baby\u201d Ben said to Adam with a fond smile.<\/span>
\u201cWhat about me, Papa?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/span>
\u201cYou were a very happy baby, Hoss\u201d replied Ben. \u201cI don\u2019t think anything ever disturbed you.\u201d<\/span>
\u201cYou woulda been too big to lug around if you\u2019d been a fussy baby\u201d added Adam.<\/span>
\u201cHow come I cain\u2019t rock Little Joe to sleep?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/span>
\u201cLittle Joe is a very fussy baby, Hoss\u201d replied Ben. Plus, he needs someone with experience to rock him.\u201d<\/span>
\u201cWell, how come Adam gets to rock him then?\u201d asked Hoss with a bit of a whine.<\/span>
\u201cDon\u2019t whine, Hoss\u201d said Ben. \u201cAdam rocked you when you were a baby, so he has experience. Besides, Adam had to help me when your mother passed.\u201d Ben couldn\u2019t bring himself to say murder in front of Hoss when speaking about Inger\u2019s death.<\/span>
\u201cLittle Joe prefers Marie to me or Pa\u201d said Adam to Hoss. \u201cHe fusses a whole lot longer if we have to step in for her.\u201d Adam was only trying to make Hoss feel better, but he didn\u2019t think it was working.<\/span>
Hoss stuck a finger in his mouth to check out his loose tooth. \u201cSon, get your finger out of your mouth. If you need to get some food unstuck, use a toothpick\u201d advised Ben.<\/span>
Hoss started to pout, so Ben sent him up to his room. The little boy played quietly for a little while, but was soon playing noisily with his wooden horsies. He was making whinnying noises when Marie burst into his room.<\/span>
\u201cPlease keep the noise down, Hoss\u201d urged Marie. \u201cJoseph has not been asleep long and I wish him to remain so.\u201d<\/span>
With that, Marie left Hoss\u2019 room. Hoss climbed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He wished he could read like Adam so he could do something quietly like Mama wanted.<\/span>
Hoss fell asleep fully clothed on top of the bed. When Adam came upstairs for bed, he checked in on Hoss. He managed to get Hoss out of his clothes and into a nightshirt without waking up his younger brother. Getting him under the covers was little harder, but he managed.<\/span>
When Marie and Ben came upstairs to tuck their older boys in, they were surprised to find Hoss tucked under the covers and sound asleep. Marie brushed the hair away from Hoss\u2019 forehead and kissed his angelic face. She was rewarded with a snore. Marie stifled a laugh as Ben kissed his son goodnight. They crept out of Hoss\u2019 room to go remind Adam that he should be sleeping instead of reading.<\/span>
In the middle of the night, Hoss had a nightmare. He dreamed that bad men were coming to take Little Joe away. Since he was never allowed to hold his baby brother, he couldn\u2019t take him to safety. Hoss thrashed back and forth on the bed, his arms flailing at the bad men. With a loud thud, Hoss fell face down onto the floor. Within seconds, Little Joe was screaming and Ben was in Hoss\u2019 room turning up the lamp.\u00a0<\/span>
\u201cSon, are you alright?\u201d asked Ben with a look of concern. He noticed blood on Hoss\u2019 lips and wiped it off with his thumb. Ben was able to get Hoss off of the floor and back onto the bed. Adam came in and saw Hoss sitting on the edge of the bed with tears flowing down his cheeks.<\/span>
\u201cI swallowed my loose toof, Adam\u201d wailed Hoss. \u201cNow the toof fairy won\u2019t come.\u201d<\/span>
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be okay, son\u201d reassured Ben as he hugged Hoss to him.<\/span>
\u201cI want Mama!\u201d cried Hoss.<\/span>
Ben sent Adam off to get Marie. Adam could rock Little Joe while Marie comforted Hoss.<\/span>
Marie entered Hoss\u2019 room with a handkerchief in her hand. She gave Ben a glance and he quickly got up so Marie could take his place on the bed beside Hoss.<\/span>
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, mon fils?\u201d asked Marie as she rocked Hoss, his head against her chest.<\/span>
\u201cThere were bad men, Mama. They tried to take Little Joe away and I couldn\u2019t stop \u2018em. That\u2019s when I fell offa the bed and swallowed my toof.\u201d The little boy cried harder as he again realized that the tooth fairy wouldn\u2019t be paying him a visit.<\/span>
\u201cHush, mon grand\u201d soothed Marie as she rocked Hoss. \u201cThe bad men were only in your dream. Papa, Adam, and I are here. We wouldn\u2019t let anything happen to you or Joseph.\u201d<\/span>
\u201cBut if I could hold Little Joe, the bad men wouldn\u2019t\u2019ve took him\u201d said Hoss, sniffling.<\/span>
Marie shot Ben a look suggesting that they needed to have a talk about their middle son. Ben looked a bit bewildered. He had thought Hoss was upset about swallowing his tooth.<\/span>
Once Hoss was calmed down, Marie asked him if he thought he could go back to sleep. \u201cCould Adam sleep wif me?\u201d pleaded Hoss. Ben went to go relieve Adam and send him to Hoss\u2019 room.\u00a0<\/span>
When Adam entered Hoss\u2019 room, Hoss asked him to sleep with him. Adam looked at Marie and she nodded her head to let him know she considered it okay for him to stay with Hoss.<\/span>
Marie sat Hoss up and gave him a kiss on the forehead. She then got up to make room for Adam. Adam got into the bed with Hoss, who snuggled under the covers. Within minutes, Hoss was back to sleep. Adam stared at the ceiling as he listened to Hoss\u2019 snores.<\/span>
Back in their room, Marie whispered to Ben that they needed to let Hoss hold Little Joe now and then. Ben whispered back that he didn\u2019t think that it would be a good idea. What if Hoss dropped Little Joe or squeezed him too hard?<\/span>
Hoss awoke in the morning to find himself along. At first, he was worried that something had happened and everyone else was now gone. Then he heard Papa\u2019s and Adam\u2019s voices drifting up from downstairs.\u00a0<\/span>
He stretched real hard before getting out of the bed. As his hands slid under the pillow, his fingers make contact with a coin. Hoss was surprised. He hadn\u2019t left a tooth for the tooth fairy. Pulling the coin from under the pillow, Hoss was surprised to see a nickel. That would sure buy a lot of candy he thought.<\/span>
Happily getting out of bed, Hoss got dressed to go downstairs. He made sure to put the nickel in his pocket so he could show Papa and Adam what the tooth fairy had brought.<\/span>
Passing his parents\u2019 room, Hoss looked in the open door to see Marie rocking Little Joe. She beckoned to Hoss with a smile. Surprised, Hoss entered his parents\u2019 room.<\/span>
\u201cWould you like to rock your little brother?\u201d asked Marie.<\/span>
All Hoss could do was nod his head in reply. He was too surprised for words. Marie slowly got up so Hoss could sit down in the rocker. When he got situated, Marie handed the bundle that was Little Joe to Hoss. She got Little Joe positioned to her satisfaction. Hoss began to slowly rock as Little Joe looked at him with wide green eyes. Marie smiled as Hoss made cooing noises at the baby.<\/span>
After five minutes, Marie reached to take Little Joe back. Hoss looked disappointed to be ending this moment. He reluctantly gave up his baby brother and stood up.<\/span>
\u201cI thought we would go downstairs\u201d said Marie. \u201cWould you like to carry Joseph down the stairs?\u201d she asked Hoss.<\/span>
He looked startled. \u201cI don\u2019t know, Mama. I\u2019m not as \u2018sponsible as Adam.\u201d<\/span>
Marie just smiled and said \u201cI\u2019ll walk down with you. Just hold Joseph up so he can see over your shoulder.\u201d She handed the infant back to Hoss.<\/span>
As they were going down the stairs, Marie spoke reassuringly to Hoss. He was taking each step slowly, afraid he would jostle Little Joe. Ben looked up from the table as Marie, Hoss, and Little Joe reached the landing. He jumped up, surprised, and was about to say something when Marie caught his eye. She shook her head and put a finger to her lips.<\/span>
Adam and Ben went over to the staircase to await the trio. After what seemed an eternity, Hoss reached the first floor. He had done it! He didn\u2019t even drop Little Joe. Smiling, Marie took Little Joe back from Hoss and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She then headed for the kitchen, kissing Ben on the cheek as she passed him.<\/span>
\u201cYou did real good\u201d said Adam to a beaming Hoss.<\/span>
\u201cYou certainly did, son\u201d said Ben proudly to his middle son.<\/span>
Hoss practically walked on air over to the table. He started piling eggs and bacon onto his plate when he suddenly remembered the nickel in his pocket.<\/span>
\u201cHey, Papa?\u201d said Hoss.<\/span>
\u201cYes?\u201d replied Ben.<\/span>
\u201cThe toof fairy came last night and left me a nickel even though I swallowed my toof.\u201d Ben hid a smile behind his napkin. \u201cI thought maybe I could buy somefin\u2019 for Little Joe. Whaddya fink he would like?\u201d<\/span>
\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know\u201d said Ben. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you buy something for yourself and then buy a peppermint stick for Little Joe?\u201d<\/span>
\u201cWill ya help me pick somefin\u2019 out, Adam?\u201d asked Hoss with his puppy eyes.<\/span>
\u201cSure, buddy\u201d replied Adam.<\/span>
Hoss finally felt secure in his place as the middle child.<\/span>
The End<\/span><\/p>\n
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