{"id":7413,"date":"2008-09-09T10:39:35","date_gmt":"2008-09-09T14:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7413"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:13:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:13:42","slug":"the-naming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7413","title":{"rendered":"The Naming (by southplains)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>A day in the life of 12-year-old Adam, as he\u00a0tells how Little Joe’s nickname really came about.<\/p>\n

Key words: SJS, ESA, prequel, Little Hoss, Little Adam, Marie, Joe gets hurt<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0T \u00a0WC 9800<\/span><\/p>\n

The Naming<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

October, 1861<\/em><\/p>\n

Jeffrey Stanton wasn\u2019t looking forward to the rest of his ill-advised stint in Virginia City.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Granted, it was his own fault he was stuck here. A year ago it had occurred to him that, as a young, unattached male in his prime, his life in Philadelphia as a medical student held relatively little excitement. Adventure, that\u2019s what he needed. And what better place to find adventure than on the frontier? So it was that, as part of his medical internship, he had allowed his services to be volunteered to whichever community out west was deemed to be in the greatest need.<\/p>\n

He scowled at the dusty street before him. Too late he had realized his idea of adventure in the west had actually been more along the lines of San Francisco, not this cluster of brutish humanity that rested somewhere between hell and the edges of the earth.<\/p>\n

Sighing, he strode down the wood-planked walk. Ah, well. Nothing to do for it now. He was committed. Besides, the situation wasn\u2019t permanent, thank God. He had already survived more than three of his pledged twelve weeks. Just as he’d promised, he would stoically put in two more months alongside Dr. Paul Martin\u2014a nice enough man but one who was undoubtedly far adrift of the latest medical techniques. Once those two months were finished, though, Jeffrey would immediately pack his bags and move on to San Francisco, where he had ideas of eventually establishing a practice of his own.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t that he didn\u2019t have work here. The occasional gunshot wound, a mine collapse, a mishap with an axe, a breech birth, and broken bones from a wagon accident were among the incidents that had kept him and Dr. Martin quite busy. But none of it was anything out of the ordinary. Certainly there was nothing that even Dr. Martin\u2019s basic skills could not handle. Busy or not, Jeffrey couldn’t help but feel his talents were being wasted.<\/p>\n

Straightening his shoulders, he shook his head. No matter; he was resigned to sticking it out. There was no other recourse. He was a Stanton, and Stantons were not quitters. Determinedly, he jutted his jaw forward as he continued toward his destination. The last few days had been uneventful, even duller than usual. He might have no choice in where he spent the next several weeks, but for now he was going to take Dr. Martin\u2019s advice and head to the Silver Dollar for a beer\u2014or rather, Jeffrey thought grumpily, a glass of swill that dared to claim the name. He had suspicions that the bartender watered it down.<\/p>\n

He reached for the batwing doors of the saloon. No sooner had he begun to push through them than a score of gunshots exploded from inside.<\/p>\n

He stumbled back, sucking in a harsh breath and pressing himself tightly against the rough plank wall of the saloon. Which way to run? Panic made his breath come in harsh pants. More gunshots sounded from within the saloon, along with the sounds of splintering wood, breaking glass, and shouting men.<\/p>\n

Then silence, sudden and heavy.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey’s instinctual inclination was to beat a hasty retreat away from the saloon, but the Stanton dedication to helping the sick wouldn’t let him. After a few moments of cautious hesitation, he crept carefully back to the swinging doors and peeked over the top of them. There was no doubt his services would be needed; somebody was bound to be badly hurt after the disturbance he had just heard.<\/p>\n

Still, he hesitated. He would start administering medical care while someone else ran for Dr. Martin, but first he wanted to make sure the coast was clear. He wasn\u2019t keen on getting himself shot, not even in the interest of medicine.<\/p>\n

His gaze moved over the smoke-hazed room. Just as he expected, there was a body lying on the floor. The person\u2019s identity was indiscernible due to the crowd milling around him, but Jeffrey did recognize one of the fellows bending over him; Adam Cartwright.<\/p>\n

He had had the pleasure of making Adam Cartwright\u2019s acquaintance soon after his arrival in Virginia City. Jeffrey had generally considered him a breath of fresh air in the midst of the muck that made up a large portion of the population of this vast territory; the man was educated, civilized. More refined than the majority of the men he had met here.<\/p>\n

Conversely, Adam Cartwright could be tough. Jeffrey had personally witnessed that aspect of his character during a brawl in this very saloon. Fisticuffs seemed to be an important skill for a man to have in the Nevada Territory, and from what Jeffrey had chanced to see, Adam possessed a sufficient amount of that skill to hold his own. Even so, he didn\u2019t seem to be quick to use his fists; his anger seemed to get the better of him only with much provocation. Usually he was exceedingly calm and thoughtful. When someone annoyed him, he was given more to using cutting words than knuckles.<\/p>\n

If Jeffrey did not already know these things about Adam, he might not have been so surprised at the man’s reaction when Adam whirled around and saw him. Before Jeffrey could move or speak, Adam had crossed the room and jerked him\u2014quite rudely, Jeffrey thought\u2014through the doors and into the saloon.<\/p>\n

His expression was not the same pleasant, introspective one Jeffrey had grown accustomed to. It was frightened and angry, with a wild light making his eyes more amber than usual. The look on his face made Jeffrey instinctively want to put his arms up in an effort to shield himself. But he couldn\u2019t do that even if he wanted to, for Adam had his collar crushed in both fists. The frantic thought passed through Jeffrey\u2019s mind that he was surely about to have his nose bloodied.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother\u2026\u201d Adam rasped out. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to help him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goodness, the man\u2019s chest was heaving. He wasn\u2019t angry\u2014he was afraid. No, terrified. Scared to the bone. That was what had caused the transformation in his normal countenance. His brother, then, was the wounded man on the floor.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey sighed inwardly. Adam had mentioned upon their first introduction that he had two brothers\u2014Joseph and . . . Bull? Moose? Something to that effect\u2014but Jeffrey hadn\u2019t yet had the opportunity to meet either of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of course, I\u2019ll see what I can do\u2014\u201d He wasn\u2019t able to get the words fully out because rather than releasing him, Adam was shoving him forward. He stumbled along, having the distinct impression that if he didn\u2019t move fast enough he was in danger of being hurled in the direction Adam obviously wanted him to go. Once at the injured man\u2019s side, he hurried to kneel down beside him.<\/p>\n

Immediately he was struck by how young this Cartwright was. Not even a man, really. Just a boy, no older than nineteen or twenty.<\/p>\n

He was losing more blood than any one man had to give, young or otherwise.<\/p>\n

\u201cTowels!\u201d Jeffrey shouted, not taking his eyes off his patient. \u201cBring me towels. Lots of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy was still conscious, but that was no blessing. Pain made him writhe slowly on the floor, his knees drawing up as he kept trying to curl into himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay still, son,\u201d Jeffrey murmured, laying a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Green eyes flickered and latched onto his as though onto a lifeline; even in his hurry Jeffrey was startled by the intensity in them, glazed though they were with pain. He shot a glance at Adam, taking in the brooding, dark gaze. They were vastly different, these brothers, and yet . . .\u00a0 Had he had more time to dwell on it, he might have tried to figure out exactly what it was in Adam Cartwright’s spirit that also showed itself in the eyes of his younger brother. Family resemblances often showed themselves in the most unexpected ways.<\/p>\n

But he had no time for dwelling on anything but the emergency at hand.<\/p>\n

The boy groaned. His hands clutched at his middle, his fingers drenched with blood his shirt could no longer absorb. Gently but firmly, Jeffrey moved the hands aside. The kid put them back. Jeffrey murmured a request for assistance, and those clenched, red-stained hands were quickly restrained. Adam held one of them and a very large man kneeling at the boy\u2019s other side held the other. Trying to ignore the boy’s whimpers, Jeffrey grasped the front of his ruined shirt and jerked it apart with one violent motion. Buttons tore loose and rolled across the floor, and the shirt\u2019s fabric fell aside to reveal the boy\u2019s ravaged abdomen. Jeffrey bent forward to get his first look at the wound.<\/p>\n

He instantly fell back in dismay. It was no good. No good, no good.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear Lord,\u201d he whispered before he could catch himself, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Adam glance sharply at him.<\/p>\n

He did not return the glance. Adam\u2019s brother was not going to survive. Jeffrey knew that as certainly as he knew his own name. The wound was too severe and in one of the body\u2019s most vulnerable areas. There was too much blood, too much damage. The boy had been involved in the last bar fight he’d ever see.<\/p>\n

But Jeffrey was a doctor; he had to go through the motions. His mind numb, he took the bar towels that were passed to him and pressed them hard against the wound. He still could not look at Adam.<\/p>\n

“Adam, I’m sorry . . . ” the kid whispered, and Adam’s hand, the one that still held tightly to his brother’s blood-stained fingers, jerked. Jeffrey looked up into the older Cartwright’s face then. But although Adam’s lips parted, it was the big man who held the kid’s other hand who spoke.<\/p>\n

“Nobody’s blamin’ you, Joseph. It weren’t your fault. Hush now.”<\/p>\n

“But, Hoss, I didn’t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

“Hush. It don’t matter, you hear me? You just don’t worry about it none.”<\/p>\n

Hoss. The big man was the third Cartwright brother, then. Still thinking about the intangible similarities he’d sensed between first two brothers, Jeffrey found himself sneaking a glance at the big man even as he continued to press hard against the boy’s stomach.<\/p>\n

But no, whatever sameness glimmered between Adam and his youngest brother wasn’t present in Hoss. Cornflower blue eyes here, clear as the sky reflected in the waters of Lake Tahoe, though red-rimmed with emotion at the moment. Where his brothers showed some\u2014some indefinable, passionate, volatile some<\/em>thing\u2014this one instead seemed to have a . . . gentleness. A purity of spirit.<\/p>\n

The discovery was somewhat surprising to Jeffrey, given that Hoss was such a very large, imposing sort of individual. Interesting people, these Cartwrights. He felt regret he hadn\u2019t been able to meet them all before their numbers had been cut down. Certainly there would be no getting to know young Joseph. Not anymore.<\/p>\n

A flurry of activity registered the arrival of Dr. Martin, and Jeffrey let out a silent breath of relief. Helping family members deal with death was something he didn\u2019t think he\u2019d ever get used to. He was thankful he wouldn\u2019t have to deal with it this time. Dr. Martin had mentioned in passing that he had been a friend of the Cartwright family for many years. Better for them to receive the bad news from someone they had an attachment to.<\/p>\n

The next few minutes were a rush of blurred action.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou two!\u201d Dr. Martin jabbed a finger at a couple of gaping bystanders as he sailed into the saloon, black bag in hand. \u201cRun down to my office, pick up a stretcher and get it back here. Make it quick. You!\u201d He pointed at another onlooker. \u201cI saw Ben Cartwright walking into the bank not five minutes ago. Get him over to my surgery. If he\u2019s not at the bank, find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

All three hurried to do his bidding, gone before he joined Jeffrey beside the poor dying kid on the floor. He brushed Jeffrey\u2019s hands out of the way and bent over him, tsking softly and hushing Adam when he tried to explain what had happened. He ran gnarled fingers across the hole in the boy\u2019s abdomen for just a moment before motioning to Jeffrey to reapply pressure. Then he leaned over and began to talk to the kid, who had now begun to shiver.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, Little Joe,\u201d he said, his voice low and soothing. \u201cWe\u2019ve got you. Your brothers are here, and somebody\u2019s gone for your pa. You\u2019re going to be fine, you hear me? Just hang on now.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Jeffrey had been a betting man\u2014which he was, upon occasion\u2014he would\u2019ve placed high odds against that boy\u2019s father reaching him before it was too late.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later he watched, shaking his head, as the kid was loaded carefully onto a litter and rushed down the street to Dr. Martin’s office. Jeffrey trotted along behind, fully expecting the patient to expire before they got there.<\/p>\n

But they arrived at the surgery with the kid still breathing. Pale, shivering, teeth clenched, but still breathing. Dr. Martin shooed everyone out, Cartwrights and bystanders alike, shutting the door firmly behind them. Then he began to grab up instruments with a speed that surprised Jeffrey. With the kid\u2019s family no longer present, there was no reason to continue any pretense for the purpose of sparing their feelings. Surely the older doctor knew that this was a lost cause . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Stanton!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffrey jumped.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got another pair of clamps just like this one on that bottom shelf in the second cabinet,\u201d Dr. Martin barked at him. \u201cGet them. Mrs. Murphy! I need you in here with that ether! Now!\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite his certainty that they were working on a dead man, Jeffrey did as he was told. So did Mrs. Murphy, Dr. Martin\u2019s housekeeper and sometime-nurse. A few short moments later, Joe Cartwright was out and breathing deeply.<\/p>\n

For what seemed like hours they stood, tying off veins that insisted on pumping out more blood even when Jeffrey was sure they must be bled dry. They clamped and stitched and swabbed until Jeffrey\u2019s back and neck burned with fatigue. Perspiration seeped into his burning, weary eyes, making him blink to clear his vision. Every now and then Mrs. Murphy would place the ether mask on the boy\u2019s face for a few more seconds.<\/p>\n

All the while Jeffrey wondered at the effort the doctor insisted on spending on a life that couldn’t possibly be saved.<\/p>\n

At last Dr. Martin proclaimed them finished.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll sit here and wait for a few minutes, make sure we\u2019ve got it all, and then we\u2019ll talk to his family,\u201d Dr. Martin sighed, rolling his neck around to work out the kinks. He glanced at his patient and shook his head. \u201cHe\u2019ll be recuperating for quite some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffrey couldn\u2019t stand it any longer. He couldn’t keep quiet. \u201cDoctor, this\u2014\u201d\u00a0 This what? What could he call it? \u2018This exercise in futility?\u2019 \u2018This monumental waste of time?\u2019 He settled on, \u201cThis surgery.\u201d He shook his head, waving a hand at the sleeping patient. The soon-to-be-deceased patient. \u201cYou do realize it was all for nothing, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin looked at him and with surprise. \u201cWhy do you say that, Dr. Stanton?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffrey stared at him. Surely he wasn’t serious. \u201cA belly wound of that magnitude\u2014for heaven\u2019s sakes, Doctor, he\u2019ll never make it through the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Perhaps not,” Dr. Martin said grimly, and then sighed. “But we’re going to give it our best shot. Aren\u2019t we, Joe?” He directed a fond glance toward his unconscious patient and chuckled tiredly. \u201cOne thing I\u2019ve learned over the past thirty-some odd years, Dr. Stanton. Never make assumptions about life and death. And when you\u2019re talking about a Cartwright\u2014well, they just seem to have a little extra luck going for them. That one in particular.\u201d<\/p>\n

It really was too much. Jeffrey snorted. \u201cThat\u2019s preposterous. Luck will help a man draw an inside straight. It won\u2019t help keep him from bleeding to death. You know as well as I do that that boy\u2019s chances of living to see the sun rise are slim to none.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin smiled. \u201cThirty years ago I would\u2019ve said the same thing, Dr. Stanton. But thirty years ago I didn\u2019t know the Cartwrights. That boy there has swung on slim chances his whole life. I\u2019ve patched him up more times than I can count, and somehow he always pulls through. It\u2019s a funny thing\u2014the first time I laid eyes on him I didn\u2019t give him a snowball\u2019s chance in hell of making it to live another day. He and God proved me wrong then, and they\u2019ve been doing it ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffrey rubbed a hand over his face and sat down in a chair against the wall. He leaned his elbows on his knees and stared up at Dr. Martin. The older doctor might not be aware of all the latest medical techniques, but he certainly had optimism. An overabundance of it, Jeffrey thought.<\/p>\n

But in this case, it was misdirected optimism. The kid lying in the surgery was a lost cause. It simply was not humanly possible to save him.<\/p>\n

But Jeffrey was weary. Too weary to argue. He wondered if anyone had been able to locate the father. He thought of cool, calm Adam Cartwright, whom he had witnessed being on the brink of falling apart, and once again he found himself wishing he had met the rest of the family before fate had plucked one of them away.<\/p>\n

He watched Dr. Martin rinse blood off his hands. Scarlet water lapped at the brim of the wash basin, liquid proof of too much damage to a human body.<\/p>\n

Suddenly he didn\u2019t want to think about it any longer. Didn\u2019t want to think about the futility of the last few hours of work. Didn\u2019t want to think about the news they would certainly be delivering to the Cartwright kid\u2019s family in the very near future. Didn\u2019t want to think about how he and Dr. Martin were only prolonging agony and postponing the inevitable.<\/p>\n

Instead, while he watched Mrs. Murphy whisk the bowl out of the room, he thought about those three brothers, wishing once again that he could\u2019ve met them all when they were hale and hearty and whole.<\/p>\n

Curiosity niggled at him. \u201cDoctor,\u201d he said suddenly, \u201ctell me about that first time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time this kid proved you wrong. I\u2019m assuming he has been somewhat prone to getting hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin laughed. \u201cThat\u2019s putting it mildly. I told his father years ago that he needed to keep that kid locked in a padded box until he was grown, just for his own protection.\u201d He dried his hands on a towel, shaking his head and chuckling softly. \u201cFalls, fires, fights\u2014you name it, if it was within a hundred miles, Little Joe Cartwright could find it and put himself square in the middle of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the first time\u2014what happened then?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cocking his head, Dr. Martin raised an eyebrow. \u201cYou really interested in hearing that story?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am.\u201d And he was. He wasn\u2019t sure why, but he was.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose we have a few minutes. Can\u2019t let the family in just yet, not until we\u2019re sure we won\u2019t have to go back in.\u201d He leaned over Joe Cartwright\u2019s still form once more and listened through his stethoscope. After a moment, he straightened. His gaze moved toward the window, but Jeffrey could tell he wasn\u2019t really looking at anything out there. \u201cIt was in 1843\u2014no, 1842,\u201d Dr. Martin said softly. \u201cIt was in the fall\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The surgery door rattled and burst open. Adam Cartwright stood framed in the doorway, looking every bit as wild as he had back in the saloon; the desire to get up and run took hold of Jeffrey much as it had earlier in the day. Fortunately, he was able to squelch the impulse, and instead of running, he slowly stood up to stand beside Dr. Martin.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, you know darned well you have no business in here until I call you,\u201d Dr. Martin snapped. \u201cYou might have interrupted the surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous. I cornered Mrs. Murphy and made sure you were done.\u201d Adam\u2019s tone was clipped and hard. \u201cI\u2019ve sent my father and brother down to the International House to get some coffee and a bite to eat. At least, that\u2019s what I convinced them that they needed to do. Paul, I have to know how my brother is. If I need to start preparing my father\u2014\u201d He looked past them toward Joe, and pushed past them to stand next to the surgery table.<\/p>\n

His eyes raked over the clean bandages and the sheet drawn up to Joe\u2019s chest. Then he pinned Dr. Martin with a stare. \u201cIs he\u2014will he\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cWill he live? I think so, no thanks to idiots barging in where they don\u2019t belong,\u201d Dr. Marting grumbled. Then he looked at Adam\u2019s colorless face and sighed, placing a hand on his back. \u201cHe\u2019s still got a hard fight ahead of him. But I believe he\u2019ll be able to pull through, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam swallowed. The expression he gave Dr. Martin was pleading.<\/p>\n

\u201cI swear, son. I think he\u2019s going to be all right,\u201d the doctor repeated.<\/p>\n

Adam’s throat worked. The emotions roiling beneath the surface were clear to see.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Paul,\u201d Adam said hoarsely. He reached one hand out and rested it against the boy\u2019s forehead. \u201cDamn fool,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI told him to back off that miner. I should\u2019ve slung him over my shoulder and thrown him on his pony and headed for home. I could\u2019ve stopped it. I should\u2019ve\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop that. Raking yourself over the coals isn\u2019t going to help that boy one bit. Come on, come sit down.\u201d Dr. Martin tugged at Adam\u2019s arm. At first Jeffrey didn\u2019t think Adam was going to move from his brother\u2019s side, but he allowed himself to be pushed down into a chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to tell Pa\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Dr. Martin said decisively. \u201cIf I know Ben, he\u2019ll be glued to Little Joe\u2019s bed for the next several days. Let him get that food and coffee inside him first. He\u2019s going to need it.\u201d He narrowed his eyes at Adam\u2019s pale face. \u201cYou could use some yourself, son. Mrs. Murphy! Bring coffee!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffrey eyed Adam cautiously. He appeared more dazed now than angry. Jeffrey found he was glad to see the anger gone. Anger in Adam Cartwright was a rather frightening thing to witness.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey watched him rub a hand hard over his eyes and mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Martin was just telling me that your younger brother is quite the lucky individual,\u201d Jeffrey offered, and was rewarded by a small smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucky? Yeah, I guess a lot of folks might see it that way,\u201d Adam murmured. \u201cSometimes I think it\u2019s the other way around, what with all the fixes he manages to get himself hung up in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Stanton wants to hear about the night Joseph was born,\u201d Dr. Martin said.<\/p>\n

Adam glanced at Jeffrey, one brow raised. \u201cReally? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffrey smiled. Why indeed? \u201cSimple idle curiosity, I suppose. I\u2019d truly like to hear the story. If you don\u2019t mind, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on, tell him. It\u2019ll keep you busy while we wait for your pa and Hoss to get back,\u201d Dr. Martin told him. \u201cI want to wait for a few more minutes before we talk to them anyway\u2014we need to make sure he\u2019s not still bleeding somewhere, that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head and stared at Joe. \u201cI appreciate what you’re trying to do, Paul, but I’m not up to talking at the moment. I\u2019ll just sit here with you if you don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin harrumphed. \u201cFine, but I\u2019m not going to let you sit there and torment yourself, either. Come now, sitting here moping isn’t going to do you or Joe any good. Keep your mind occupied by telling Dr. Stanton his little story. I was going to tell it myself, but you know what happened better than I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head. \u201cI was just a kid. I don’t remember that much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, please, just tell what you remember,\u201d Jeffrey urged. His curiosity was growing.<\/p>\n

Adam looked at him with an indecipherable expression, then sighed and sat back. He turned his gaze once more upon his brother\u2019s still face, and then he shrugged. \u201cAll right. No harm in it, I don\u2019t suppose.\u201d He kept his eyes on Joseph and began to talk in a slow, soft voice, hesitating every few seconds as if the memories resisted being dredged up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWinter came early that year . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

October, 1842<\/em><\/p>\n

The breeze had a harsh bite to it, but it wasn\u2019t only the cold wind that sent a shiver up Adam\u2019s spine. He sat, Hoss scrunched up close beside him, on the porch in front of the house, and he tried desperately not to think about what was going on inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much longer, Adam?\u201d Hoss whispered. Adam sighed. He couldn\u2019t count how many times his little brother had already asked the exact same question. But even in the cold moonlight he could see the misery and fear etched on Hoss\u2019s face. It wouldn\u2019t help to be impatient with him.<\/p>\n

Adam answered just as he had all the times before. \u201cI don\u2019t know, Hoss. Nobody knows. It takes as long as it takes, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Distracted and worried, Adam felt another small wave of irritation flare up. He squashed it back down. \u201cNo, nobody knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Hoss nodded vigorously. \u201cYes, they do. God knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Couldn\u2019t argue with that. \u201cWell . . . yes. God knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

For several minutes they sat in silence, watching the full moon drift in and out of fast-moving clouds.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa says it took a long time for you to be born, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shifted uncomfortably on the porch, but didn\u2019t answer. He knew where this was going.<\/p>\n

Hoss was scared. He was only six, but he was well aware of the dangers involved. Women died in childbirth all the time. They both had more than one friend who had lost a mother or sibling that way. And of course there was Adam\u2019s own mother . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to go back inside the house, Hoss?\u201d he asked abruptly. \u201cIt\u2019s getting really cold out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Hoss shook his head adamantly and shrugged deeper into his coat.<\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t blame his brother\u2019s resistance. Going inside meant hearing more of Marie\u2019s painful cries. The noise was muffled by the closed door upstairs, but it was still disturbing to Adam, so he knew it was even worse for his younger brother. It had been Adam\u2019s idea to wait outside, but that had been hours ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa says it took a long time for you to be born,\u201d Hoss repeated. \u201cHe says your mama worked really hard to get you born because she loved you so much.\u201d Adam kept his gaze on the pine boughs swaying in the wind overhead, but he could feel Hoss\u2019s eyes on him as the little boy tried to work out the worries he had on his mind. \u201cI asked Pa if he thought your mama would\u2019ve gone ahead and had a baby if she\u2019d known it was gonna be so hard. So hard that she would die from tryin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Startled, Adam looked at him. Could Hoss possibly realize how many times that very question had haunted him? No, of course not. Adam himself had never dared to put such a thought into words. Not to his pa or even to himself, and certainly not to Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did Pa say when you asked that?\u201d Adam\u2019s voice threatened to skip out on him. He had to clear his throat.<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged, obviously unaware of the importance of his answer. \u201cHe said she would\u2019ve done it a thousand times over. Even more. \u2018Cause she loved you so much.\u201d His tone was matter-of-fact, but he was quiet for a few minutes after that. When he finally spoke up again, it was with, \u201cMama loves her baby, too. Even with it still in her belly, she loves it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t know what to say. Sometimes his little brother astounded him with what he noticed.<\/p>\n

Hoss bent over and began to idly sift dirt through his fingers. \u201cI don\u2019t see how somebody can love somebody they\u2019ve never even met, do you?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Love was a confusing thing for Adam all the way around, especially during the past several months. He knew his pa had loved Inger with all his heart, so he\u2019d been confused, angry even, when Pa had fallen in love with Marie. After all, if your heart belonged to one person, how could it be given to another?<\/p>\n

Pa had told him it was like loving him and Hoss; he loved them both so much he thought his heart would explode with it. Loving more people only meant there was more love packed inside your heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cA heart that could hold only enough love for one person would be a sorry little thing,\u201d Pa had told him, and Adam supposed it was true. They had all loved Inger; it didn\u2019t mean they couldn\u2019t love Marie, too. It had taken awhile, but eventually he had no longer felt guilty about liking her so much.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam? How can somebody love somebody they\u2019ve never even met?\u201d Hoss persisted.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know the answer to that and said so.<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll love this baby. Jess Pruitt has a new baby brother, and he\u2019s awful loud. And sometimes he smells worse than the barn stalls when they need cleanin\u2019. I wouldn\u2019t even want to sit next to him, much less love him.\u201d He picked up another handful of dirt and watched it flow out of his hand and onto his boot. \u201cPa says I\u2019ll love our baby, though. He says we\u2019ll all love him because our hearts already know him even if we haven\u2019t got to talk to him yet.\u201d He looked up at Adam. \u201cIs that true?\u201d<\/p>\n

If Pa had said it, far be it from him to argue. \u201cYeah, Hoss, I reckon it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid your heart already know me when I was born?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned. \u201cYeah, Hoss. My heart has always known you.\u201d He knew it was true, even though it didn\u2019t make much sense.<\/p>\n

Hoss smiled, and dug in the dirt some more. For a long time they were both quiet. When Hoss finally spoke up again, he kept his eyes on the toes of his scuffed boots. \u201cGod knows how long it will take for the baby to be born. He knows if Mama is going to die, too, doesn\u2019t He?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked up at him then, and the desperation in his eyes made Adam\u2019s insides twinge.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know that,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cYou don\u2019t know it for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not going to die,\u201d Adam insisted, but he couldn\u2019t hold his brother\u2019s gaze. Hoss was right; he knew no such thing.<\/p>\n

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. The only sound was the mournful whisper of wind in the pines standing sentinel over the house. Then Hoss said in a low voice, \u201cIf Mama dies tryin\u2019 to get this baby born, it\u2019s gonna be awful hard for me to love him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stared at him. \u201cHoss, whatever happens isn\u2019t the baby\u2019s fault. You know that.\u201d When he was younger, he had whispered the same thing to himself, over and over, when he thought of his own mother. It had taken a long time before he\u2019d actually believed it.<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded miserably and dropped his head. \u201cYeah. I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a long time neither of them said anything more. Then, over the wind, an odd, shrill, animal-like keening drifted down to them, a sharp sound filled with anguish.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that Mama?\u201d Hoss whispered, and his blue eyes were as big and round as Adam had ever seen them.<\/p>\n

For a brief instant, Adam considered lying. He could tell Hoss the sound must\u2019ve come from a red-tailed hawk circling high overhead, but he knew Hoss was too astute to ever fall for that.<\/p>\n

They both stared up at the lantern-lit window that marked their parents\u2019 room, the glass strong enough to hold out the cold wind but not thick enough to keep muffled sounds of agony from slipping past.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish Pa would come down and sit with us,\u201d Hoss said miserably. \u201cOr at least Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know Hop Sing is helping Doc Martin,\u201d Adam whispered, his eyes still on the window, \u201cand so is Pa.\u201d He didn\u2019t add that before he and Hoss had escaped to the porch, he had peeked into Pa\u2019s room just in time to hear him refuse the doctor\u2019s orders to leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll only be in the way, Ben,\u201d Doc Martin had snapped as he rushed around getting things ready. \u201cJust wait downstairs. We\u2019ll call you when the time comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo! Ben! Please don\u2019t leave me!\u201d Marie had sounded so terrified that Adam had wanted to panic too. The way alarm washed his pa\u2019s face free of color didn\u2019t make him feel any better.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going nowhere, Marie,\u201d Ben had soothed, and sat down beside her, holding tightly to her hand. Adam had crept away to the sounds of his stepmother gasping and his father murmuring reassurances. Then the bedroom door closed. He hadn\u2019t seen either of them since.<\/p>\n

Another pain-filled cry wafted down into the yard, making him shudder and grit his teeth.<\/p>\n

Apparently the sound was all Hoss could take; he shot to his feet and took off. Adam called to him, but the little boy was headed for the barn as though the devil himself was at his heels. The barn door banged open as Hoss flew through it.<\/p>\n

Adam hurried behind him, yet another piercing cry at his back. He wanted to put his hands over his ears to keep it out.<\/p>\n

He closed the barn door firmly behind him, and the interior fell into darkness.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss? Where\u2019d you go?\u201d<\/p>\n

A muffled sniffle along with a horse\u2019s soft nicker gave Adam his answer. He took the lantern from its place on a hook near the door and lit it, then carefully hung it back up.<\/p>\n

Soft yellow light pushed the darkness back into the corners of the barn. In one of the stalls, under the benevolent eye of a large bay mare, stood Hoss. He rubbed the velvety nose of a tiny foal standing beside the mare. He did not look at Adam. Adam decided to pretend he didn\u2019t notice the tears staining his cheeks.<\/p>\n

It was warmer here out of the wind. Quieter, too. Distance and wind and plank walls thankfully kept the agonizing sounds of childbirth at bay. Adam wondered why he hadn\u2019t had the sense to take advantage of the barn\u2019s protective confines earlier.<\/p>\n

Well, if he hadn\u2019t been thinking clearly, neither had anyone else. The entire household was rattled. Pa and Hop Sing rushing about, Marie turning her face into her pillow to hide her pain, Doc Martin shouting orders\u2014and fear, hard and cold, filtered over everything.<\/p>\n

For the baby was coming early. Far too early.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat . . . sound. I ain\u2019t never heard anyone sound like that,\u201d Hoss whispered. He ran a hand down the mare\u2019s sleek neck, over and over, staring at her rather than looking at Adam. \u201cWhy does Mama sound like that, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam picked up a brush and moved to stand beside Hoss. \u201cShe\u2019s hurting, Hoss.\u201d He moved the brush over the mare\u2019s side in rhythmic motions, knowing the task was more to soothe himself than because the horse needed grooming.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid my mama sound like that when I was born?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s hand stilled for a moment as he looked down at his brother, remembering. \u201cNo. Inger was quiet through the whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s brow furrowed. \u201cSo not all ladies holler so terrible when a baby\u2019s comin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rubbed the soft neck of Lucy’s foal and thought about it. He had plenty of personal experience to draw from; several babies had been born on the trail when he and Pa and Inger had been with the wagon train. The canvas walls of the wagons hadn\u2019t afforded anyone much privacy for anything, not even birth and death. Some women were quieter than others. He wondered if it was because some could take more pain than others, or because some births were just harder. He suspected it was probably a little bit of both, although Marie didn\u2019t strike him as someone who couldn\u2019t stand up under pain. He knew birthing could be a long, arduous process, though.<\/p>\n

Out on the trail with the wagon train, a couple of babies had been born too early. Neither one had survived, and one of the mothers had died as well.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t want to talk about this anymore. He didn\u2019t want to think about it, either.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop asking so many questions, will you?\u201d he said gruffly. He gently nudged the foal aside and moved to the mare\u2019s other side, where he continued to flick the brush across the dark, shining hide.<\/p>\n

Hoss ducked his face under the horse\u2019s neck and stared at him with big, round eyes. \u201cAre you scared, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

Was he scared? Yeah, he was scared. Scared for the new baby, and scared that his pretty stepmother, whom he had only recently begun to warm up to, would be gone before the night was done. Scared that his pa would once again walk around with that awful, lost look on his face the way he had done after Inger had died.<\/p>\n

He tried to swallow the knot growing in his throat. \u201cYeah, I\u2019m scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded and patted the mare\u2019s neck. \u201cMe too.\u201d He looked at the foal and then back at its mother. \u201cLucy didn\u2019t make sounds like that when she had her baby. Just a few grunts and groans, and her baby just sort of slapped out onto the ground, all wet and messy\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie\u2019s not a horse. It\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy? What do you mean, \u2018why\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy is it different for animals? Don\u2019t mama animals hurt when they\u2019re tryin\u2019 to get their babies born?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yes, I imagine that it does hurt them, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why don\u2019t they holler?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam rolled his eyes. \u201cOh, for Pete sakes, Hoss, have you ever heard a horse holler?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI sure dadgum have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyes snapped to Hoss\u2019s face. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember last winter when that chestnut gelding stepped in a hole and broke his leg? That horse screamed when it went down. It was awful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gulped at the remembrance. It had been awful. \u201cYeah, well . . . that\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA horse with a broke leg is different than one that\u2019s tryin\u2019 to have a baby?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. It\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy? They both hurt, don\u2019t they? Why would they sometimes holler when they go down with a broke leg but not when they\u2019re havin\u2019 a baby? Why is it different?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. \u201cI don\u2019t know why. It\u2019s just different, that\u2019s all. Here, brush on Lucy for a while. It\u2019ll give you something to do.\u201d He handed the brush to him and leaned against the wall, peering out the smudged window of the barn to the house. Much as he didn\u2019t want to hear Marie\u2019s cries, he was desperate to know what was happening in there.<\/p>\n

Obediently, Hoss brushed. \u201cI\u2019m glad animals don\u2019t holler when their babies come. You know why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave a long-suffering sigh and shook his head. \u201cNo, why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you know how the calves mostly hit the ground pretty much at the same time at the end of winter, mostly all within a few weeks? Just think how much racket there\u2019d be if all those cows were screamin\u2019 at the top of their lungs. We wouldn\u2019t be able to hear ourselves think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had to smile at the ridiculous vision his brother had painted. \u201cI reckon you\u2019re right about that. It would be a heck of a racket.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss stopped brushing and stood still. Watching Lucy\u2019s foal as it settled down into the straw, its long legs tucking themselves underneath its body, he said softly, \u201cAdam, you remember what happened to Lucy\u2019s foal last year?\u201d<\/p>\n

Poor Hoss. At that moment, Adam knew his younger brother fully understood the particular dangers to which Marie and her baby could very possibly succumb.<\/p>\n

Adam watched his face. \u201cYes, I remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa said the foal came too early. That\u2019s why she died,\u201d Hoss whispered. \u201cOur baby isn\u2019t s\u2019posed to get here \u2018til Thanksgivin\u2019. That\u2019s a whole month off. It\u2019s goin\u2019 to die, ain\u2019t it?\u201d His voice was small and shaky.<\/p>\n

Adam had no easy answer. Hoss\u2019s fear could very easily become fact. He eased off the wall and moved around to put an arm across Hoss\u2019s shoulders. \u201cDoc Martin is doing everything he can. You know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded. \u201cI know, but . . .\u00a0 Mama is scared. I saw her face. I know she\u2019s cryin\u2019 some because of how she\u2019s hurtin\u2019, but some it is because she\u2019s so scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lying, either to himself or Hoss, would serve no purpose. \u201cYes. She\u2019s scared.\u201d Marie was scared. Pa was scared. All of them were scared.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think maybe it\u2019s my fault, Adam.\u201d Hoss\u2019s bottom lip quivered. \u201cI feel like maybe God knows I\u2019m not sure I can love somebody what smells like manure. Maybe God\u2019s decided to bring the baby early so He can send him back and give him to another family, \u2018cause I don\u2019t love the baby already like Mama does.\u201d<\/p>\n

All right, this was really too much. Despite himself, Adam rolled his eyes. \u201cCome on, Hoss, there ain\u2019t no truth in that at all. You\u2019re talkin\u2019 nonsense. You know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss shrugged. \u201cYeah. I reckon.\u201d But he looked unconvinced.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head and turned to a wooden chest sitting just outside the stall. He withdrew several horse blankets from the chest and crooked his finger at his brother. \u201cCome on. Unless you want to go back to the house we might as well make ourselves comfortable, since we don\u2019t know how much longer it\u2019ll be. Could take all night. Sometimes it does.\u201d<\/p>\n

They settled themselves into the straw beside Lucy\u2019s foal. Adam tucked the blankets in around them.<\/p>\n

For a few minutes there was silence. Then, \u201cI\u2019m hungry, Adam. Hop Sing forgot all about supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed and tried to ignore the rumblings of his own belly. \u201cI know. He\u2019s awful busy. We\u2019ll get something to eat later, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grumbled a rather petulant agreement and squirmed around for several minutes before he finally sat up again, rubbing his nose. \u201cThese blankets are itchy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t bother to answer. The blankets were itchy. But they were warm, and he quickly grew drowsy despite the itchiness and his worry.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t like Mama when she first came.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned his head to see his younger brother watching him. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t that I didn\u2019t like her. It was just . . . \u201d He let out a frustrated huff of air. \u201cIt\u2019s complicated. You\u2019re too young to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you didn\u2019t<\/em> like her. You said she was like a claim jumper. You said she was\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said a lot of things,\u201d Adam interrupted. \u201cPeople say things they don\u2019t mean sometimes when they\u2019re scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were scared of Mama? How could you be scared of her? She ain\u2019t even that big. You\u2019re already taller than her. How\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say that I was afraid of her!\u201d he protested, and he was aware that his voice had risen a little higher than he had intended.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you did. You just said being scared made you say things you didn\u2019t mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say I was scared of her<\/em>,\u201d he said. \u201cFor Pete\u2019s sakes, Hoss, just lie down and go to sleep, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss frowned. \u201cIf you weren\u2019t afraid of her, what were you afraid of?\u201d<\/p>\n

What had<\/em> he been afraid of?<\/p>\n

Lots of things, that\u2019s what. Mostly that his father, obviously smitten with his new wife, would devote more and more time to her and less to him and Hoss. That his life was changing yet again, and he could do nothing to stop it, and his father’s love for Marie was at the center of that change. That she would change their family forever.<\/p>\n

But Adam hadn\u2019t realized then what he knew now. That love spread wasn\u2019t diminished. It was multiplied.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I was afraid she\u2019d change things,\u201d Adam said quietly. \u201cI liked our family the way it was\u2014you, me, Pa. Hop Sing. I didn\u2019t think we needed anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded and lay back down, seemingly satisfied. \u201cBut we did need Mama, didn\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was true. Adam had learned that just because you didn\u2019t always know you needed something didn\u2019t mean you didn\u2019t need it. \u201cYeah,\u201d he whispered, and this time his eyes stayed wide open as he stared into the rafters overhead, his worried thoughts drifting back to what was happening in Marie\u2019s bedroom. \u201cYeah, we needed her.\u201d<\/p>\n

They still did.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAdam, it\u2019s mornin\u2019. Adam? Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s insistent voice brought him out of a dream he was only too happy to leave. He had been riding on the seat of a covered wagon with Pa and Hoss. Nobody else was around; no other wagons, no people, no horses. A cold, heavy mist swirled around them, and they couldn\u2019t see where they had been or where they were headed . . .<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, I\u2019m awful hungry. Powerful<\/em> hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam struggled into a sitting position and rubbed his knuckles against his eyes, determinedly clearing away the last vestiges of sleep and dreams as Hoss stood up and dusted bits of straw off his trousers. It was colder inside the barn. The temperature had dropped.<\/p>\n

No one had come for them, and that wasn\u2019t a good sign. Either Marie was still in labor, or . . . or something worse.<\/p>\n

The realization had him scrambling to his feet.<\/p>\n

When he pushed the barn door open, a sharp wind cut across his cheeks. The sun wasn\u2019t yet over the mountains, and even when it came it wouldn\u2019t bring much warmth; the heavy mantle of blue-gray clouds would see to that. It looked like winter was getting ready to bully its way into an early appearance.<\/p>\n

They hurried across the yard toward the house, but once there they both stopped, unwilling to go further, despite the cold. They stared at the upstairs window.<\/p>\n

Hoss bit his lip. \u201cI don\u2019t hear anything, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Sure you want to go in?\u201d Adam wasn\u2019t sure himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gotta. My belly\u2019s cavin\u2019 in clear to my backbone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Exaggeration or not, Adam could appreciate the sentiment. He was hungry too.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right. Let\u2019s go in the side door. We\u2019ll get you some breakfast.\u201d And they could escape quickly out of the same door if Marie\u2019s cries started back up, Adam thought, but he didn\u2019t say it.<\/p>\n

The kitchen was strangely empty and quiet. Usually Hop Sing was busy in here before dawn, bustling around as he readied breakfast and kneaded dough for the day\u2019s bread. On a normal day, the clatter of dishes and cutlery along with Hop Sing\u2019s sharp reprimands toward anyone foolish enough to enter his domain mingled together in a cacophony of hectic activity. For the past year, Marie\u2019s ringing laughter had joined in with the noise as she and Hop Sing prepared meals together.<\/p>\n

But not this morning. There was no bread baking. No laughter. The dishes sat untouched in their cupboards. Only the stove was performing its usual task, sending up shimmering waves of heat from the embers within. On its top sat a kettle full of steaming water, and on the back of a nearby chair hung several towels. Adam didn\u2019t know what it meant that boiled towels were still needed, but apparently someone had at least kept the fire going in the stove.<\/p>\n

He surveyed the kitchen. Along one wall sat a long, low wooden table, one of Hop Sing\u2019s favorite work spaces. Various tins and bowls rested there, including a crockery bowl filled with what was left of yesterday\u2019s eggs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have breakfast in no time, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

He picked up the bowl of eggs, and a couple of tiny, square objects came into view.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama\u2019s dice,\u201d Hoss said matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n

Yes, Marie\u2019s dice. Adam was well aware of the dice that stayed hidden in the corner behind the egg bowl. Once, before things had eased between him and Marie, he\u2019d even confronted her about those dice after walking in on her and Hop Sing while they were engaged in a game of craps\u2014what they had apparently both felt a hilariously funny<\/em> game of craps. They\u2019d both been laughing and hooting at one another like drunken miners. Worse, Hoss had been rolling the dice and laughing hysterically too.<\/p>\n

Adam had felt a short, sharp pang of jealousy because he hadn\u2019t been among them, giggling and joking. Instead of joining in, however, he\u2019d said accusingly, \u201cYou know Pa don\u2019t hold with gamblin\u2019.\u201d Hoss had flushed and shot him an anxious look. Hop Sing had taken one look at the glower on his face and then had very quickly risen and busied himself at the stove, mumbling in Chinese under his breath.<\/p>\n

But Marie hadn\u2019t been shamed at all. She\u2019d stopped laughing, but a smile still hovered at the edges of her mouth as she looked him straight in the eye. \u201cWe\u2019re not gambling. We\u2019re playing a game. There\u2019s a difference, Adam. It\u2019s just a way for Hop Sing and me to enjoy passing our time while we wait for water to boil or meat to brown. Just a game, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d narrowed his eyes at her. \u201cYou don\u2019t play when Pa is around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her smile had faltered and something uneasy had flashed across her eyes. \u201cNo, because I know it bothers him. He\u2019s afraid of . . . he\u2019s worried that I . . . \u201d She\u2019d given her head a slight shake and put her smile firmly back in place. \u201cIt makes him uncomfortable, so I choose not to do it when he is present.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d looked at the dice lying on the table and then back at her, and then he\u2019d tilted his chin up and said in the coldest manner he knew how to employ, \u201cLadies\u2014real<\/em> ladies\u2014don\u2019t touch dice.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019d winced and sucked in a breath. Sharp words had crossed between them before, but this time he had the impression that perhaps he\u2019d crossed the line. Part of him had wanted to take the words back. He\u2019d known it was a cruel thing to say. The other part of him, though, the part that didn\u2019t want to like or trust his pa\u2019s new wife, was glad he\u2019d managed to draw blood.<\/p>\n

But Marie wasn\u2019t an easy target. Slowly, she had stood and moved to stand directly in front of him, drawing herself to her full height and raising her chin to look him as squarely in the face as she could. He\u2019d had to fight to keep from taking a step back from the fire flashing in her eyes.<\/p>\n

When she spoke, her voice was cool but soft. \u201cI\u2019m likely as close to a real<\/em> lady now as I ever will be, Adam. I\u2019m sorry if it isn\u2019t close enough to suit you, but I set my life\u2019s course long ago. You, however, still have time to choose your own paths. And if one of those paths includes becoming a real gentleman, you\u2019d do well to remember that true gentlemen treat every woman they meet with deference and respect, whether that woman is a countess or a saloon girl\u2014or even your father\u2019s wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that, she\u2019d gathered her skirts and left the kitchen, her head held high, leaving him standing shamefaced in the silent kitchen.<\/p>\n

Adam touched one of the dice now, its bone surface smooth and cool under his fingers, and his lips twitched up in a tiny smile. He had apologized to Marie later\u2014much later. But he\u2019d been sincere in his regret, just as she had been sincere in her acceptance of it. The dice games hadn\u2019t stopped, and although he\u2019d never joined in on them, neither had he spoken of them to Pa. He sometimes even watched for a few minutes. He had decided the issue was none of his business. If playing dice was truly a bad thing, his father would discover the games and ban them soon enough without Adam\u2019s interference. There wasn\u2019t much on the Ponderosa that went on for long without Ben Cartwright\u2019s knowledge.<\/p>\n

Carefully, he pushed the dice back under cover behind a tin of flour.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Hoss, let\u2019s scramble up these eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n

He let Hoss help him crack the shells, even though he knew it meant they\u2019d be biting into crunchy bits later. Within a few minutes they were both tucking into plates of fluffy yellow eggs, their bellies soothed with the warmth of comforting food even if their minds were still tense with worry. So far they had seen neither hide nor hair of anyone else. It was as if they were the only ones home.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood eggs,\u201d Hoss mumbled around a mouthful, and Adam nodded even as he picked a piece of shell out of his mouth.<\/p>\n

At that moment a single, long, horrible cry, worse than all the ones they had heard last night, resounded down the stairs and throughout the house.<\/p>\n

Startled, Hoss jerked back, accidentally knocking his plate off the table. Scrambled eggs scattered and bounced across the plank floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thing we didn\u2019t use Mama\u2019s china,\u201d Hoss said mournfully as the tin plate bounced and rolled into a corner. It rattled noisily to a stop and Hoss stared into Adam\u2019s face as they both waited, tense and on edge, for another cry.<\/p>\n

It never came.<\/p>\n

Minutes went by. Adam gave his own eggs to Hoss as he got down on his knees to clean up the mess on the floor, but he noticed that Hoss only picked at the food. He couldn\u2019t blame him. His own appetite had disappeared.<\/p>\n

When footsteps sounded on the stairs, both of them jerked their faces in the direction of the sound. Adam froze in the middle of wiping the eggs up off the floor. Was it over? Was someone coming to tell them that the baby was here, and that Marie was fine\u2014or . . . or . . . He shook himself. No. He wouldn\u2019t consider the alternative.<\/p>\n

Within moments, Hop Sing appeared in the doorway, circles under his eyes and lines of exhaustion marking his face. He hardly glanced at either of them, but the fact that he didn\u2019t seem to notice the eggs marring his floor was what really made Adam\u2019s heart stutter in fear. Normally the cook would\u2019ve loudly chastised them for dirtying his kitchen, but he said not a word.<\/p>\n

Something awful had happened. Only something truly bad would distract Hop Sing this way from the care of his kitchen.<\/p>\n

Taking up a pair of tongs, Hop Sing began to dip clean towels into the steaming water. Adam got up off the floor, leaving the eggs where they lay.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing,\u201d he said hoarsely. \u201cMarie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing turned his head and blinked as though surprised to see him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMister Adam. You and Mister Hoss up early. I get breakfast soon. First take towels up to Doc Martin, then cook.\u201d He turned back to the stove, and Adam put a hand on his arm, staring at his uncharacteristically expressionless face.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is she?\u201d Part of him didn\u2019t want to hear the answer. What if the worst had happened? He wanted to bolt out the kitchen door before Hop Sing had a chance to tell him that Marie was gone, that springtime was once again only a season and not a feeling, that months of grieving were all any of them had to look forward to.<\/p>\n

But Hop Sing gave him a small smile and nodded. \u201cMissy be fine. Must rest now. Birthing hard work. All done now.\u201d<\/p>\n

All done now. All done! Adam let out a deep breath. He wanted to collapse with the relief of Hop Sing\u2019s news. Hot tears stung his eyes even as he smiled.<\/p>\n

Hoss, silent and still until now, jumped out of his chair. \u201cThe baby is here?\u201d<\/p>\n

The baby. Heaven help him, he\u2019d been so frightened for Marie he hadn\u2019t even thought to ask about the baby.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing nodded at Hoss. \u201cYes, baby here. Fine son for Mister Ben. Fine brother for you.\u201d Hop Sing\u2019s smile stumbled, though, and there was a note of sadness in his voice that sent cold foreboding shuddering through Adam.<\/p>\n

Hoss, always perceptive, caught the undertones as well. His face instantly crumpled. Tears welled up in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. He shook his head sadly at Adam. \u201cI told you our baby was gonna die! Not s\u2019posed to come \u2018til Thanksgivin\u2019. Not s\u2019posed to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing cut him off. \u201cStop foolishment. Baby still here. Not die.\u201d He dropped more towels into the water.<\/p>\n

Adam pushed determinedly for more information. \u201cHop Sing, what is it? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hop Sing interrupted his towel heating to look at Adam, and he sighed. \u201cBaby very small, Mister Adam. Not good be so small.\u201d Then he shook his head and went back to work. \u201cYou leave Hop Sing alone now. Doctor waiting.\u201d He scurried out with a basketful of steaming towels.<\/p>\n

Not good be so small<\/em>. No, it was never good to be born too early and too small. Adam chewed his bottom lip, his initial glad relief dampened by his burgeoning despair for a tiny person he didn\u2019t even know.<\/p>\n

Our hearts already know him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s chin jutted out. \u201cI want to see Mama,\u201d he proclaimed, and he sounded so determined that Adam knew there would be no arguing with him. Hoss was rarely disagreeable, but once he had his heart set on something, it was impossible to dissuade him.<\/p>\n

Besides, he wanted to see Mama\u2014Marie\u2014too.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, but you have to promise you\u2019ll be quiet,\u201d he ordered, and Hoss nodded vigorously.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll whisper,\u201d he promised. Adam wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Hoss didn\u2019t realize his voice was as big as the rest of him, and what he thought came out as a whisper could be heard across a large room.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, but if Marie and the baby are sleeping, just don\u2019t say anything at all, okay? Not even a whisper.\u201d<\/p>\n

They crept upstairs. Together they stood in the open doorway of Marie\u2019s bedroom, hesitant and afraid. There was a roaring fire in the hearth, making the room feel stuffy and overly warm even with the cold wind beating against the windows. The lamps were still lit. A pile of crumpled sheets rested in one corner of the room, ostensibly waiting for Hop Sing\u2019s removal.<\/p>\n

In the bed, Marie lay propped up against several down pillows, her hair in disarray such as Adam had never seen. She was always very careful about arranging her hair just so, but not today. Her skin was pale, and there was a smudge of purple beneath her eyes. She looked awfully tired.<\/p>\n

Pa, too, looked exhausted. He stood beside the bed, his hand gripping Marie\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Neither of them glanced at Hoss or Adam. Both of them had all their attention riveted upon Doc Martin as he bent intently over a small, wrapped bundle lying on the bed beside Marie.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s hand edged into Adam\u2019s; Adam grasped the boy\u2019s stout fingers and held on tightly.<\/p>\n

The doctor\u2019s back was to them, and Adam couldn\u2019t see what he was doing to their baby, but whatever he was doing, he wasn\u2019t talking about it. Pa and Marie were also silent.<\/p>\n

In fact, silence pervaded the room in a thick, black wave, and Adam suddenly realized that the baby wasn\u2019t crying. Fear sank hard and cold into his belly. New babies always cried, or at least whimpered. The only ones he\u2019d ever seen that were silent like this were . . . were babies that had died. Or going to die.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoc?\u201d Pa\u2019s voice was shaky, and the sound of it made Adam\u2019s insides tremble.<\/p>\n

Doc Martin straightened then, and heaved a loud sigh. \u201cHe\u2019s fighting, Ben.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cBut I feel it would be wrong of me to give you false hope. He\u2019s just so early . . . \u201d He bent his head and shook it again. \u201cIt would be wrong of me not to give you the truth. His odds aren\u2019t good. Not good at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he watched Pa and Marie grow even paler, Adam slowly became aware of pain in his hand; Hoss was squeezing it for all he was worth.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Hoss blurted. \u201cHe can\u2019t die!\u201d<\/p>\n

The adults looked up, startled, aware for the first time of their presence. Hoss ran to the bed and threw himself face down onto the quilt covering Marie\u2019s legs.<\/p>\n

Marie placed a hand on his head. \u201cHoss, it is all right. Do not worry. Your brother will be fine.\u201d She shot Doc Martin a defiant look as if daring him to argue. Doc, though, only dropped his gaze to the floor and said nothing.<\/p>\n

Pa stepped forward and grasped Doc Martin\u2019s shoulder. \u201cPlease, Paul, surely there\u2019s something we can do. Anything . . .\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n

Doc Martin stared at him, and the pity in his face made Pa drop his hand and step back as though he\u2019d been burned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ben. It\u2019s his lungs, you see. When a baby is born too early, sometimes the lungs are not developed enough to cope with the task of taking in oxygen. And his size . . .\u00a0 He\u2019s a fighter, or he\u2019d be gone already, but he\u2019s weak. That\u2019s why he\u2019s not crying. He\u2019s just so small.\u201d Again Doc shook his head. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ben,\u201d he repeated. \u201cIf there was anything I could do . . . \u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Adam watched as his father\u2019s face took on the same broken, devastated look he had worn in the weeks following Inger\u2019s death. But then he straightened and set his shoulders back.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy boy will not die,\u201d he said, jutting out his chin.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I know how you feel, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy boy will not die,\u201d he said again. He looked back at Marie, at Hoss staring up at him with wide blue eyes, at Adam still standing in the doorway. \u201cHe will strengthen, and he will live. The four of us will see to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie set up straight. Along with tears, there was something shining in her eyes that Adam could not quite put a name to\u2014desperation? Gratitude? Determination?<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband is right, Doctor. The four of us\u2014\u201d She looked around, her gaze lighting upon each of them in turn, and took a deep breath. \u201c\u2014the four of us, as Ben has said, will ensure this baby\u2019s survival.\u201d She picked the baby up and put her face close to his.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere, you see, my son?\u201d She was whispering, but Adam could hear what she said from where he stood. \u201cFour. A \u2018Little Joe.\u2019 One of the most difficult rolls of the dice to make, and you already have it in your hand. You will not lose.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Little Joe. A dicing term meaning a roll of four. Adam had heard Marie shout it out more than once during those secret games of chance. \u201cA Little Joe, Hoss! That is what you must roll to win! You need four! A Little Joe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are already lucky, my son,\u201d Marie whispered. \u201cYou will beat the odds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe.\u201d Hoss said. He leaned toward the baby. \u201cLittle Joe, Little Joe, Little Joe,\u201d he chanted. He had grasped onto Marie\u2019s optimism with all his might. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a Little Joe, baby. You\u2019re going to win! Little Joe, Little Joe, Little Joe\u2014\u201d His voice rose a little with each chant.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, that\u2019s enough, son,\u201d Pa said, and he looked slightly alarmed. But Hoss paid him no mind. Instead he reached for the baby\u2019s hand and held it in his.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Little Joe, baby. That\u2019s what you\u2019ve got. Me, Adam, Mama and Pa. You can\u2019t lose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, come down off the bed,\u201d Ben ordered, and reached for him.<\/p>\n

Hoss evaded his grasp. It was the only time Adam could ever remember Hoss deliberately disobeying their father.<\/p>\n

And now he was shouting, and even Adam was concerned. He moved forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, stop!\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle Joe!\u201d Hoss shouted at the top of his lungs. \u201cLittle Joe, Little Joe, Little Joe!\u201d<\/p>\n

His voice echoed against the walls of the room, and still he shouted. Pa was pulling at him now, trying to get him away from the baby, and Doc Martin watched him as though gazing upon a terrifying new species of insect. Marie was staring at him with an open mouth even as she tried to cover the infant\u2019s ears with her hands.<\/p>\n

It was too late. The startled baby\u2019s eyes, shut before, were now wide open, and fixed on Hoss\u2019s face. He gave a big shudder, opened his tiny mouth, sucked in a huge breath of air . . . and let out the most unearthly squall Adam had ever heard. The noise drowned out even Hoss\u2019s shouts.<\/p>\n

Surprised, Hoss shut his mouth.<\/p>\n

The baby did not.<\/p>\n

Escalating in volume, his screams went on.<\/p>\n

And on.<\/p>\n

October, 1861<\/em><\/p>\n

For several long moments after finishing the story, Adam sat quietly. Jeffrey watched him, somehow disappointed that the story seemed to be at an end. He wanted to hear more.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the four Cartwrights became five?\u201d he pushed.<\/p>\n

An old sorrow lay was layered beneath Adam\u2019s smile. \u201cOnly for a little while,\u201d he said. \u201cMarie died in a riding accident when Joe was still very young.\u201d He stood and moved to stand near his brother again. \u201cIt\u2019s been just the four of us ever since,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cA fact frequently bemoaned by the mamas of all the eligible young ladies in Virginia City,\u201d Dr. Martin commented wryly, and Jeffrey had to laugh.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed too, but his gaze was on Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou stay here, Adam,\u201d Dr. Martin said quietly. \u201cDr. Stanton and I will go collect your pa and Hoss. They\u2019ve waited for news long enough. We\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eyes still on his brother, Adam barely acknowledged their departure as they left the surgery.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey was thoughtful as he walked beside Dr. Martin toward the International House. “I had assumed the nickname “Little Joe” came from the boy’s build and from being the younger brother,” he said.<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin grinned. “That’s what most people assume,” he said. “But as you just heard, that’s not how it happened. His nickname came from his good fortune\u2014the ability to roll a four, a Little Joe, first rattle out of the box.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffrey frowned at him. \u201cThat\u2019s absurd. Surely you don\u2019t really think there\u2019s something special about the number four. It\u2019s just a dicing term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin drew himself up as though offended. \u201cOf course not! I\u2019m a man of science, not superstitious gobbledy-gook.\u201d Then he spread his hands in a helpless gesture. \u201cIt\u2019s just that\u2014well, this is a family that\u2014I don\u2019t know, that draws its strength from one another. Always has. That\u2019s more where their good fortune lies. In each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

They walked for a moment in silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you a gambling man, Mr. Stanton?\u201d Dr. Martin asked suddenly.<\/p>\n

He looked at Dr. Martin and shrugged. \u201cI like a card game every now and then. Just for pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDice?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA four is hard to get. A Little Joe,\u201d Dr. Martin said matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey nodded. \u201cYes, it is. One of the lowest odds you can get.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWant to lay odds that four Cartwrights will be riding back to the Ponderosa? Oh, not in the next several days, certainly, but eventually. I\u2019m willing to put down a considerable wager\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWager?\u201d Jeffrey frowned. \u201cOn whether or not the kid survives? Is that ethical?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin laughed. \u201cHell, son, we\u2019ve done the surgery already! It\u2019s up to that boy and God now. Nothing you or I do is going to change what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffrey considered, and thought again about the kid lying on the table in the surgery with his brother standing over him. Half an hour ago he would\u2019ve considered that bet a sure thing. But now . . .<\/p>\n

Something told him he\u2019d be losing his money.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, son?\u201d Dr. Martin pressed. \u201cWhat do you say? Do we have a bet?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffrey shook his head, smiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of fool would I be,\u201d he said, \u201cto bet against a kid who has a habit of rolling fours every time he tosses the dice?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin grinned back at him, and then opened the doors to the International House. \u201cCome on, Doctor. We\u2019ve got news to deliver. The rest of that boy\u2019s family is waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The End<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
End Notes:<\/span><\/div>\n
The term “Little Joe” really does refer to a gambling term meaning a roll of four. It is one of the most difficult rolls to get.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Disclaimer:<\/span>\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

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

Summary: \u00a0A day in the life of 12-year-old Adam, as he\u00a0tells how Little Joe’s nickname really came about.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0T \u00a0WC 9800<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":6085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_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":""},"categories":[23,30],"tags":[14,15,17,16],"class_list":["post-7413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","tag-adam-cartwright","tag-ben","tag-hoss","tag-joe","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":3091,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/When-dawn.jpg?fit=635%2C480&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13630,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13630","url_meta":{"origin":7413,"position":0},"title":"A Cry for Freedom (by JennieA)","author":"JennieA","date":"January 7, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 It started with Ben giving Little Joe more responsibility for the Ponderosa.\u00a0 Little did the family realize the course Ben was setting in motion. Rating:\u00a0 R\u00a0 (65,725 words) Due to subject matter contained in this series, the stories are only available via e:mail from the author -- ryjennie@comcast.net","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\/2015\/09\/4Cs.jpg?fit=400%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12147,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12147","url_meta":{"origin":7413,"position":1},"title":"He Said Not To Tell (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"May 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"The author requests those who wish to read this series contact her via eMail: DLB1234@aol.com","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\/11\/1-joe.jpg?fit=238%2C226&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":49924,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=49924","url_meta":{"origin":7413,"position":2},"title":"The Ugliest Christmas Ornament (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"December 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Little Joe thinks an ornament is too ugly for the Cartwright tree. Adam has the opposite opinion in this slice-of-life vignette. Rating: G 610 words","rel":"","context":"In "Brothers"","block_context":{"text":"Brothers","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1009"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Bonanza-SC-Angel.jpg?fit=385%2C289&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13631,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13631","url_meta":{"origin":7413,"position":3},"title":"Freedom from Fear (by JennieA)","author":"JennieA","date":"January 14, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 The aftermath of Joe's kidnapping and subsequent rescue. Rating:\u00a0 R\u00a0 (33,760) Due to the subject matter contained in this series, the stories are only available via e:mail from the author -- ryjennie@comcast.net","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\/2015\/09\/4Cs.jpg?fit=400%2C401&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12750,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12750","url_meta":{"origin":7413,"position":4},"title":"A Modern Cartwrights Story #3 – A Quarter\u2019s Worth of Glory: Joe in the Infernal Machine (by Robin)","author":"profrobinw","date":"January 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Headlines ripped from the daily newspaper in this modern era tale of the Cartwrights. Rating:\u00a0 K+\u00a0 (775 word) A Modern Cartwright Story Series, links to stories within the series are included.","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22994,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=22994","url_meta":{"origin":7413,"position":5},"title":"Jeremiah (by Hart4Ben)","author":"Hart4Ben","date":"June 26, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Hoss has an unusual gift for Little Joe. A prequel challenge piece. 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