Summary:\u00a0 Words said have a destruction consequence within the Cartwright family. \u00a0One family member refuses to live where respect does not.<\/p>\n
Rating: \u00a0K+ \u00a0 \u00a0 Word Count: \u00a0 6,299<\/p>\n
Enough Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n Enough<\/a> <\/p>\n Enough<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I did it again.\u00a0 I jumped on my horse and took off from the ranch in anger.\u00a0 Angry, again, at big brother for treating me like a kid.\u00a0 And then I do just that-act like a kid and run away from my problems.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t take this final insult from him.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t seem like much, but when you\u2019re the baby in a family of men being treated as an adult is important.\u00a0 At least it is to me.\u00a0 This time, Adam took me to task in front of the men and called me \u201cPa\u2019s little boy.\u201d\u00a0 That made them laugh loudly at me.\u00a0 And when I turned to leave, I could hear them continuing to call me little boy, kid, and other names that meant I was less than a man.\u00a0 It hurt.<\/p>\n I could not let them see me cry.\u00a0 That\u2019s my response to pain in my life.\u00a0 Tears.\u00a0 Tears that I cannot stop or control.\u00a0 They fall when I am angry, happy, frightened, or hurt.\u00a0 Uncontrollable emotions-a gift or a curse.<\/p>\n This time the tears fell as soon as the laughter began.\u00a0 Here I stood, expecting the hands to treat me like a man, but I cry when my big brother belittles me in front of them.\u00a0 Tears of hurt and pain rolled down my cheeks as when I was little boy.<\/p>\n So, I left, in anger, resentment, and humiliation.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t wait to listen to Pa\u2019s explanations or for him to demand that Adam apologize.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t wait to hear Hoss tell me that the fella\u2019s was just joshin\u2019 or that Adam didn\u2019t mean any harm; he was jus funnin\u2019 and I certainly didn\u2019t want to hear Adam\u2019s arrogant apology.\u00a0 I left, taking my pain and embarrassment upon my shoulders, feeling that I could never return to the ranch and be treated with respect.\u00a0 I left not caring whether anyone would care that I was gone; I just left.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had enough.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0* * * * * *\u00a0 * * *<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Pa.\u00a0 The boy will be back by morning.\u00a0 He\u2019s just behaving like he did when he has younger,\u201d Adam said as he sipped coffee and walked casually to the living room and took a seat near the fireplace.<\/p>\n \u201cThat boy as you call him is a grown man. He is not a child and he is not acting like a child,\u201d Hoss said in his brother\u2019s defense.\u00a0 \u201cI talked to Hank about what happened today and if it had been me I woulda punched you in the mouth, Adam.\u00a0 You don\u2019t treat my brother that way again.\u00a0 Do you understand me?\u201d he said tossing his napkin on the table.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not going to fight in this house.\u00a0 We are a family and there is a way to handle this situation without tearing each other apart,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n \u201cWell maybe I should just tear someone apart for Joe.\u00a0 You\u2019ve been riding him all week and I told you to let up on him. \u00a0He’s had enough of your manners and so have I. \u00a0Joe works harder than anyone on this ranch, Adam, and that includes you.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why he thinks he needs to prove himself to you.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve been this angry with you in my life Adam.\u00a0 When the fellas told me what you did and how the new hands laughed and called Joe names after you started, I fired all four them and dared them to set foot back on this ranch.\u00a0 Only thing is, I can\u2019t fire you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did not intend for the hands to do what they did.\u00a0 I guess I should not have said that to Joe and when he gets home I\u2019ll make it right.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry Hoss, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019ll find him and get things back to right,\u201d Adam said as he placed his coffee on the table.\u00a0 Rubbing the bridge of his nose, the realization of the damage he\u2019d done to his brother began to sink in.\u00a0 \u201cWhat have I done?\u201d he asked himself.<\/p>\n Hoss stomped to the door and grabbed his hat and gun belt.\u00a0 \u201cNo, you\u2019re not coming within ten feet of Joe right now and if you do I\u2019ll give you the pounding that I\u2019m holding back right now.\u00a0 Pa, I\u2019m going to see if I can find Joe.\u00a0 I\u2019ll bring him home no matter how long it takes.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t coming back without him,\u201d he said stepping out into the darkness.<\/p>\n Silence ruled the room after the big man left, taking all the air with him.\u00a0 Ben Cartwright sat alone at the table, feeling as if his family was torn asunder and he had no control of the maelstrom swirling through the room.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 angry departure and uncharacteristic threat of bodily harm to Adam pulled all the energy out of him leaving the patriarch exhausted.\u00a0 \u201cMy sons, my sons, my sons,\u201d he said shaking his head slowly.<\/p>\n \u00a0* * * * * *\u00a0 * * *<\/p>\n \u00a0I rode fast and without focus or direction until I came to a familiar structure.\u00a0 The line shack was the closest one to the ranch; a three-hour ride away. I\u2019m not going back home and I will make decisions tonight about where I\u2019m heading.\u00a0 I stabled and feed Cochise and needed to find a meal for myself.\u00a0 The creak of the door seemed louder than usual and the shack seemed darker tonight than when I spent nights alone here.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s because I am alone in spirit and my future seems dark.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have the light of my father\u2019s ranch to brighten my path.\u00a0 Tomorrow I\u2019m leaving this shack to find my future.\u00a0 I have only the clothes on my back, my bedroll, and a few provisions I\u2019ll gather from the shack.\u00a0 I will stop at other line shacks along the way to spend the night or look for provisions I don\u2019t have with me.\u00a0 These would be the last things I\u2019d take from my father and to avoid feeling as if I were taking things that did not belong to me, I\u2019ll leave messages letting Pa know that I would pay for everything I used or took from the line shacks.<\/p>\n I had to begin making my way alone and took only what I needed.\u00a0 My saddle bags were as full as possible.\u00a0 The extra weight shouldn\u2019t be too much for Cochise; he\u2019s a strong horse and is accustomed to hard work.\u00a0 This would be the last night I would spend this close to home for a while and I took in all the sights, smells, and sounds that had been my life for the last 20 years.\u00a0 The tears began this time and I did not try to rein them in.\u00a0 It was too painful to try, so I removed the wall and let myself cry for what I was leaving behind.\u00a0 The last words I wrote before I feel asleep were \u201cI love you all, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss rode through the night, not knowing which way to go. \u00a0He decided to find a place to rest for the night and continue his search as soon as he could see where Joe was headed.\u00a0 Hoss knew the difficulty of his task with Joe having at least a four hour head start.\u00a0 He had also spent all of Joe\u2019s life teaching him to track people and animals and he knew that his little brother would use all of those skills in reverse to keep from being found.\u00a0 Hoss knew he would have a difficult time picking up the trail and did not know when he fell asleep that he had traveled three hours in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n \u00a0* * * * * *\u00a0 * * *<\/p>\n \u00a0Sleep came easily for the exhausted young man laying alone in the dark.\u00a0 He was tired-emotionally and physically.\u00a0 He was frightened, but driven to do what he felt must be done.<\/p>\n At the ranch, his father paced the floor in front of the fireplace as he had done daily since Joe and Hoss left.\u00a0 Ben could not remove from his imagination the shame and humiliation his young son experienced weeks ago.\u00a0 Many times he had warned his eldest son that his teasing would go too far one day and he would hurt his brother deeply.\u00a0 And this was the hurt he knew would happen.\u00a0 Deep, painful, and destructive.\u00a0 Now, where was his child?\u00a0 Joe was 20 years old, but had been pampered and taken care of all his life.\u00a0 Yes, he was tough and smart and capable, but he had never been on his own the way he is now.\u00a0 Ben stood silently and prayed for his son, asking God to protect his Joseph and not let him go astray or come to harm.\u00a0 He also prayed that Joe would find a way to reconcile what happened and come home to him.\u00a0 Tears that now rolled down the face of his young son, also stained the checks of the elder Cartwright.<\/p>\n The mistake that gave Joe a head start on his family searching for him was that they thought Joe would return as he always did. Adam figured it was just another temper tantrum and the boy would come home when he simmered down.\u00a0 This logical thinking was their undoing and other than Hoss\u2019 efforts, the search did not begin for two days.\u00a0 The ranch was too large to search in a short amount of time.<\/p>\n Joseph Francis Cartwright was born on the ranch and was a part of the land, the caves and dwelling places long vacated by others had been his play land in his youth.\u00a0 It would be impossible to find him if Joe did not want to be found and at this moment in his life, Joe did not want to be found by any of the hands living in the bunkhouse or his Pa or brothers.\u00a0 So, all of their searching and tracking and looking was fruitless.\u00a0 Joe was nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n The family members received various notes scribbled on small pieces of paper from the hands who checked the line shacks.\u00a0 Each note brought greater heartache as they revealed that Joe was leaving the Ponderosa.\u00a0 The notes revealed that Joe was gathering supplies from each shack, careful not to deplete the pantry from one shack; he chose to visit several.\u00a0 The final note, from the shack at the northernmost point on the ranch was the final statement of love for his family; the final word Ben Cartwright would hear from Joe until he chose to contact them again.\u00a0 The search was over and Joe was gone. . . . . . and so was Hoss.<\/p>\n \u00a0* * * * * * * * *<\/p>\n \u00a0Two months slipped slowly past as Joe moved from one town to the next.\u00a0 He found odd jobs to pay for a hotel room, a meal, a stall for Cochise, but never stayed any one place for more than a week or two. Joe was now in the northern part of California.\u00a0 A place new to him but with similar surroundings.\u00a0 He enjoyed sleeping under the stars at night and remembering what it was like to have his family\u2019s company.\u00a0 These were the times that were most difficult and he cried himself to sleep on many nights.<\/p>\n The late summer days changed quickly to coolness of autumn and Joe found work at a ranch that was somewhat similar to the Ponderosa. He decided to stay through autumn if the job held out.\u00a0 It felt good here. The sounds of horses and the men who worked them were a welcome diversion from the loss he suffered by his own hand; his own desire to be treated as a man.<\/p>\n Here, on this strange place with strangers who did not know he was the youngest son of the richest ranch owner in Nevada, he was treated like a man.\u00a0 He did a hard day\u2019s work and settled into his bunk at night like the others.\u00a0 They laughed with him; not at him.\u00a0 They kidded him in a way that did not hurt or belittle.\u00a0 They called him \u201cKid,\u201d in a way that was fine with him for he was, again, the smallest and youngest hand.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t mind at all; he had not told them his name.\u00a0 So Kid or Nevada, or Nevada Kid was fine with him until he decided what his name would be or until he revealed that he was Joseph Cartwright.<\/p>\n The bunkhouse, corral and barn stood in the shadows of a grand, white house that was the opposite of the ranch house he grew up in.\u00a0 The owner was a lady who looked to be his pa\u2019s age.\u00a0 She was elegant and well-dressed even when wearing her riding habit.\u00a0 Once, when invited in by the ramrod, Joe saw a house as elegant and well-dressed as its owner.\u00a0 He asked no questions about the family but made himself comfortable among the hands in the bunk house.\u00a0 Here, Joe heard of the beautiful daughter and other sons who were visiting in San Francisco.<\/p>\n The young man was at peace and in a world very much like the one he left behind. The sounds of checkers or poker in the evening and snoring at night made sleep come easily.\u00a0 So like home that, sometimes, it hurt.\u00a0 It was at these times that he knew he would go home to his family before the snow began to fall and close the roads that led home.\u00a0 But it didn\u2019t matter, he would be home by Christmas.<\/p>\n This night, Joe found that he could not rest in comfort.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Joe was tossed from the back of a resistance horse and took a hard fall when at the corral.\u00a0 One minute, he was gaining control of the angry animal beneath him and the next minute he was flying through the air with no wings and no hopes of a soft landing.\u00a0 The impact with the fence rails and post would not be soon forgotten.<\/p>\n \u201cKid, are you alright?\u201d Grayson stood over him offering an extended arm for support.\u00a0 Shaking his head to remove the cobwebs that began to grow there, he took the hand and hauled himself upright.\u00a0 \u201cThat was a tough landing, are you sure you\u2019re alright?\u201d Grayson asked again.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Joe answered rubbing the parts that hurt.\u00a0 He quickly schooled his face to make sure no one saw that he was really in pain.\u00a0 Joe knew that some ribs gave when he fell, but he had fared worse than this before.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be . . . . .\u201d<\/p>\n From across the corral, Joe could see the Ramrod making quick steps in his direction.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Nevada, I didn\u2019t know you had it in mind to destroy the whole corral.\u00a0 Now, if you wanted to knock off for the rest of the afternoon, all ya had to do was ask, not tear down the corral,\u201d he said with his feet spread and hands on his hips.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, I . . . wasn\u2019t trying to cause trouble,\u201d Joe said dropping his head and attempting to get his lungs to receive much needed air.\u00a0 \u00a0Thinking to himself how like Adam to storm him and blame him for a blameless situation.\u00a0 But the pain in his chest kept him focused on breathing in and out in an appropriate rhythm.<\/p>\n \u201cJust joshing you, boy.\u00a0 Are you hurt at all? That was a tough fall you took and you almost had that animal eating out of your hand,\u201d Ramrod said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, just a little sore.\u00a0 But do you think I could go to the bunk house?\u201d Joe asked as his knees threatened to betray his feigned strength.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u00a0 We might as well call it a day since we gotta repair the corral and round up the horses high tailing it across the meadow,\u201d Ramrod said.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGrayson, take a few of the men and get the corral taken care of.\u00a0 The rest of you see if you can round up those two mounts and I\u2019ll get this one back to the bunkhouse.\u00a0 You can thank Nevada Kid here for the rest of the day off. As soon as you\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n Making it back to the house was easy enough and once Joe cleaned up he eased his aching body on his bunk.\u00a0 Sleep claimed in minutes and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, knowing nothing until sunrise the next morning.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Kid, it\u2019s time to roll out of that bunk and get moving,\u201d the ramrod shouted from the door.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re making us late this morning, son, and we gotta get a move on,\u201d he said in a demanding voice that painfully reminded him of home.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, boss,\u201d I said.\u00a0 The fall I took yesterday was a lot harder than I admitted and the right side of my chest ached with each breath.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m coming, sir,\u201d I answered as I grabbed my bruised ribs and stumbled to the basin to splash water on my face.\u00a0 Quickly changing my shirt, I made it to the door as the hands swung into the saddle and prepared to leave the yard.\u00a0 Grayson, an older wrangler, had saddled Cochise for me and held the reins as I approached.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re hurting ain\u2019t cha, Kid?\u201d he asked looking at me the same way Hoss did when he assessed the damage I had done to myself.\u00a0 \u201cI heard you last night when you changed positions in the bunk.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it, boy?\u00a0 Did ya bust up some ribs when you fell?\u201d Grayson asked looking down at me from his over six foot height.<\/p>\n \u201cYea, I\u2019m just bruised a little and kinda sore.\u00a0 I\u2019m fine, don\u2019t worry,\u201d I answered hoping it would be enough to set his worry aside.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ll see about that,\u201d he said approaching me. I knew the examination that he was going to try so I side stepped him, mounted up and looked down from my saddle.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, Gray.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go,\u201d I said as I tried to avoid his inspection.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, Kid.\u00a0 It\u2019s your funeral,\u201d came the response as Grayson realized that he wasn\u2019t going to win this battle.\u00a0 He knew that the boy would not stay in the saddle long if those ribs were busted and he\u2019d be there to sort him out when needed.\u00a0 \u201cYou remind me of someone I lost many years ago and he wouldn\u2019t listen to me either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you remind me of someone who always looked after me and from whom I could not hide a thing,\u201d I said smiling down at Grayson.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fine and I\u2019ll make it through the day with no problem.\u00a0 Takes a little more than a toss from a horse through a fence to get me down,\u201d I said turning Cochise\u2019s head to follow the other hands.<\/p>\n Holding his right arm close to his side made riding somewhat uncomfortable as Joe attempted to hide his injury.\u00a0 After arriving at the corral, he knew that it was not possible to sit a bronc today.<\/p>\n \u201cKid, you\u2019re up first this morning,\u201d came the call from the corral gate.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to work on that sorrel to see if we can get her ready for sell.\u00a0 The owners have found someone who needs this horse gentled.\u00a0 Up you go!\u201d the ramrod shouted.<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath, Joe moved slowly to the pen and prepared to mount the horse as instructed.\u00a0 This was going to hurt, Joe thought as he settled into the saddle.\u00a0 Looking over at Grayson, Joe saw the slow shake of his head letting him know that Grayson was not pleased with seeing him on the bronc.\u00a0 Joe watched as Grayson moved closer to Nick and began a quiet conversation.<\/p>\n The sorrel shot out of the pen and so began the dance between man and beast.\u00a0 Joe held on and move fluidly with the horse as though they were one.\u00a0 The twists and turns sent pain flaring across his chest and back as the horse attempted to unseat him.\u00a0 Flying hooves and constant movement was the order of business as the sorrel fought for the last of her dignity.\u00a0 Joe continued to use his skills to ride the resistant animal until she came to a standstill and lowered her head in surrender.\u00a0 Joe skillfully walked her around the corral to settle her down while the hands cheered and applauded his work.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got her boy,\u201d came the shouts as the horse walked slowly and responded to Joe\u2019s commands.\u00a0 Grayson shook his head and rubbed the stubble on his chin in wonder.\u00a0 Moving over to retrieve the mount as Joe began to climb down, Grayson watched as Joe collapsed in a heap at the feet of the hands holding the animal.<\/p>\n \u201cKid!\u201d Grayson shouted as he kneeled over Joe.\u00a0 \u201cBoy, are you alright?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Joe held on to his side as he attempted to sit up.\u00a0 The pain flared in his side again and he grunted in pain as darkness took him to a place where the pain could not reach him.<\/p>\n \u201cGet the doc out to the ranch and bring a wagon to get this boy back to the house,\u201d Ramrod said.<\/p>\n Grayson unbuttoned Joe\u2019s shirt and looked at the injury that caused the boy to collapse.\u00a0 \u201cHow the hell did he take that ride with his ribs busted up like that?\u201d Ramrod asked.\u00a0 \u201cHow did he even get in the saddle to ride out here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCause he is just as stubborn as a mule, that\u2019s why,\u201d Grayson answered.\u00a0 \u201cAll night long I could hear him moan when he moved on that bunk and he told me he was fine when I asked him this morning.\u00a0 He don\u2019t like fine right now,\u201d Grayson said looking at the dark bruises and the paleness of Joe\u2019s skin.<\/p>\n After moving a still unconscious Joe back to the bunkhouse, Grayson pulled a chair and sat by the bed waiting for him to open his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, Kid.\u00a0 It\u2019s time to get going now.\u00a0 You can\u2019t sleep all day long and \u2018spect me ta sit here watchin\u2019 ya.\u00a0 Wake up and let\u2019s go!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m coming, Hoss.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to be so loud,\u201d Joe answered as his eyes fluttered open.\u00a0 Wincing in pain, he closed his eyes and allowed the darkness to close in again.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no you don\u2019t, boy.\u00a0 You ain\u2019t going back to sleep \u2018til Doc says you can.\u00a0 You gonna stay awake even if I have ta throw a bucket of water on your head,\u201d Grayson said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt hurts bad, Hoss,\u201d Joe said, not realizing that he was calling Grayson by his brother\u2019s name.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it does, Kid.\u00a0 Doc will be here in a minute or two.\u00a0 Just take it easy now,\u201d Grayson said patting Joe on the head.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no, I thought I left that behind,\u201d he said in response to the pampering he was receiving at Grayson\u2019s hand.\u00a0 He finally gained a level of consciousness that revealed that he was not at home and he was not talking to Hoss.<\/p>\n The door to the bunkhouse swung open and the owner of the ranch swung her way in with a swish of skirt tails.\u00a0 \u201cWell young man, I think you have some explaining to do.\u00a0 What do you mean riding away from the ranch with that injury this morning and riding a bronc in your condition?\u201d she asked taking Grayson\u2019s seat at the foot of the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I was just doing my job,\u201d Joe answered.<\/p>\n \u201cYour job does not include risking your life to get a horse ready for sell.\u00a0 There were others who could have done the job just as well,\u201d came the soft, gentle response from Mrs. Victoria Barkley.<\/p>\n \u201cRamrod called me up and when he calls . . . . . .\u201d<\/p>\n Loud, thumping sounds of boots interrupted his conversation. \u201cRamrod didn\u2019t know you had two or three broken ribs, either.\u00a0 Boy, if you weren\u2019t in that bed, I\u2019d . . . . .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNick, that\u2019s enough.\u00a0 We\u2019ll deal with this another time,\u201d Mrs. Barkley responded.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get him moved to the house,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cSilas is preparing the guest room as we speak. Grayson, the doctor will be here soon and we need to get him cleaned up and settled.\u201d<\/p>\n The swish of her dress indicated that there was no more discussion to be had as she took her leave. Grayson and a few others began jostling Joe around to move him to the house.\u00a0 One move and the pain to flared once again in his chest; a quiet intake of breath and Joe gave in to the darkness that played at the edges of his vision.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is that young man?\u201d Victoria asked as she settled into the ornately decorated chair near the cold fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cHe does not appear to be just another drifter,\u201d she said accepting the brandy Nick offered to his mother.<\/p>\n \u201cMother, that kid is the youngest son of the richest rancher in Nevada.\u00a0 His name is Joe Cartwright and his father owns the Ponderosa, a very prosperous ranch near Virginia City,\u201d Nick answered his mother.<\/p>\n \u201cI know of Mr. Cartwright.\u00a0 I think we met at different events in San Francisco,\u201d Mrs. Barkley answered as she rummaged through her mind to bring up images of the familiar name.\u00a0 \u201cA rather big man, kind, and generous,\u201d she remembered.\u00a0 \u201cWhat on earth is he doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI met his brother, Hoss about a month ago in Stockton.\u00a0 I overheard him describing his missing brother to the sheriff and I interrupted the conversation, telling him that his brother was here.\u00a0 Hoss or Eric, told me about a riff in the family that caused the youngest one to leave home in anger.\u00a0 Hoss followed him and was fortunate enough to locate him.\u00a0 He\u2019s staying in town and is waiting for Joe to decide to go home and then he\u2019d make sure he made it home,\u201d Nick explained.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s watched his brother at the corral without Joe seeing him and was satisfied that he was fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Following a two hour wait, the doctor arrived and began his examination of the injured young man in the Barkley\u2019s downstairs guestroom. Joe looked up from the bed and a small groan escaped his lips.<\/p>\n \u201cI take it you\u2019re in considerable pain, young man,\u201d The doctor said as he opened his bag and removed a variety of instruments.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but I know you\u2019re about to make it worse,\u201d Joe answered biting his bottom lip.<\/p>\n \u201cThen, you knew the danger you put yourself in when you climbed onto the back of a bronc in this condition?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYou sound like someone else I know and I memorized the lecture,\u201d Joe responded as the doctor pulled the covers away to begin his examination.\u00a0 The first touch felt like a knife was plunged into his chest and Joe responded with a sharp intake of breath and a moan.\u00a0 The doctor continued to push and probe, watching his patient\u2019s reaction to each touch.\u00a0 He noted each indication of pain and discomfort displayed on the young man’s face.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll give you something for that after I talk to the Barkleys.\u00a0 They will want to know what condition you\u2019re in and will probably need to speak with you as well.”<\/p>\n “You certainly are a mess,\u201d the doctor said.\u00a0 \u201cYou have two fractured ribs on you left side and two that have significant bruising.\u00a0 You will need to stay off your feet, off a horse, and in this bed until I give you permission to get out. Is that understood?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d was the only response Joe had left in his body.\u00a0 All he wanted was sleep and something to make breathing a little easier.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see if you can sit up on your own or if we\u2019ll need assistance,\u201d the doctor said as he prepared to bind Joe\u2019s ribs.\u00a0 One movement let him know that Joe could not sit up without support and he summoned Nick from the parlor.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to need you to hold this young man up so that I can bind his ribs,\u201d the doctor said as he measured lengths of bandages to do his work.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got him.\u00a0 Go ahead, Doc,\u201d Nick said as he easily pulled Joe to a sitting position, who found that leaning his head on Nick\u2019s shoulder was easier than trying to remain upright.\u00a0 The doctor tugged on the bandages tightening them and pulling the damaged ribs in place.\u00a0 Small gasps of breaths indicated Joe\u2019s discomfort until finally his strength failed him.<\/p>\n \u201cMmmmm . . . . . . I can\u2019t breathe,\u201d Joe gasped.<\/p>\n \u201cTake it easy on him, Doc.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to be so rough,\u201d Nick scolded.\u00a0 His comment was ignored and the doctor finished the job before him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can lay him down, now.\u00a0 I\u2019ll give him some laudanum to ease the pain and help him sleep,\u201d the doctor said.\u00a0 Pain lanced its way through Joe\u2019s side and spread across his chest.\u00a0 Grabbing Nick\u2019s shirt seemed the only thing that would keep the young cowboy from loosing his grip on consciousness.<\/p>\n \u201cEasy, now, easy,\u201d Nick said as Joe\u2019s head made contact with the pillows placed for his comfort.\u00a0 \u201cDoc, let\u2019s get him something to take the edge off the pain,\u201d Nick suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, I won\u2019t need anything,\u201d Joe said through gritted teeth and furrowed brow.\u00a0 Doing all he could to alleviate the pain that was plainly written across his expressive face.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m glad your fine, but you\u2019ll be better than fine with this.\u201d\u00a0 The doctor eased a needle into Joe\u2019s arm and patted his shoulder gently.\u00a0 \u201cNick if your family wants to say good night to this young man, you\u2019d best get them in here.\u00a0 He won\u2019t last long,\u201d Doctor Matson said putting his medical supplies away.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you?\u201d\u00a0 Mrs. Barkley asked taking a seat on the edge of the bed and placing her hand on Joe\u2019s hand as it lay flat on the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, he\u2019s fine alright,\u201d Nick said with sarcasm dripping off every word.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s just busted a bunch of ribs, got bruises on top of bruises, refused medication the doctor offered and can\u2019t breathe without considerable pain.\u00a0 Nevada here is one tough cookie, but it seems he will be our guest until he is back on his feet.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe was surprised by the rapid turn in Nick\u2019s actions from caring and patient to tough and demanding.\u00a0 Thinking to himself as the morphine took control, he\u2019s so much like Adam that it makes me sick.\u00a0 Maybe sleeping would be better than this.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Just a little banged up is all.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been worse,\u201d Joe answered as the medication took him to oblivion.<\/p>\n Thank you Dr. Matson.\u00a0 We\u2019ll keep him here and quiet until you say he is ready to get back to work,\u201d Mrs. Barkley said.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that would be my advice.\u00a0 Lots of rest, restricted movement, and staying off his feet is what I recommend.\u00a0 Keep the ribs stabilized like they are now and he\u2019ll truly be fine in about a week or so.\u00a0 And . . . . . . keep Nick from tying him in a knot!\u201d the doctor added giving Nick a pat on the back.<\/p>\n Looking at the bed, Mrs. Barkley found the young man sleeping soundly.\u00a0 As she turned to leave the room, she was greeted by her son and a man who matched Grayson in size.<\/p>\n \u201cMother, this is the young man\u2019s brother,\u201d Nick said.\u00a0 \u201cHoss Cartwright, my mother, Victoria Barkley.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a pleasure, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I thank you all for taking care of Joe like this.\u00a0 I woulda never thought he would end up in a place where he is so well cared for and I sure do thank you,\u201d Hoss said as he shyly twisted the tall white hat in his large hands.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s no trouble at all.\u00a0 We have plenty and this is what happens at the Barkley Ranch.\u00a0 Please come in a see your brother,\u201d Mrs. Barkley said as she stepped aside.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll wait for you downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss moved into the room and observed his brother quickly, then sat on the edge of the bed and gathered Joe in his arms.\u00a0 He let the tears roll down his cheeks as he rubbed Joes back; glad that he had not lost Joe to a more serious accident.<\/p>\n \u201cMmmmm, don\u2019t cry Hoss,\u201d Joe said as his eyes fluttered slightly.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t cry; I\u2019m fine,\u201d he said through the haze of medication the doctor gave him.<\/p>\n \u201cPunkin, I thought I lost you for sure.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t gonna let you out of my sight.\u00a0 I\u2019m right here and I intend to stay.\u00a0 You won\u2019t be able to see me, but I\u2019m right here,\u201d he said laying his brother back down on the bed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m always right here.”<\/p>\n Later that evening, Mrs. Barkley walked into the room and took a seat on the small chair beside the bed.\u00a0 Joe had eaten a light supper and Silas was removing the dinner tray.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, sir,\u201d he said as Silas opened the door to leave.\u00a0 Stopping quickly, Silas turned and smiled brightly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you are quite welcome.\u00a0 Now you let me know if you need anything at all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you and where are you from?\u201d Mrs. Barkley asked directly.\u00a0 She wanted to see if Joe was ready to share his story.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe men generally don\u2019t address Silas at all and certainly not with the level of respect that he just received from you.\u00a0 I know your family must be worried sick right now,\u201d she said looking in Joe\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath and smoothing the quilt out on the bed, Joe resigned himself to telling his story.\u00a0 \u201cMy name is Joseph Cartwright from the Ponderosa ranch in Nevada.\u00a0 My father is Ben Cartwright and I have two older brothers, Hoss and Adam.\u00a0 Silas reminds me of our housekeeper, Hop Sing, who helped my father raise me after my mother\u2019s death when I was five.\u201d<\/p>\n What are you doing here, might I ask?\u201d\u00a0 Mrs. Barkley looked at Joe, leaned her head to one side and waited for his response.\u00a0 Joe explained the situation to the lady rancher, fiddling with a string he found on the quilt to occupy his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cI can understand how you felt when your brother hurt you the way he did.\u00a0 Being the youngest is difficult enough without having to also deal with that situation. Are you going to stay away from home forever?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I miss my home terribly and I want to be there right now.\u00a0 Grayson reminds me of my brother Hoss and Nick is like Adam in so many ways.\u00a0 You remind me of my father, I don\u2019t mean you look like a broad shouldered, tall, grey-haired man with a voice that could shake the Sierras to its core.\u00a0 It\u2019s just the way you listen to me and try to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m glad to know I don\u2019t fit that description, but I appreciate the complement,\u201d Mrs. Barkley responded with a slight smile.<\/p>\n I need to go home as soon as I am healthy again,\u201d Joe said as he lowered his eyes.\u00a0 Tears were there as they showed how much pain he was in at the moment.\u00a0 \u201cI want to go home,\u201d he said.\u00a0 I even dreamed that Hoss was in this room with me earlier,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n \u201cGet some rest and we\u2019ll talk again tomorrow morning after breakfast.\u00a0 Good night Joseph Cartwright,\u201d Mrs. Barkley said.<\/p>\n It took two weeks before Joe only felt just a small measure of pain when moving.\u00a0 The doctor granted permission for him to travel and he began making plans to leave in a week.\u00a0 He had resumed living in the bunkhouse where he was most comfortable among men like him.\u00a0 Although he could not work, Joe spent his time keeping the bunkhouse orderly and taking care of animals left in the barn.\u00a0 He did not know that Hoss was out working in his place and the whole ranch was in cahoots in keeping his big brother a secret from him.\u00a0 Since his injury, the Barkley\u2019s allowed Hoss to stay in a small cabin not far from the ranch; giving him easy access to Joe if needed.<\/p>\n Before he knew it, Joe was packing supplies in preparation for his leave tomorrow at first light.\u00a0 The evening was warm and indicated good weather for a full day of riding.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s spirits soared as he thought of the journey that would take him back to his family.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Kid, I guess this is your final evening here with us,\u201d Grayson said as he leaned heavily on the post close to where Joe was working.\u00a0 \u201cGonna be kinda quiet around here without ya,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cYea, I think it\u2019s time I get on back home and make my peace with my brother.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have a few days to think things through. It\u2019ll just be me and two horses,\u201d Joe said.\u00a0 \u201cGray, you\u2019ve been a good friend to me and you are always welcome on the Ponderosa.\u00a0 I want you to come and see me sometime so you can meet my family.\u00a0 You\u2019ll like them and you and my brother Hoss will get along great,\u201d Joe said turning away so that Grayson would not see the tears in his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m gonna do that, too.\u00a0 You can count on it, Kid,\u201d Grayson answered as his voice reflected his pain.\u00a0 \u201cCome here, boy,\u201d he said pulling Joe into a fierce bear hug.<\/p>\n \u201cJust like Hoss.\u00a0 I\u2019m going home, Grayson!\u201d Joe stated as he remembered the big brother he left many months ago.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes you are, Joe.\u00a0 I followed you all the way here and I aim to make sure you got back in one piece,\u201d a familiar voice said from the barn door.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nMore than Enough<\/a><\/p>\n