A Piece Found

Written by:  Starlite

Hoss looked up from the new wagon wheel rim he was working on when he heard the sound of the approaching wagon.  He didn't recognize the occupants and quickly went over to the water trough to wash his face and hands before greeting the unexpected callers.  He pumped the water onto his hands and splashed his face using his handkerchief to wipe off the remaining water and sweat from his brow.  He'd just discarded his work apron as the wagon pulled to a stop in front of the house's porch.

"Howdy," Hoss called out as he approached the wagon "Is there sumpin' I can help y'all with?"

"Well, yes maybe you can."  A young woman replied as she stood and attempted to get down from the wagon.

Hoss quickly moved to ease the woman to the ground.  Despite the cape-like cloak that she wore draped over her shoulders, he could tell she was obviously with child.  Insuring that she was firmly on her feet.  Hoss gracefully swung the younger girl from the back of the wagon, then watched as the young boy jumped safely down from the seat to land next to his large booted feet.

"I was wondering if I might see an Adam Cartwright?"  The woman inquired with a decidedly eastern accent, Hoss noted.

"Well, yes'um Ma'am you could, but he ain't here right now."  Hoss replied, "But we expect him home shortly.  Why dontcha come inside and rest a spell why ya wait."

"Why thank you, that's very kind."  The woman replied reaching up to smooth her hair into place.  

Hoss turned to escort the woman into the house.  He smiled when he overheard the woman as she spoke in a whisper to the children.

"Now Jeremy and Sarah, you mind your manners."  She warned.

Hoss opened the front door and ushered them in before him.  Then called out to his father.

"Pa, we have some visitors!"

Ben put down the pen and laid the letter aside that he was working on and quickly rose to greet their unexpected guests.  He strode over to where the woman and her two children stood.

"Pa, this here's…" Hoss stopped when he realized he'd neglected to get the young woman's name.

"Olivia Duncan."  The woman quickly offered to assist the giant of a man who stood beside her.  She placed an outstretched hand to the silver-haired man who approached her from across the room.

"Nice to meet you Miss Duncan, I'm Ben Cartwright."  Ben responded as he shook the proffered hand delicately.  Then easily started to guide the definitely pregnant woman toward the red leather chair in the living room.  "Please come and have a seat and make yourself comfortable.  May I take your cloak?"

"Why thank you."  Olivia replied seating herself heavily. She liked these two men instantly they were both warm and gracious.  She untied the bow from beneath her chin.  

Ben took the cloak with long ease of gentlemanly practice and folded the garment in two before placing it on the sideboard near the door.

"May I offer you some refreshments?"  Ben inquired after returning to the room assuming the role of gracious host.

"We don't want to be any bother."  Olivia responded.

"It's no bother."  Ben had barely stated when their Oriental cook, Hop Sing quietly entered the room with filled tray in hand.

Upon the tray was a delicate pink and white china teakettle, two cups with saucers that matched the teakettle, two glasses of milk and a plate of large warm sugar cookies.  Hop Sing quickly unloaded the tray placing the milk glasses into the children's outstretched hands and the cookies not far from their reach.  He left the kettle with the cups on the tray before Ben Cartwright so that he could pour.

"Missy" Hop Sing smiled broadly in greeting before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Ben poured the steaming tea into the china cup and offered the warm beverage to their guest.  

"Thank you," Olivia replied, taking the saucer with cup from her host, who now stood beside her.

Hoss walked around the back of the settee to the low table where he snagged one of the warm cookies.

"What's your name?"  The young boy piped in, looking up at the large man towering above him munching on a cookie.

"Hoss."

"Horse?"  The little girl questioned.

"No, Hoss, H O S S no R."  Hoss corrected with a gentle smile.  His name always brought about the same response.

"Well that's a funny name."  The boy complained.

"Jeremy, now remember what I said.  You mind your manners."  Olivia warned.  

"I'm sorry," the boy muttered as he stared at his boots.

"Ain't no thing."  Hoss replied, as he tousled the boy's hair.
 
"Well Miss Duncan, may I ask what brings you out to the Ponderosa?"  Ben asked drawing the attention back from the children.  He had never seen the woman before and was curious as to the reason for her visit.

"Well, I was really hoping to see your other son, Adam is his name I believe.  I think we may have met about six months ago under less than auspicious circumstances."  The young woman responded as she absent-mindedly began to rub her protruding belly.

"I see," Ben Cartwright replied paling slightly at the woman's gesture.

It was about six months ago that Adam had suddenly disappeared, only to reappear nearly a month later.  No one knew exactly what had happened to Adam during that time, not even Adam knew due to the head injury he had suffered.

Seeing his father's actions, Hoss too paled then swallowed nervously.  Finding himself now staring at the woman's belly.

Hoss and Ben's attention was momentarily distracted by the sound of hoof beats out in the yard.  Ben looked up to his son then to the door.

"Hoss, could you…" Ben asked, indicating the front door with a slight jerk of his head.

Hoss nodded and quickly left the room and strode over to the front door.  He understood his father's unspoken request and went to get his older brother.  Closing the door quietly behind him, he ambled over the porch to where his brothers were dismounting their horses.

"Uh, Adam.  You've got a visitor up to the house."  Hoss informed his older brother with a slight tilt of his head.

Hoss's face was almost unreadable and Adam frowned with his younger brother's slightly suspicious actions.

"Well, who is it?"  Adam inquired, he liked to be fully informed and Hoss's actions were making him a little edgy.

"Olivia Duncan."  Hoss replied studying his brother's face intently for any indication of recognition.

"Hum, I don't think I know any Olivia Duncan."  

"Well, she sure knows you."  Hoss accused pointing his finger at his brother.

"Just what exactly does that mean?"  Adam questioned beginning to lose his patience with his brother's subterfuge.

"Why don't ya just go in and find out."  Hoss dictated.  

Seeing he was getting nowhere, Adam turned on his heel and made his way for the front door.

Hoss wasn't sure why he was a little out of sorts with his older brother.  He couldn't believe that Adam would get a young woman into a delicate condition, but then again, no one really knew what Adam had done or didn't do during his disappearance.

Joe's curiosity was peaked and he began to make his way towards the front door on Adam's heels.  He stopped abruptly when he ran into the immovable force of Hoss's chest that stood before him.

"I'll help ya with the horses."  Hoss instructed, directing his little brother's attention back to Cochise and Sport.

Adam hesitated just a second as he reached for the handle of the front door.  He had a very strange feeling that something was amiss, but didn't know why.  Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he opened the front door and entered the house.

As the latch on the door handle released with a slight clank, the people seated in the living room looked over to the door.

Adam entered the house; stopping by the sideboard he removed his hat and held it in his hands fingering the brim with his fingers.  He felt very self-conscious as he found four pairs of eyes staring intently at him.

Seeing the familiar face, Olivia jumped up from the leather chair and crossed the room toward the man who stood at the door.

Adam watched as the woman came closer to him.  He quickly realized that she was very heavy with child.

Ben watched as the woman approached his son.  He noted that there was no recognition of any kind on his son's face.  This woman was a complete stranger.  Trying to give his son a subtle warning he called out an introduction.

"Adam, this is Olivia Duncan.  You met her about six months ago." Ben watched as his son's face paled and he stepped back slightly away from the approaching woman.

Adam felt the room suddenly sway, and became slightly light headed.  He took a small step backwards from the approaching unknown woman and bumped into the sideboard by the door.  He knew nothing of what had happened to him six months earlier and he certainly didn't know this Olivia Duncan.

Adam's stomach churned when he absently remembered his brothers' chiding concerning a wedding.  He sincerely hoped they weren't right.  

Olivia came up to the tall man that seemed to look so shocked before her.  She swore he actually appeared frightened of her.  Following his gaze, she saw what he was staring at.  Patting her stomach she began to laugh silently at the impression on the man's face, before reaching out to grab Adam's upper left arm in a friendly gesture.

"I certainly have handled this poorly."  Olivia announced to the man before her.

Adam's eyes were still fixed upon her stomach in mild horror.  He felt a very familiar headache make a resurgence as he stared down at the woman next to him.  Well at least she isn't ugly, Adam consoled himself, but he still didn't think he was ready for fatherhood.

Taking Adam's hand Olivia guided him to sit in the chair she had recently vacated.  Then motioning for the children to scoot down the settee, she settled herself across from the very bewildered Adam Cartwright.

Ben watched as his shocked son sat down, he quickly went and poured both his son and himself a shot of Brandy.  Coming back he sat on the hearth next to his son's chair and handed one of the glasses to Adam.  Adam gratefully accepted the offered glass and took a large sip to settle his nerves.

Taking a deep breath, Adam prepared himself to speak and accept whatever responsibility was needed to account for his actions.  Just as he opened his mouth, he was interrupted.

"I'm sorry, but there seems to be some confusion here."  Olivia stated.  "I'm MRS Duncan, Mrs. John Duncan.  This is my niece Sarah and my nephew Jeremy."  She indicated to the two children who sat beside her on the settee.

Both Adam and Ben let out large sighs of relief.  Adam felt the tension ease, as he closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the chair.

"I'm sorry but you have us at a little disadvantage.  Could you please tell us what you know?"  Ben asked.  There were so many unanswered questions about what had happened to his son.  He hoped that the woman sitting across from him possessed the answers.

"I will try my best.  I think I can understand why you don't recognize us."  The woman continued.  "You had a very serious head injury the last time I saw you.  All I can say is that I'm very pleased to see that you have healed."

She reached out to pat Adam's hand as she spoke and took a quiet assessment of the man's condition.  She could tell that Adam had recovered his health and though he was pale earlier, his face had a much healthier pallor than the last time she had seen him.  She also noted that he had regained his muscular frame and was no longer thin and frail from being bedridden.

As she spoke, Adam vaguely recognized her somewhat familiar voice.  He realized it was one of the faceless voices from his waking dream.

"My husband and I along with my husband's brother's family left Philadelphia almost a year ago on the wagon train headed for California.  We left the wagon train just before Virginia City and stopped off to visit with my husband's Uncle and Aunt on their small homestead just north of here.  You see my husband and brother-in-law had arranged to purchase a small ranch just outside of Carson City.  We were heading back towards our new home when we came across your son laying in the roadway."

Ben remembered that Roy Coffee had followed up on the wagon train that had passed through Virginia City the same day that Adam disappeared.  But neither he nor the sheriff had realized that any wagons had left the train before it continued its journey westward.

The woman paused momentarily to carefully decide on what to say next.  She glanced over to visually check Ben Cartwright and found him listening intently.  She nodded then took a breath before she continued.  She decided they needed the entire story, and would tell them everything she knew.

"The rain was beating down heavily and we had a difficult time following the path.  We almost didn't realize there was someone in the middle of the road until we spotted his horse standing nearby."

She glanced again to Adam who still had his eyes closed then returned her attention to the man staring intently at her.

Ben remembered the torrential rains that had poured down on the day his son disappeared.  The heavy water had washed away all traces of any horses or wagons from the roadway making tracking of his son impossible.

"We quickly helped him into our wagon, where I tended to his injury.  You see I was a surgical nurse back in Pennsylvania and have an extensive medical background."  Olivia digressed.

Ben nodded in response.  Doc Martin had told them that whoever had helped his son would have had medical knowledge of some sort.

"Your son didn't have any identification on him and being unfamiliar with life in the west.  We seemed to have jumped to some wrong conclusions."  She swallowed a little and blushed slightly with embarrassment.

"Well, that's understandable."  Ben was slightly confused as to the woman's embarrassment and encouraged her to go on.

"Until yesterday when we told our Aunt Jess, we didn't have any idea that he was your son."  Jeremy chimed in, pointing across at Adam.

"Boy, did she ever laugh at us."  Sarah added.

Olivia shot the two children a warning glance and they both silenced immediately.

Hearing the two children's comments, Adam finally opened his eyes to look questioningly at the woman and two children.

"You see being unfamiliar to this area of the country we made some wrong assumptions. We just thought he was alone in the world and took him with us to our new homestead."  Olivia offered hoping to answer Adam's unspoken question.  She wanted to avoid having to explain her and her family's foolish and erroneous conclusion as to the wounded man's background.

"One day while we were in town getting supplies, we left Sarah and Jeremy to look after you.  Though you were getting stronger, you still hadn't regained consciousness, and when we returned you were gone.  You were really in no shape to travel."  Olivia slightly scolded as she looked thoughtfully at Adam.

"Yeah, you said you had to get home cuz you was late and your Pa be mad."  Jeremy piped in.  Then noticing the icy stare from his Aunt added, "I know, children are supposed to be seen but not heard," before he became silent again.

Adam smiled a small smile and winked at the boy.  Jeremy reminded him of Little Joe at that age.  Adam was beginning to relax and to feel more at ease.  Though he still had no recollection of the tale the woman was telling, it was comforting to finally find some of the missing pieces to those three unaccounted for weeks of his life.  

"How did I get back to the crossroads?"  Adam hoped they could tell him.  He didn't want to alarm his father and neglected to mention that he awoke on the ground near the edge of the road.

Olivia shrugged her shoulders and shook her head in a silent response.

"You were really in no condition to ride.  Maybe that's where you stopped for rest."  Olivia surmised.  She really believed that was where Adam had finally exhausted the last of his reserves and quite possibly passed out.

Adam nodded in acceptance of her suggestion.

"As Jeremy already mentioned, we didn't know until yesterday of our error.  We're terribly sorry for any heartache that we may have caused you or your family, Mr. Cartwright."  Olivia apologized looking first to Adam then over to Ben Cartwright.

"Dear you have nothing to apologize for.  I'm deeply indebted to you and your family for helping my son."  Ben commented as he looked over to the woman.  He had tears in his eyes as he was reminded of the pain of those weeks.  But he was enormously grateful to the woman and her family for taking taken care of his child.

"Yes, thank you."  Adam said quietly, not knowing what else to say.

Olivia blushed again at the men's gratefulness and thanks.  In all her years of nursing, she still wasn't used to people's gratitude.  She wanted to say it was no bother, but didn't want to sound flippant.  Realizing the time she attempted to stand quickly.

"I'm sorry but it's time that we must be going.  I really just wanted to see for myself that you were well."

Adam jumped up and reached out to take Olivia's hand and upper arm to assist her gently to her feet.

"Surely you can stay for dinner?"  Adam invited, hoping to talk longer with this woman without his father around.  He still had unanswered questions and he felt she might know some of the answers.

"Yes, please stay.  We would greatly enjoy your company."  Ben added.  He was pondering how to ask a question of this young woman without disturbing his son.

"Thank you that's very kind, but we really have to be going before it gets much later."  Olivia replied, motioning for the children to get up from the settee.

Seeing their aunt's gesture the children arose from the settee and went to stand by the front door.

"Well, at least give us the opportunity of showing you a little of the west's hospitality and entertain you with a picnic on Sunday after church."  Adam offered still holding her hand.  He hoped that she would accept the invitation.

"Oh that sounds lovely, but I'm afraid we just can't."  Olivia responded and watched as both Adam and Ben's faces fell.  

"You see we're leaving early tomorrow morning.  We're just here to help our Aunt move to our homestead, now that her husband has passed on."  Olivia added, feeling she owed these gentlemen an explanation for refusing their kind invitation. "In fact, we better hurry or my husband will start to worry."

"I'm sorry to hear of your loss."  Ben consoled, as he stood to escort their guests to the yard.

"May I thank you properly for helping me?"  Adam inquired respectfully.  Seeing Olivia nod in response, he put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her and she returned his embrace.


            *****************


Little Joe was tired of waiting outside.  Hoss had been acting very strangely since he and Adam had arrived home.  Joe had a funny feeling that there was some connection between whatever was going on in the house, and how Hoss was acting.  Not liking mysteries and feeling left out; he was determined to find out what was going on and how it involved Adam.

"I'm not waiting out here any longer."  Joe stated, rising from the chair on the porch and making his way for the door with Hoss in close pursuit.

Hoss reached him and grabbed his little brother's upper right arm as Joe put his hand on the door handle.  

"Joe, I think it's best we wait out here.  At least till Pa calls us."  

Joe pulled his arm free from Hoss's grasp and stated defiantly.  "You can stay out here if you want to, I'm going inside!"

Joe almost threw open the door in frustration then froze at the sight before him.  Joe's eyes grew wide and he whimpered quietly at the image.  There was his oldest brother Adam, hugging a woman.  A very pregnant woman!  Even though he was a bachelor and not very good at math, he could guess how far along the woman was in her pregnancy and putting two and two together, came up with five.

Hoss followed Joe into the house.  He wasn't sure of the situation between Adam and this soon to be mother, but he wanted to make sure Little Joe was respectful and didn't embarrass their older brother.   Not noticing as Joe stopped in his tracks, Hoss ran into his younger brother knocking him further into the room.

Adam looked up to see his two younger brothers stumble into the room and chuckled.  Releasing his embrace of Olivia, Adam watched as Little Joe blanched and he smiled inwardly.  He could imagine what was going through his baby brother's mind.  It was definitely more enjoyable to watch someone else's shocked reaction, than to endure the shock yourself.

Joe turned pleading eyes to his father, as the young woman turned to see who had entered the house.  Getting no help from his father, Joe raised his eyebrows in a silent question as he looked to Hoss for answers.

Hoss shrugged his shoulders in response, because he didn't know the answer either.

Seeing his brothers' reactions, Adam started to laugh out loud.  His father and Olivia soon joined him in the merriment.  They could all tell by the expressions on Little Joe and Hoss's faces that they too had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Seeing the adults laughing, the two small children looked at each other in confusion not understanding what was so funny.  Shrugging their shoulders then rolling their eyes, the children made their way out to the yard.

Ben took a deep breath to calm himself.  He decided to let his sons off the hook because it appeared that their older brother wouldn't.  

"Joe, Hoss, this is Mrs. John Duncan."  Ben introduced the woman standing next to Adam who was still giggling at the two men standing across the room from her.

"Please call me Olivia," she offered trying to compose herself.

"She and her family were kind enough to look after me, after my accident last fall."  Adam added with a smirk, he was still amused by the look on his confused brothers' faces.

Joe and Hoss both let out large sighs of relief that they weren't going to be uncles anytime soon.  Joe smacked Hoss playfully in the stomach with the back of his hand in relief.

Finally composed Olivia turned and addressed Adam. "It was nice seeing you again Adam.  And I'm pleased that your doing so much better than the last time I saw you."  

Turning she allowed Ben to place her cloak back over her shoulders.  Once in place, she deftly retied the bow.

The Cartwright men escorted Olivia out to the yard where her wagon awaited her.  The children had wandered over to the corral and were petting the horses.

"Jeremy, Sarah, it's time to be going."  Olivia called out to the children, who came running in response.  Turning she approached the wagon.

Ben walked over and gently took her hand as he said, "Please grace our home again.  I am forever in your debt for saving the life of my son."  Then bending slightly he kissed Olivia tenderly on the cheek.  

"Please write and let us know how you are doing from time to time."  Ben added, he had an ulterior motive to the request.  He hadn't found a way to ask her his question, and didn't want to do so, while his oldest son was present.  Through correspondence, he felt he could ask her to hopefully dispel his deepest fear regarding his son's injury.

Hoss followed his father's example and wordlessly kissed the woman's cheek as well, before blushing bashfully.  Olivia gazed up into the sky blue eyes and saw his unspoken gratefulness clearly displayed there.

She felt tears forming in her eyes as Joe stepped forward and took her hands to say his thanks as well, before kissing her hands then her cheek.

Adam went over and kissed Olivia's cheek and whispered a silent 'Thank You' in her ear, before effortlessly lifting her up to the seat of the wagon.  

Olivia was stunned by their outpouring of gratitude and was speechless.  She was brought back to reality by the sound of her nephew's voice.

"Are you or aren't you?"  The boy questioned, looking at the black haired man standing before him.

"Are I or aren't I what?"  Adam replied.  Crossing his arms across his chest and looking down to address the small boy before him.

"You know!"  Jeremy exclaimed, then folded his arms across his own chest in an imitation of the tall man before him.

"No, I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."  Adam persisted with a small chuckle.  He was more than a little confused as to the boy's question.

"He wants to know if you're an outlaw."  Sarah chimed in, looking at Adam innocently.

Adam's eyes grew wide as his vision first flew to the young girl standing near his side.  Then back to the boy still motionless before him.  Adam's face began to heat and his ears began to burn as he felt his face begin to blush.  He was even more aghast when he heard his little brothers begin to guffaw and cackle behind him.

"No, I most certainly am not!"  Adam responded indignantly.

"But you look like a gunslinger!"  The boy persisted just as indignant as Adam.

Ben started to chuckle both at his son's response and the boy's question.  Out of the mouths of babes, he mused.  He noticed absently how the little boy facing his oldest son looked so much like Adam when he'd been that age, and just as doggedly determined when he had some idea in his head.

"Jeremy!"  Olivia exclaimed in embarrassment.  She felt her face begin to blush with shame at her nephew's relentless pestering.  She had hoped that she would be able to get out of there without having to explain further.

"Well you said…" Jeremy insisted as he turned to address his aunt.

Seeing his accuser turn to Olivia, Adam turned a patient and suspicious glance over to the young woman sitting on the bench of the wagon.

Realizing Adam's intense questioning stare, Olivia wished she could just disappear.  Knowing she wouldn't get her wish, she cleared her throat and attempted to answer Adam's unspoken question.

"Well, you see, ahem, back east, there is very little information about the west.  So what there is, well, um, isn't really very accurate."  She winced, then hesitated still hoping for the earth to swallow her whole.

Adam let out a small groan and rolled his eyes heavenward before he ventured a guess as to the source of her misinformation.

"Dime novels?"  

"I'm afraid so."  

Adam could hear his father now join in the laughter at his expense as well.  His father had often warned him about his mode of dress.

Jeremy didn't accept the answer he'd been given and all the laughter infuriated him a little.  Determined that the man dressed in black before him was really some sort of dangerous character, Jeremy pressed the issue.

"Then why did someone shoot you?"  The boy demanded, feeling he had the upper hand in this argument.

Abruptly, Ben, Hoss and Little Joe's laughter ceased as they turned their full attention to the child standing before Adam.

There was the unasked question that both Ben and Adam had wanted from Olivia.  Though Doctor Martin had suggested the healed wound to Adam's head was caused by a gunshot.  He couldn't state for certain that it was.  

In a vain attempt for some type of peace of mind, Adam had done his best to convince not only himself, but also his family that he'd fallen from his horse while reading.  Even Sheriff Coffee could attest to the fact that the last time he saw Adam, he was reading while riding.  Through Adam's continued persistence, Doctor Martin had even hedged on his original diagnosis, and conceded, that it could have been a glancing blow from one of the boulders that lined the roadway near the crossroads, where Adam first regained his consciousness.

Olivia rolled her eyes in frustration at the insensitive behavior of her nephew.  Sometimes children just didn't have the good sense given to a bullfrog.  She turned sympathetic eyes first to Ben, then finally resting upon Adam who was now staring off into the distance.

Regaining his composure, Adam looked down to the boy before him and spoke quietly barely able to be heard.

"I don't know."

Adam could feel all the uncertainty and confusion of those first couple of weeks return.  He felt a familiar hand clasp his shoulder, and looked out of the corner of his eye to see his father standing at his side.

Seeing the sad look displayed upon Adam's face was disquieting to the children.  Jeremy felt bad for hurting the man's feelings, but didn't know what to do or say to make things right.

Ben looked over to Olivia for confirmation and felt fear in his heart, as he saw her slowly nod her head.  His son had been shot.  

"We don't know."  Olivia offered sadly before Ben Cartwright could ask.  Then she addressed her traveling companions.  "Children, please get into the wagon, we need to be going."

Joe walked over and hefted the young girl easily into the back of the wagon, while Hoss picked up the young boy and seated him next to his Aunt on the bench.  They then went to stand on either side of their brother to offer their silent support, while their father walked over to address the woman once more.

Ben Cartwright approached the wagon and lifted the reins and handed them to Olivia.

"Have a safe journey.  If there's anything I can ever do for you or your family, please don't hesitate to contact me.  And remember, you're always welcome on the Ponderosa."  

Olivia smiled a small sad smile in response to the older man's offering.  She was saddened by the sudden turn of events and didn't dare attempt to speak.  Nodding her head, she turned the horses and drove the wagon from the yard.

Adam watched as the wagon departed.  He was too stunned to speak or move.

"Come on desperado, let's go and get a bite to eat."  Hoss joshed trying to enliven the suddenly gloomy mood.  He put his big arm across Adam's shoulders and directed him towards the house.

Little Joe walked over to his father and emulated Hoss's gesture of loving support.  They silently followed Adam and Hoss into the house.

As soon as the Cartwrights had entered the house, Adam broke free from Hoss's embrace and made his way across the room and over to the stairs.  

Deeply concerned and worried, Ben watched as his oldest son ascended the stairs and disappeared down the hallway.

Through an unspoken agreement between the other three Cartwright men, Adam had not been allowed to ride alone since his mysterious return.  Ben knew that their constant hovering was beginning to chafe his fiercely independent son.  But he welcomed his son's ire and displeasure, to the pain he'd endured during those weeks of his son's disappearance.  Now that it was confirmed that someone had shot his son, Ben Cartwright was determined to make sure that someone would always be with Adam.

Feeling that it would be best that his son not be left alone, Ben turned and followed Adam up the stairs.

Ben quietly entered Adam's room and found his son sitting at his drafting table, a blank sheet of paper before him.  How symbolic, he thought, the paper was just as blank and devoid of images, as were the three weeks of memories in his son's mind.

Sympathetically, he realized that Adam was once again holding the right side of his head with his hand.  It was a gesture very familiar to him during the first few weeks of Adam's recovery.  Over time, the gesture had faded to a memory, until today.

Adam sat staring at the blank sheet of paper before him.  He sought refuge from the suffocating concern of his family and all their relentless questions, for which he had no answers to.  The all too familiar pain had returned with a vengeance and his head throbbed without mercy as he struggled to dredge up memories that just didn't exist for him.

More than three missing weeks of his life, a family he couldn't recall and now to have his worst fear realized, he'd been shot.  He'd tried so hard to allay his family's fears by convincing them his injury was the result of a fall.  He'd even been able to partially convince himself.  But now that façade had ended.  He had to accept the fact that he'd been shot, and that knowledge was the most worrisome of all, as he didn't know who or why.

Though Adam knew he had made a few enemies over the years, even a few that had wished him dead.  There wasn't anyone currently around that wished him such ill will or would actually attempt to take his life.  He wouldn't even try to kid himself anymore with ridiculous ideas that maybe it was a wayward shot from a hunter.  No one hunted that close to a public roadway, and even if they did, they would've realized they had shot him accidentally and sought medical assistance for him.  Whoever it was shot him deliberately, and that made his blood run cold.

Ben Cartwright silently and carefully made his way over to stand behind his son.  Reaching out, he placed his hands upon his son's shoulders and squeezed gently in a comforting manner before he spoke.

"Adam?"  

Adam still did not look up in response to his father's presence in the room.

"Adam, please look at me?"  Ben requested with quiet patience.

When Adam looked up towards his father, Ben saw the unmistakable but all too familiar confusion in Adam's eyes.  It was the same look that was forever present, those first couple of weeks after his return.  He shuddered when he saw something else displayed there as well.  He closed his own eyes in response when he realized the unmistakable fear in his son's haunted eyes.  Ben tightened his grip upon Adam's shoulders to offer reassurance to both himself and his son.

Ben stood behind his son for a couple of moments before suggesting that Adam lay down to rest.  He knew from seeing Adam when he entered the room, that Adam's tormenting headache had returned.  Initially Adam resisted, but finally relented as his world continued to spin out of control and his stomach began to protest.

Ben helped his son remove his boots, then covered his son with the quilt that lay at the foot of his bed.  Ben watched as his son turned over onto his stomach struggling to sleep.

Normally, Adam would balk at Ben's somewhat smothering coddling, which Adam referred to as 'Pa playing Ma'.  But right now, Adam found he needed the safety of his father's reassuring presence.

Reaching out Ben began to gently rub his son's back in a comforting manner.  He felt the tense shoulders and strained back muscles finally begin to relax.  He continued the loving gesture as Adam's breaths finally deepened into restful slumber.

Remembering his own pain over Adam's disappearance, Ben was reluctant to leave his son alone.  He sat next to Adam's bedside feeling his son breathing beneath his light touch.  Ben intended to be there when his son awoke.

Ben looked up when he heard a slight shuffling noise coming from the open doorway.  Glancing across the room he saw his two youngest sons standing there with worry and concern etched deeply upon their faces.  They too would join their father in his vigil over Adam.

All the feeling of dread and worry from those first few frantic weeks had returned to the Cartwright family.  Though they now had the answers as to who had helped Adam and saved his life.  They even knew what had caused his injury.  What they found the most unsettling, was that they still didn't know the answers to what was now the most frightening question of all - 'Why?'

The End


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