AFTER THE STORM
By
Lynne C.
A solemn mood had descended over the Ponderosa and even though it was
now spring, it felt more like a winter's day, when all you wanted to
do was to huddle by the fire, with a cup of hot coffee and a good book
to read.
However, that wasn't possible, as the family had a rather onerous task
to undertake; they had to attend a funeral. And the one feeling it the
most was Little Joe. Although still not twenty, the young man had
faced more than his fair share of tragedy, so was no stranger to it,
but, somehow, that didn't make it any easier for him.
Although he knew the real reason why she'd died, Joe was angry over
his loss and so was lashing out at anyone who came near; in order to
try and make some sense of what had happened.
Adam reached out and placed a hand on his little brother's arm, in an
attempt to let Joe know that he was sharing his pain, but Joe moved
his arm, and pulled away from Adam's touch.
"If I'd only told her how much I cared," said Joe, to no one
in
particular.
"Don't beat yourself up about this, Joe," said Ben, walking across
the
room and standing by his youngest son's side. "She did know how much
you cared, son, really she did, and she told me so. And when she saw
all the work that you'd done to the cabin, you said yourself that it
made her happy. It's only natural that you should mourn her, but don't
carry that loss, forever. Keep a warm place in your heart for her, but
then let yourself move on. You are a young man and you have much to
live for. Although you can't believe it, now, there will be other
girls for you to love and, in time, Laura will become just a memory, a
lovely one, true, but that is all she will be."
Suddenly, Joe looked up and glared at his oldest brother.
"It's all your fault, Adam," he said. "She was delicate,
just like
that edelweiss flower that grows up by the cabin. And what do you get
us for a wedding present? A damn cradle, that's what. You must've made
her feel like a brood mare, like I was only marrying her to produce an
heir for the Ponderosa. I still wanted to marry her, even though I
knew she was ill, and without that kind of pressure, we may have been
able to enjoy a few years, together, but the thought of having to cope
with a pregnancy, as well as her illness, was too much for her and it
hastened her end."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Joe wished that he could
retract them, but he couldn't bring himself to say so, as he was
hurting too much.
Fortunately, Adam knew this, and whilst he was a bit upset over what
Joe had said, he didn't show it.
"Joseph, no matter how upset you might be, there was no need to launch
such an attack on your brother," admonished Ben, but Adam raised his
hand to prevent Ben from saying anymore.
"It's all right, Pa, I understand why Joe has said what he has, and
I
understand how he feels. Obviously, if we'd known of Laura's illness,
then I wouldn't have given them such a gift. I truly didn't mean to
upset her, or him, in any way, but I suppose it was a rather bad
choice, for a wedding gift. I am sorry, Joe, truly I am."
As Adam said these words, Joe was looking into his brother's eyes and
he could tell that Adam was being sincere.
"That's okay, brother, I forgive you," he said. "Well, I
guess we'd
better get going. The only thing I can do for her, now, is be there to
say goodbye."
The four Cartwrights made their way out to the surrey and headed off
to the church, to pay their last respects to Laura, who very nearly
became a member of the family.
THE END
Little Joe forever
Lynne
Jan 8th 2007
Laura was Joe's doomed girlfriend, in the ep The Storm, and I pinched
a couple of lines from that ep, when Ben told Joe not to carry her
loss around with him.
Personally, I always thought that Adam's choice of wedding gift was in
extremely bad taste.