Author's note: I feel like I have to explain myself to this story. First off I am really, really happy and thankful for every single review I got and at the same time I'm sorry that you feel like this story is incomplete.

I wrote most of the stories because I was watching an episode of LHOP and thought "Wait – there is something missing! Why didn't they show how…" or something similar to that.

And I felt like we don't get to see many episodes about Laura and Almanzo between "Annabelle" and "The Werewolf of Walnut Grove" – we don't get to see how their relationship changed.

But I'm sure it did in all these months, because Almanzo was chocked about his own feelings when he thought he had to leave the town – and Laura. And ever since then he tried to turn his relationship with Laura into something insignificant which lead me to the opinion, that there must have something happened between them in the meantime.

And so this story developed in my head. A story which makes clear that Laura isn't just anybody for Almanzo and that his feelings for her aren't as superficial as he thought they were.

If I ever will get an idea for another chapter – I will add it of course – but for now I am happy with the way it turned out and ended.

I hope my explanation makes it easier to place the story :)

Bedrest isn't the worst…

„Hi Sis!" Almanzo brought the horses to a stop in front of the schoolhouse.

"Hello", Eliza Jane answered hesitantly without turning to him as she locked the white doors.

As his older sister finally made her way to the rig, he had to chuckle seeing her worried face-expression.

"Why that long face, Eliza? Haven't you been able to send Willie in the corner today?" he joked while giving her a helping hand so she could climb into the wagon.

Eliza Jane looked down at her books. "No", she didn't know how she should tell him what had happened.

"Hip", Almanzo chirruped the horses.

"No", she repeated herself, "it's Laura Ingalls."

Almanzo, who hadn't noticed the sad sound of her voice laughed, "Laura? I can't imagine her getting in kinda school-trouble."

"No", she hated to be the one telling her brother. Eliza Jane knew how much the girl meant to him. "She had an accident this morning."

Almanzo brought the horses abrupt to a stop and looked alarmed at his sister, "What? What happened? Is Beth alright?" his voice full of anxiety.

"I don't know much, Manny. All I've heard from Albert was that she got hit by one of the horses in town before school. She's now at Doctor Baker's office. When Albert told me, she was still unconscious", Eliza Jane put her hand comforting over her brother ones, "but that was hours ago. I'm sure she's awake by now and everything will be fine."

Almanzo nodded without being convinced, "Yeah..." He chirruped the horses again and didn't say a word during the whole way towards their home, lost in thoughts about his friend.

Certainly Eliza would be right. After all, this was Beth he was talking about. Nothing could keep her down, right? But what if it was serious? What if she had some internal injury? Almanzo knew what could happen to people if they got hit by hoofs. If they were lucky they just had some bruises, but if the horse hit the head... Almanzo shook his head. No, she gotta be alright! She just got to!

Almanzo only moped around for the rest of the day, not really concentrating on the work he was doing on the farm and barely speaking a few words to his sister. If he just knew that's she's awake and out of danger, then he would feel much better! But he knew that it wasn't proper to just go to Doc Baker and disturb the family who would be certainly beside Laura's bed. After all he wasn't a family member or something like that, he was just a friend. Nothing but a friend.

The blond man tossed and turned that night in his bed imagining the worst things that could have happened to Beth. He tried to think of something else, but all he could see was her unconscious lying on the ground. What was the last thing he'd said to her? Almanzo sat up and rubbed his face. It was yesterday before school. Laura had come to the Feed and Seed to ask if he would like some cookies she'd baked the day before for lunch time. He'd declined with thanks saying that he'd too many deliveries to make this day.

Now he could smack himself! What if the last things he'd said to her were that he hadn't time for Laura? How should he live with that?

Almanzo stepped out of his bed and walked to the window. He hasn't even realized how much that girl meant to him. So what if he would go first thing the morning to Doc Baker just to ask if she's alright? Nobody could find something impropriate about that, right? They were friends after all. It's normal for a friend to be concerned about another friend. Yes. Almanzo smiled lightly to himself and finally found some peace to sleep for the few hours he had left.