I do not own Little House on the Prairie or any of the original characters. As I have no Beta Reader for this story, all mistakes are definitely my own.

Stranger to Himself

Chapter One

Opening Scene

The sun's yellow rays sent down its blazing heat upon the unconscious man lying on the ground. From where she sat on her horse, Maria Randall, could see the buggy at the bottom of the hill. The buggy's one wheel was busted and it looked like the horses had met the end of the road also. She guided her horse to the stranger and dismounted. Once she was kneeling by his side, she turned him over; he was alive.

"Well, mister," she looked at the gurney behind her horse, "You're lucky what I'm hauling is disposable. I sure hope I don't hurt you any worse by movin' ya." It took all her strength, and then some, but soon enough she had the stranger on the gurney. She mounted her horse again and headed for the abandoned house she and her half-brother had turned into home.

Scene One

Maria and her brown headed half-brother, Thomas, carried the stranger into the home they shared. After putting him in the guest bedroom, Thomas looked at his sister. She stood five feet five inches and had a petit build. Her dishwater blonde hair was done up in a bun and set on the back of her head. "How did you manage to get that man on that gurney of yours?" He could understand if he'd done it; after all, he was close to six feet and had shoulders as wide as an ox. But his sister, he was having a hard time comprehending that one.

Maria smiled as she pulled up the colorful star quilt that set on the bed and laid it under the stranger's arms, "It wasn't easy," she turned and looked at Thomas, "but I managed. Question is, who is he? He has no papers whatsoever on him." She looked upon the man, with her knack of 'seeing and feeling things', she could tell he was a gentle man.

"Don't know but," Thomas shrugged his shoulders, "He's got to be in his forties at least, and he does not have a wedding ring on. Which means he's not married, widower or, maybe, unfortunate to have a divorce on his hands." They both knew the last one was not highly likely as very few people divorced once they married.

Maria sat down in the rocker that set in the corner of the small room, and it was small, "I'll watch over him," she picked up her knitting that set off to her right, "you can go back to what you were doin'." Thomas turned and left hoping the man would soon wake up.

0000

"I don't like this," Doctor William Thompson stood on the porch of the café' talking to Charles and Jonathon, "Hyrum should have been back, and I should have been gone, by now." Dr. Baker had gone to a convention in Waynoka and had sent word back to Walnut Grove he would not be traveling on the stagecoach home. He'd wrote and said he'd be using his friend's buggy and visiting various people on the way back, but he'd promised to be back within two weeks.

"Maybe we should go looking for him," Jonathon looked at Charles, "I have some time to spare." He hated the idea something might have happened to their good friend. He was such a good man and was friendly to everyone.

Charles eyebrows furrowed. He was concerned too. Hyrum Baker was a man of his word; he'd never purposely leave Walnut Grove without a doctor. That's exactly what would happen; Walnut Grove would be without medical help if Dr. Thompson had to leave before Dr. Baker got back. "I'll let Caroline know what's going one," Charles looked at Jonathon then turned to Dr. Thompson, "Any chance you can stay in Walnut Grove for a few more days?"

Dr. Thompson smiled, "I'll get a letter written and sent off as soon as possible." He headed for Dr. Baker's office.

Scene Two

Maria lifted up her head when she heard the stranger let out a moan, lift up his right hand and rest it on his forehead. She hurried over to his side. She smiled as the man opened his eyes, but her smile quickly changed to a frown. The stranger was blinking his eyes and moving his hand down in front of his face. "What's wrong, sir?"

"I…I can't see." He answered as he lay his hand back down.

"What's your name?" Maria asked, figuring she was going to need Thomas to send a wire to the man's family or friends.

"H…" Hyrum began to answer only to find himself turning his eyebrows down once more, "H…" he again began speaking but stopped. What was his name?

Maria didn't like this. A blind man with no name was not a good sign. "Do you know where you're from?" she sat on the side of the bed and asked.

Hyrum tried hard to remember; it only made his head hurt. "No," he finally shook his head, "H," he shook his head, "my name starts with an H, but that is all I can remember."

She stood up. The man had to have a name. What could she call him until he remembered? Maria started smiling as she remembered a good childhood friend. "I'll call you Hayden. Not a usual name for around here, I admit, but it's still better than 'hey you'. Now rest, I'll go get you something to eat if you're hungry."

"I am," he tried to sit up straight and let out a painful groan, "Feels like I have a busted leg." He laid his hand on his right leg as he rested against the pillows lying on the bed.

"That's because it is broken," Maria smiled sympathetically, "Just rest. I'll go get you something to eat." She walked out of the room leaving the man she knew only as Hayden to wonder who he really was, and if he had been blind his whole life or not.