I guess I never thought my life would end like this, I had secretly hoped I would die warm in my bed with my father and brothers around me but as I rode though the storm I realized it wasn't to be. This storm had been building up all winter and now as I charged through it at break neck speed, Cochise my horse riding like the wind for me it felt like it was defiantly at its peak. The wind howled and wailed in my ears the strength of it nearly throwing me of my horse, the worse though was most certainly the rain, and it had soaked my light clothes though long ago. It felt like it was burning the still bleeding axe wound on my shoulder and the two painful gunshot holes in my right leg. I was never going to make it through the night, I kept telling myself. Home was still miles away.
I longed to be at home, sat on the sofa with my father and brothers talking, laughing and joking, safe in the Ponderosa's land. I'm only fourteen I should be at home but no, I had to ride out to try and prove to my family that I was a man and that I could do everything they could. I had left a note explaining where I had gone to my father and rode out of my home in the early hours of the morning. Now a week later I was going to die because of my stubbornness. If I made it home I will never feel the need to prove myself again. If I could just make it to Virginia City I could find friends, but I had no idea if the city nearest home was even close, I just couldn't think very well the pain had taken up all my logical brain.
Suddenly my horse slipped and Cochise and I went tumbling down a muddy hill. Hitting everything as I could I felt the pain reach a maximum level. It seemed like hours of falling before I finally reached what felt like the bottom. I lay there covered in mud, blood and tears until I could catch my breath from the pain, and then I started looking around my landing place. I could see the outline of my horse hidden under a tree a small distance away it gave me hope that I could reach here without that much moving. I was slightly out of the main tirade of rain coming down and it felt nice to laying somewhere so soft even if it was freezing. I had been numb form the pain for a few minutes and it felt so good but then as the feeling started coming back I realized that I must have broken something inside, as all I could feel was knifes stabbing me all over my already spent body.
Screaming though tears and wailing into the pitch black night was all I could think to do as I laid there in the mud, if I was to die here I will go kicking and screaming like the Cartwright I was, strength to the very last moment my father had always said. There was a short break in the screeching wind that I could hear my own voice and I was truly amazed I still could make any sound at all. As I lay there astounded by my own strength I saw something out the corner of my eye, something had moved in the darkness and it looked like it was flapping with the wind, I was bewildered for a second until I knew suddenly what it was. Well I'd be damned I thought, it was the sun guard above the general store that was situated next to a grassy hill, I was in Virginia City.
My mind sung so loud and even though the pain I rejoiced, I was close to home but better still I was near a doctor. I started crawling on my belly, across the rain soaked road until I got to the bright red door of David's Store and using all the strength I had left I started hammering at the door. It was minutes before I saw a light inside coming towards the door and my hand was bleeding by then with effort. I heard the latches and then as the door opened wide and a black shoe appeared into my vision I slammed my blood soaked hand out and grabbed the shoes ankle. Seconds before I blacked out I heard my name and then nothing but silence.
"Joseph, little Joe Cartwright can you hear me it's me David Williams can you hear me boy?" I opened my eyes slowly to see the face of the store owner a good friend of my father staring worriedly into my own green eyes. I couldn't do much more than make a quiet groaning noise but that seemed to settle him okay. "Joe I got your uncle here and my brothers gone to get the sheriff and your papa OK?" I realized that my Uncle Gunner was sat the other side of me looking just as worried as David and then slowly I noticed other people that I knew stood around whatever I was laid on. As I was been talked at by a very nervous uncle the pain started recurring and I knew I was in bad shape.
"Papa" I whispered "I want papa, the pain it hurts, it hurts so much!" My uncle grabbed my hand tightly and tried to shush me, but the pain had gotten so bad I ceased to think logically. Looking in to my uncle's eyes I begged and pleaded to go home, back to the safety of the Ponderosa to be allowed back to the confines of my home. "Joe I'm sorry you're too weak to move, don't worry I'll get you home soon, just listen to the doctor" It took me a few moments to realize that Doctor Martins had made his way over to me and was trying to get my attention. "Don't you worry any more OK you're going to be as right as rain soon." The doctor spoke in his usual soothing voice but it didn't seem to calm me much the pain was just too bad.
I drifted in and out of sleep for a long time until, finally a very worried looking Ben Cartwright appeared at the door followed closely by my two older brothers Adam and Hoss.