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I do not own The Big Valley nor any of the orginal Big Valley characters. The idea came from the 'what if Jarrod hadn't gotten his sight back in 'Time After Midnight'. What could happen after Cunningham was dead, after the other two men were gone etc etc Thanks to my Beta Reader, though all mistakes are still my own.

The San Francisco area's education of blind children began in 1860 with the organization of the privately supported Society for the Instruction and Maintenance of the Indigent Deaf and Dumb, and the Blind in California by Mrs. Frances Clark. She served as the first principal of the school until 1865, when Dr. Warring Wilkinson was brought to the school. Dr. Wilkinson is credited with beginning the efforts to make the school wholly state-supported and seeing the school, then known as the California State Asylum for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind through its move to what would later become Berkeley in 1867
Also, the research I did says Hysterical Blindness can last for a very long time (one case even lasted ten years).

Blind Man's Bluff

Chapter One

Scene One

The wind was picking up as the stagecoach carrying Jarrod headed for Stockton. He'd have preferred to take the train, but the railroad station was having problems, and he was anxious to get home. He'd spent the past two months at Berkeley learning to read and type Braille, among other things. His mind wandered back to the first few weeks after that blasted dynamite had been thrown through the window of his den. '...damage to the optic nerve or a hysterical blindness brought on by an emotional shock..' After this much time everyone figured his optic nerve had been damaged. He didn't like it, but he'd accepted it and moved on once Cunningham was dead, and Mason and Corwell gone. He was brought out of his thoughts as he felt heard the driver yell, and the stagecoach begin to fall.

First Scene

"I don't like this," Nick looked up and down the street, "that stagecoach should have been here a couple of hours ago." He, and the rest of the family, was eager to have Jarrod back home.

"Maybe..." Heath was interrupted as Fred hurried towards them. He looked quite upset himself.

"Glad you two are still in town," Fred stopped next to Nick, "the stagecoach never even reached its third destination. They have men out looking for it now." he held up a telegram he'd just received.

Fear took a hold of both men's hearts. Jarrod had stated he would be the only passenger on the stagecoach. If anything happened to the driver and Jarrod was stranded or, worse yet, hurt...they ran for their horses.

00000

Jarrod opened his sightless eyes and groaned. It took a moment to remember the yelling driver, and the falling coach. He started to move only to have pain shoot through him; he realized he'd been thrown from the coach and broken his right leg, and hurt his shoulder.

"Mr. Sanders!" Jarrod called out hoping to hear the driver answer back. He did not. If Jarrod could have seen the man he might have prayed to be blinded again, the man's fate was not to be described or looked upon.

What was he going to do? As he thought on the situation he found himself in he heard a horse approaching. "Help me! Please help!" he called out, praying to find a friend, and not a foe, answering.

"Whoa, Jack." he heard a female's voice and turned his head towards the direction the voice came from. If he'd been able to see, he would have seen a short, medium sized, red headed woman quickly dismounting her horse. She ran over to where he lay on his side, perspiring quite badly. She didn't have to ask what happened; she could see it for herself.

"Thank you, for stopping," he managed to say as she helped him up. She had him lean on her, and despite the pain it was causing him, the two managed to get him up on her horse. Jarrod tried to speak again, but found himself leaning forward and resting his head against the horse's mane, his arms hung loosely on both sides as he passed out.

"Well, mister," she shook her head and turned her horse off the road, "If you're not going to be awake to tell me where to take you, guess I'll have to just take you with me for now. Good thing I have to visit an acquaintance who's a doctor anyway." Not that she really liked taking the stranger there, but for whatever he was, her aquaintance was an excellent doctor.

Scene Two

By the time she arrived at her friend's log cabin Jarrod was again awake, though he was still leaning forward. "Sorry to be such a burden to you, ma'am." She had to smile, not too many people she knew were polite when they were hurting.

"No problem, and the name is Peggy Caldwell," she looked at the cabin and called out, "Dr. Anderson! You home?" she hoped he was, the poor man on her saddle needed more medical attention than she was prepared to give him. The doctor came to the door. His short black hair hung just over his ears and his belly looked like he'd eaten one too many snacks. Everytime she saw the man she wanted to tell him to go see a barber, and hide her food.

One look at his guests and the doctor was practically flying down the steps. After dismounting her horse Laurie helped her friend get the stranger into his home and into the second bedroom it held.

After examining Jarrod, Dr. Anderson straightened up, "You've busted your leg and dislocated your shoulder. I'll be right back." he left the room to get the things he needed

"What's your name?" Peggy sat down on the chair next to the bed. She might as well get that much.

"Jarrod," he answered, "Jarrod Thomas Barkley." He was shocked to hear the chair being pushed back, as if he'd just startled her.

If he'd been able to see her face he'd have seen it pale as the blood drained out of it. Her heart raced with fear as she thought on her brother sitting in prison, and the things her brother's friend had sworn to do. Oh, neither man was in the right. Both of them were bad, bad to the core. When she heard a horse approaching she looked at the window. Again, her face went pale.

"Mr. Barkley, I can't explain right now. I'm sorry, really I am; only, if you value your life give yourself a good case of amnesia right now! That is, if you happen to be a blind attorney from Stockton," she hurried out of the room leaving one very confused man behind. That is, until he heard, through the open door, the conversation that was taking place, and the voice behind it.

"They say that the state has enough evidence to send Peter to prison for a good fifteen years, if not more, and get this," the voice belonged to one bald head man named Adam Carson was speaking to the doctor. Jarrod had never met the man face to face, but he had heard him a number of times, through his office door. The man was talking loud enough to wake the dead. "Rumor has it that they're letting a blind man prosecute him! And, no, before you ask, I haven't actually met him yet!"

When Jarrod heard people entering the room he found himself holding his breath. "I see your awake," Peggy was putting on a pretty good show as Adam never even suspected the stranger had not been anything but unconscious for some time, "your leg is broken, but Dr. Anderson will set it. May I ask you your name?"

Not knowing if Mr. Carson was with her, Jarrod hesitated in order to make it look as if he was trying to remember. He slowly shook his head, "I don't know."

"You remember nothing?" Dr. Anderson spoke up. He'd heard of amnesia more than once, but had never actually met anyone with it.

"No." Jarrod figured he'd best keep his answers extremely short if at all possible.

"Look," Adam started speaking, "I only came by to see if I could borrow a few things." He didn't have time to stand around talking to anyone; besides, it was common knowledge he and Peggy didn't exactly get along.

Dr. Anderson, who had little sense when it came to whom to help, and whom not to help, simply nodded, as he started setting Jarrod's leg. "Take what you need."

Once he was done, the doctor turned to Peggy, "I guess you won't be traveling to San Francisco?" he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't just walk away from any injured person.

Peggy bristled at the question. She had no intention of setting foot in the prison, not after the ultimatum her brother had given her. "Why should I?"

The man shook his head, as he headed for the door, "Peg, The man is still your kin, whether or not you like it."

After he'd left the room Peggy shut the door and then sat down by the bed. She wasn't about to have Jack overhear any conversation she meant to have with their guest. After all, lack of judgment wasn't his only fault.