I do not own Bonanza or any of the original Cartwright characters.

*I am inserting this not as of March 11, 2012...This story is labeled Adam and Hoss NOT because they make the most appearance but it is centered on what happened to bring their situation about. Because it's told from Little Joe's POV, he appears the most-that does not change my mind about what the story is all about though.

For the Love of a Brother

Chapter One

A cold north wind blew over the Ponderosa as Ben turned Buck in the direction of home. Home, one word that sure sounded good at the moment. He'd left the week before to attend his goddaughter's wedding. He would have loved for one of his sons to accompany him, but none could. Little Joe had married a young woman by the name of Carolyn Thompson and they had been getting ready to leave on their honeymoon when he left, Hoss had a desperately sick calf to tend to and someone had to run the ranch which, of course, meant Adam had his hands full.

By the time he turned the corner of the house, night had just began to set. Ben was tired and hungry. All he wanted to do was eat a hearty supper, relax in front of a fire and crawl into his nice warm bed. Alas, it was not to be. The moment the house came into sight his heart froze. Dr. Martin's carriage was outside the house and that could mean only one thing-either Hoss or Adam had been hurt. Ben flew off Buck and quickly tied him to the hitching post in front of the house. He then wasted no time bursting through the front door.

The moment the front door opened up Hop Sing, who had just come out of the kitchen, started talking excitedly. "Good see you home, Missa Ca'tw'ight. Boys need honorable father." Before Ben had a chance to ask what happened he was shocked to see his Carolyn hurrying down the stairs.

"Pa!" she shocked him by running up to him and hugging him for all she was worth. He was thrown into more of a shock when she added, "You're home! Thank goodness your home!"

"What worked? What happened?" Ben took a hold of Carolyn's shoulders and pulled her off of him gently. "Where's Little Joe? Where are the other boys?" He did his best not to panic, as he couldn't help but fear the worst.

"I'm here." Little Joe hurried down the stairs and over to his wife and father. Wrapping his arms around Carolyn, Little Joe held her tight, after the events of the past week, he needed to know he had a secure hold on his wife. He explained to his father that Dr. Martin was tending to Hoss and Adam.

"So," Ben couldn't stop his voice from rising, "How are your brothers, and what happened?" He didn't like the uneasy look in his youngest son's eyes, or the uncomfortable aurora that surrounded his daughter-in-law and Hop Sing.

Little Joe glanced towards the stairs and his shoulders slumped slightly. "Hoss has a broken leg, cuts and bruises, and he was shot once, but I was able to get the bullet out and put the leg in splints. He's sleeping; he'll be fine as long as an infection doesn't set in." He fidgeted as he again glanced up towards the stairs and then looked at Carolyn. He wasn't surprised to see her biting her lip and turning her head slightly.

Fear gripped at Ben's heart. He stiffened as he looked at his youngest, "What about Adam? What happened to him? Is Dr. Martin with him right now?" He wanted to throw out a thousand other questions, but instead waited for Little Joe to answer.

"I…" Little Joe struggled to control his own fear, not wanting it to be heard. "I don't know. He…he was shot…he took bullets meant for Carolyn and myself. Dr. Martin has been with him for some time. That's why I had to take Hoss's bullet out. Adam needed Paul more."

Ben gasped. Took bullets! Adam had been shot more than once saving his brother and sister in law? He looked at Carolyn. She could not hide the fear in her eyes. "I am going to go up and see what's going on with Adam, and then I want to be told what on earth has been going on while I was away!" he hurried up the stairs and disappeared down the hallway. Little Joe hurried up behind him while Carolyn went to sit with Hoss.

It didn't take long for Ben and Little Joe to reach Adam's room. They wasted no time in entering the room, though they did it as quietly as they could. Dr. Martin might have chewed them out, but he had just finished stitching Adam up and covering his work with cloth wraps that Hop Sing had ripped from cotton sheets and boiled the germs out of.

The good doctor pulled Adam's blanket up and laid it across the man's chest, making sure his arms were resting on the top of it. "Hello again, Little Joe. Wish I could say it was good to see you, Ben." Paul talked quietly as he headed for the door, "Let's the three of us talk out there."

Ben wanted to stay by Adam's side, or go check in on Hoss, but he followed his youngest son and the doctor out into the hall, quietly shutting the door to his eldest's son's room. Only when the door was shut, did Paul begin to speak.

"How much has he been told?" Paul asked as he looked at Little Joe, who was squirming slightly. Paul didn't want to make any assumptions and start throwing out too much information at once. He didn't need another patient on his hands at the moment.

"Nothing," Ben growled softly shooting his youngest a scowl, "I haven't been told a blasted thing!" Then he softened his tone as he got a hold of himself. "Then again, I just walked in the door. What is going on?" His eyes bore into both the doctor and his son. He was confused and in the dark, and he didn't like either one.

"I don't know the whole story myself, Ben, you'd have to talk to Little Joe here to get the full details; well, that or talk to Roy." Paul sighed as he continued, "All I can tell you is Hoss should count himself blessed; Little Joe has become not only a great rancher, but has a bit of medical knack to boot. The young man that was to be training under me has not arrived, and Adam could not wait for me to work on Hoss. Neither, dare I say, could Hoss have waited while I helped his older brother."

Ben sucked in his breath and then asked, as calmly as he could, "Will they be all right?" He knew what Little Joe had said, but he wanted to hear it from Paul as well.

For a moment the good doctor did not speak. When he did, it was with cautious optimism. "As long as Hoss does not develop an infection, he should be fine." Paul hesitated when it came to talking about Adam. That did not help put Ben at ease. "I don't know about Adam, Ben. I got the bullets out, but a lot of damage was done. All we can do is pray and hope. I will be back first thing in the morning." Paul turned and walked away.

After the good doctor had left, Little Joe sighed. "Could we at least sit down somewhere to talk?" He didn't want to stand in the hallway for hours, and that's exactly what he knew he'd be doing, once he started explaining and describing the events that now had his family worried while two of them fought for their lives.

Ben looked towards Hoss's opened door. Carolyn was sitting next to his bed reading a book. He opened Adam's door up slowly and answered, "We can talk quietly in here. I don't want to leave Adam alone either."

Little Joe made no objection, as he followed his father back into the room and found a place to sit, while Ben did the same. It was going to be one very long night.