Disclaimer: I own nothing, I claim no ownership, I have no way of making money on this…please…please don't sue. Just borrowing the characters for my own fun and amusement. Have fun reading. Like or not, please review. Thank you
Marie's DeathChapter One
The Bad FallMarie frowned. Ben, Hop Sing, Adam and Eric had left just a few minutes ago. She knew before they left that she would forget something, and now it had come to her. They must still be less than a mile away, and Joe hadn't settled down for his nap. She could slip a bridle on Sugar and bundle up Joe to take with her, and they could ride out and catch them before they got too far away, before the wagon cleared the far gate. She needed that fabric, and that fact decided her. She slipped Joe's coat and mittens on him, berating herself for forgetting the needed material. Eric had to have new shirts; he was growing so quickly, and Adam could certainly use a new Sunday dress shirt.
As she bent to wrap the scarf around Joe's neck, she kissed his upturned face.
"Mama, where are we going?"
"Ma petit cherie, Mama forgot to tell Papa to get the shirt cloth."
He smiled and took her hand as she led him out of the house and into the barn. Snow dusted the ground and the sky was dark although it wasn't 1:00 in the afternoon yet. Ben had wanted to leave right after lunch to get the supplies, and he was counting on beating the storm back. He had taken everyone except Marie and Joseph to help expedite the buying, trading, and loading. If all went as planned, Ben, Hop Sing and the older boys would be back by nightfall.
Marie lifted four-year-old Joseph atop the hay bale. He stood there, quite patiently for such a small boy. His mama slipped the bridle over Sugar's ears, and then led her to the bale where he was waiting. He watched his mama hike up her skirt and step up beside him, and then she laid the heavy blanket over Sugar's back. Sugar stood quietly as Marie deftly swung herself up on the gentle mare's back. Then, his mama bent down and lifted Joe to set him in front of her.
"All set, sugar?" Joseph felt his mama's chest warm against his back as his sweet laugh echoed through the barn. Mama was so funny. She called him sugar and they were riding Sugar.
"Yes, mama." Joe still giggled a little, and Marie squeezed him close to her in a one armed hug.
Sugar would take them out to meet the wagon and she could give Ben the measurements that she needed. They'd be back in the house in just a few minutes and her giggly baby could take his afternoon nap. Joe leaned back against her chest, his little body warm next to her. She nudged Sugar and the horse dutifully walked out of the warm barn. Once clear of the door, Marie kicked her sides and Sugar trotted down the snow-covered road, following the fresh wagon tracks toward town.
After a few minutes, Joe's arm raised, and he began waving his hand excitedly. "Mama! There they are!"
Sugar quickly caught the wagon, anxious for the company of her stall mates harnessed there. Adam and Eric were sitting in the back of the wagon, facing her, and Adam had reached up to tap Ben's back. He brought the team to a halt and turned toward the sound of the horse approaching.
"Marie! Why…you shouldn't be out here! What possessed you to…"
"Ben, cher…I forgot the materials. I need the fabrics for Eric and Adam. I had to catch you."
"Marie—we'll drive you back. The weather is turning. It may be best for us to wait until tomorrow for the supplies."
"Non! Ben. Joseph and I can go back safely. The barn is in sight…and…we need these things. If you must, stay in town tonight if you cannot return before the storm moves in. We will be fine, Joseph Francis and I. But you must promise me that you will stay if the weather turns more quickly than expected."
Ben looked at the sky. The clouds did look threatening, but there was still no smell in the air yet that a storm was imminent. They should still have time to go and return, with all of them working together. He hesitated, and Marie looked at him pleadingly. He nodded once at her, smiling slightly at how easily she could bend him to her wishes, and it occurred to him that she'd passed this quality on to their son. All Joseph had to do was to widen the green eyes he'd inherited from his mother, and Ben, Eric and Hop Sing were putty in his tiny hands. If he added a trembling lower lip and a tear or two, Adam gave in as well.
Ben's smile widened when Joe yawned hugely, blinking his suddenly heavy eyelids. Eric laughed and Joe smiled sleepily at him, snuggling back against Marie.
"Looks like someone's sleepy, Pa." Eric waved at his baby brother. He sure did look a picture there, leaned back against Ma. His little face mirrored hers. He had her curly dark hair and her green eyes, and when he smiled—it was exactly Ma's smile, even to where his dimples were. Seeing them sitting there together on Sugar, Ma's face right above Joe's, Eric marveled at how similar they were. He wondered about his dead Ma, did he look that much like her? He loved Marie—called her Ma, she was the only Ma he'd ever known, but sometimes, he was jealous of little Joe. Joe had always had a Ma and a Pa. Eric waved again as the wagon lurched forward. He would never tell Joe or Pa how he felt, but he knew that Adam would understand. Adam did understand.
Adam was waving too, and Marie held Sugar in place until the road turned and they could see her no more. Adam shivered. Eric looked at him.
"What's the matter, big brother? You cold?"
Adam shook his head. He had suddenly felt like he would never see Marie or Joe again—that it was wrong to leave. That they should turn and go back immediately, and not leave today. He shook himself and smiled slightly at Eric. "I think a goose walked over my grave. I just had a bad feeling for a minute. But it's gone now."
Sixteen-year-old Adam had grown four inches this last year, but as he looked at his younger brother, he knew that Hoss would shoot past him soon. At eleven, Eric was almost as tall as Adam, and thicker across the shoulders. His legs were even more muscled than Adam's. Hoss would be a big man. Adam's thoughts then turned to his youngest brother.
Joe was little, even for an almost five-year-old. Yet he was strong and sturdy. Adam smiled a little more at the memory of Joe's first horseback riding lesson. Marie and Pa had watched as Adam led the then two-year-old Joe around the corral. Joseph was on the back of Blackie, his gift that Christmas. After fifteen minutes, Joe had begged for the reins. Finally, Pa consented, just as long as Adam held onto the lead rope. Joe had kicked Blackie and the pony had trotted smoothly around the ring. Adam was in the middle holding the long lead. The whole family was giving Joe advice, and in his eagerness to follow everyone's instructions, he got distracted and slipped sideways in the saddle.
"Stop him, Adam!" Pa had shouted, clambering quickly over the rails.
Adam was already bringing Blackie to a halt, but Joe had lost his grip and balance, landing heavily on the ground. Blackie was a small pony, but it was still a far drop for a little boy. Adam got to him first, nudging Blackie backward toward the corral fence. A few feet away, Blackie stopped and stood quietly, reins trailing the ground.
"Joseph…" Pa had arrived one step behind Adam, and Marie was leading Eric through the corral gate. Pa turned Joseph over gently. Joe had a cut over his left eye and a bloody nose. It was dripping fat red drops in the dust as he sat up, grinning at his family.
"I falled, didn't I? Where's Blackie? I wanna try again, Adam…Pa. I falled!" Pa tried to hold him so he could get a handkerchief under the dripping nose, but Joe wiggled free and ran to Blackie. "Help me up, Adam. Wanna ride."
Adam had smiled then at his brother's tenacity and fearlessness. He would be quite a horseman someday. Marie had surprised the fourteen-year-old that day. She had allowed Joe to get right back up, nose still dripping. She placed her baby right back into his hands, and Adam had lifted him up on Blackie—over the protests of Pa, Adam recalled. Maybe Joe gets some of his courage from Marie. It was a new thought for the young man, and on the hour-long trip to Virginia City, he thought about his stepmother, and her bravery. She left everything and everyone she knew in New Orleans to come west with Pa. That took great courage. Plus, she had mothered Eric and him like they were her own children, sometimes over his resistance, he realized. He was suddenly ashamed. When they got back, he must find an opportunity to show her how much he appreciated and admired her.
Marie had wheeled Sugar toward the barn when the wagon rounded the bend. She reined the horse to a walk as they started back to the ranch. It was colder now, and Joe leaned hard against her, his body so relaxed that she knew he must be almost asleep. She poked him. "Joseph Francis Cartwright. Wake up. You must wait to sleep until the house."
"Yes, mama." He said quietly…then he coughed a little. Marie felt a tinge of worry. Joe had been quiet all morning—a sure sign that something was bothering him or that he was feeling unwell. She had thought that her youngest was just upset about being left behind. He loved to travel into town; he still saw it as a big adventure. She smiled as she remembered his pleading eyes. Ben had the most difficult time standing firm when it came to Joseph. Her baby could and did manipulate his father and brothers just by using his expressive, beautiful eyes. His whole heart showed in his eyes, and Ben had had a very hard time refusing his youngest pleading to go with them. Marie had taken pity on her husband and added her firm 'no'. Joe knew then that it was no use arguing further. The dejected boy left his father's chair side to reluctantly climb the stairs and go to bed.
Joe coughed again, releasing Marie from the memory of last night's discussion. She gathered the reins in one hand, held Joseph tight against her, and urged Sugar to a trot. She needed to get Joe home and in his warm bed. It sounded like he was coming down with a cold.
Sugar sped up slightly when she approached the barn. Marie had just begun to rein her in again when the horse's movement scared a snowshoe rabbit crouched next to the corral fence. The rabbit darted out across the road, almost under Sugar's hooves. Marie tried to stop her slide off the back of the rearing, panicked horse. Her grip around her son tightened instinctively. Her last thoughts were of Ben, Adam, Eric, and her baby. 'God! Take care of them! Take care of my baby…save Josep..' Her head hit the corner post of the corral, and her neck broke. She was gone.
Joe was almost asleep when Sugar reared. He felt mama's hand tighten around his middle, and then they were falling. When they hit the ground, Joe felt his mama's arm squeeze him, and then relax. He rolled away from her and landed face up. Sugar's hooves came down. He screamed. Pain slashed through his head and his right shoulder. Sugar laid her ears back and galloped away; the boy's screams panicked her further.
Joe cried out for his mama, trying to roll over and away from the pain. His head pounded and throbbed. Sugar's hoof had dealt him a glancing blow, laying back a large swath of his scalp behind his right ear. It bled profusely, staining the powdery snow under him. His right arm was useless; another of Sugar's hooves had connected at his collarbone, and he couldn't move his shoulder or arm. Where was mama? Why didn't she come and pick him up?
"Mama…" He wailed. He began coughing, his throat burning from the tears and the increasing soreness of his throat. His chest hurt, too. Oh, where was Mama? He tried rolling to the left, and found that that didn't hurt so much. He got to his side and pushed himself up, supported by his left hand. Mama lay behind him. She was so still.
"Mama.." He cried brokenly. He struggled to his feet, swaying. He was dizzy and his head hurt so. He staggered the few steps to her and slumped to his knees, groaning as the movement jarred his shoulder.
"Mama." He whispered now. His Mama did not move. Her body was so still, and her eyes….they were open, but she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes….her eyes looked like….looked like Ranger's eyes. Adam's old dog, Ranger had died one night, and when Adam had found him, he cried and carried him back to the house. Ranger's eyes had looked then like Mama's eyes looked now.
He felt pain, so much worse than his head, worse than his chest or his shoulder, and this horrible pain grew within him. The pain was huge, agonizing, and unbearable. It swelled, blocking his throat. He opened his mouth and wailed 'Mama!' over and over until he was left weak, shaking with the effort of the screams, and his voice was rendered hoarse and powerless. He knew…he knew that she was dead. Dead like Ranger. Dead like…like Adam's Ma. Dead like Hoss's Ma. She was Dead. She had died and left him and he still needed her. He cried then, until no sound escaped from his aching throat. His vision was blurry, and the tears ran down his face. Blood also trickled down, slower now, from his scalp, but it was enough to soak his collar and down his shirt halfway. He swayed forward and collapsed on top of his Mama. His left hand found her thick, loose hair and buried itself there, seeking comfort.
"Mama.." He croaked. His voice was almost gone. His throat and chest were on fire and he coughed harshly. Tears again flooded his eyes from the pain in his chest and heart. He was so weak now, his head felt so heavy that it was impossible to lift. He didn't care. He knew that his Mama was dead, and he didn't want to leave her. His fingers clutched her hair, next to her neck. She was getting cold, but he was colder. He closed his eyes against the mist falling and shivered. He lay there, atop his Mama, cold, miserable, hurting worse than he'd ever hurt before…and finally, he surrendered to the darkness creeping across his vision.
Sugar wandered back into view. She approached the still forms and snorted, blowing warm breath across the child's face. She smelled the blood and death here and backed away, uneasy. After a moment, she turned and went into the barn, settling into her stall.
Joe was in a dark and cold place. He ran, searching for his Mama, but he couldn't find her. He hated the dark. He called for his Papa and finally, for his brothers. But no one came for him. He was alone in the dark.
Joe's tiny form shuddered from pain and chill, but he didn't awaken. His hand had braided itself into his Mother's hair, the strands and curls interwoven in his small fingers. He lay on top of her chest. It was warmer here than on the ground, but the falling rain had soaked his back, and now he coughed, choking on the thickening mucus in his throat. His lungs were burning with every breath, and as he slipped further into unconsciousness, he slipped further away from the pain and the cold that had taken over his body. He wanted to find his Mama, needed her, and wanted to be with her. In his delirium, he saw a light ahead and called to his Mama to wait, but the light dimmed. Joe ran, following his Mama into the deepening shadows.
When it began to snow, the flakes falling softly and blanketing the ground, Joe was so deeply unconscious that he did not stir. Soon he and Marie were covered with a soft white quilt of snow that disguised their shape and turned their clothing white one flake at a time.
Next: Ben comes home