Hi all! I'm Fireflygirl00 and I'm new here. This is a 'what if' story I got off of the season-1 Big Valley episode "My Son, My Son". If your not familiar with that episode, then part of this may be a little confusing, I apologize.
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Heath turned toward the pain, his hand grabbed the right side of his chest. Had one of Wally's men shot him? He looked up and caught Evan's sly grin. Heath felt his knees buckle and he toppled over.
Nick was immediately on the ground next to his fallen brother. Pressing a bandanna onto the wound, he was still screaming at Wally.
"Heath! Nick!" Wally ran across the pastureland.
"Stay away from us!" Nick snarled.
Wally hesitated for a fraction of a moment and then continued towards them. "Forgive me, boys. I didn't mean for anybody to be hurt!" He was now standing next to them.
"Stay away from him!" Nick growled.
To Heath everything was in a haze and he couldn't understand what they were saying. All he knew was there was a lot of blood and it was getting harder to breath.
"It's alright, Heath. It's alright. We're going to get you home." This time Nick's words were clearer.
Without opening his eyes, Heath nodded. Moments later, he was vaguely aware of being lifted into the back of a wagon.
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Nick cradled his brother's head in his lap as the wagon, drove by Jake, one of the Barkley's ranch hands, bumped down the road towards home. He held his bandanna against Heath's blood-soaked chest. It wasn't doing much good.
Nick began to whisper an earnest prayer over the barely breathing man he held in his arms. The man he was blessed to call 'brother'. "Please, dear God, spare him! I...I love him. I can't imagine life...without him. Please, God!"
"Something wrong, Nick?"
Nick jerked his head up, from watching Heath's breathing to Jake. "Huh?"
"Is something wrong? I thought I heard you talking."
Nick's response was so quiet that Jake had to strain to hear him. "I was praying, Jake. I was praying for Heath."
Jake turned back around and got the team of horses moving down the road at a faster pace. He'd worked for the Barkleys for several years and never knew Nick to make a statement like that. Oh, Nick went to church...well...most of the time. But Jake had never heard him verbally mention The Man Upstairs.
Suddenly Heath started coughing. Laying flat of his back, he was gasping for air. Nick quickly helped him sit up. Heath continued coughing violently and blood soon ran from the corner of his mouth. Nick knew this was not a good sign.
Heath wasn't wearing a bandanna but Nick reached into his brother's vest pocket and found a handkerchief. He held it to Heath's mouth and waited for the coughing to cease.
When the haggard hacking finally did stop, Heath collapsed onto Nick once again. "It's alright, Heath. We're almost home."
Heath didn't answer. He was out cold.
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When the three arrived at the barkley mansion, Jake pulled the team of horses to a stop out front. Nick and Jake lifted Heath's lifeless form from the wagon box and hurried through the front door.
"Mother! Audra! Where's everybody at?" Nick yelled.
Mother came from the direction of the kitchen. "Nick, must you carry on so-" She stopped when she saw Heath. "Heath! Nick, what happened?"
"There was a dispute with Wally and his hands. Heath got hit. It's pretty bad. He's been coughing up blood." Nick gave a brief explanation.
Victoria started to argue that Wally would never do anything like that, but quickly decided against it. The proof is in the pudding. As the saying goes, and no doubt about it Heath was hurt. "Bring him upstairs."
Victoria followed Nick and Jake up the grand staircase. She hurried ahead of them into Heath's room and turned down the bedding.
When they settled Heath in the bed, he moaned. It was the first sign of consciousness he'd shown since the coughing attack in the wagon.
Nick had just sent Jake to town after Dr. Merar when Audra appeared in the doorway.
"Heath!" She shrieked when she saw her brother's blood-covered chest; she rushed to his side. "Mother, Nick, what happened?"
"They shot him." Nick stated, bluntly, from where he stood over his brother.
"Audra, would you please fetch me some water, lots of it. And you know where the rags are in the kitchen for bandages." Victoria got right down to business.
"Of course." Audra hurried from the room.
Victoria turned to Nick. "Do you have a knife?"
He pulled a jack-knife from his pocket and handed it to her, then he held Heath still, while she cut away his shirt, exposing the wound. A dark hole was spurting blood from the top half of Heath's ribcage, about four inches below his collarbone.
Victoria gasped and nodded. "It's bad." She took a strip of the shirt and pressed it against the wound. Heath jerked.
Nick clenched his fist and paced the length of the room. He felt helpless knowing he could do nothing to ease Heath's pain.
Before Audra returned from downstairs, Heath roused and muttered something barely audible.
"What'd he say?" Nick asked.
Victoria shook her head that she didn't know.
"Au...dra..." Heath rasped.
Nick stuck his head through the door and yelled, "Audra! Get up here!"
"Nick, must you!" Victoria reprimanded.
"Sorry, Mother." He mumbled and resumed his anxious pacing.
Heath was still muttering her name, when Audra came running with a basin of water and an armload of clean cloths. "What's wrong?"
Victoria peeked under the piece of Heath's shirt that was already dripping with blood, and placed another one over it. "He wants you, dear."
Audra wiped her teary eyes and sat at her brother's left side, taking his hand. "I'm here, Heath. I'm right here."
Heath's eyelids slitted open. "Gotta...tell ya...was...Evan."
Nick spun around. "What was Evan?"
Heath looked at Victoria and, wincing, groaned as she pressed harder, trying desperately to stop the flow of blood. He squeezed Audra's hand as his eyes slid closed.
"What was Evan, Heath?" Nick persisted. He knelt next to Audra and layed his hand on Heath's shoulder. "Come on. Stay with us."
Heath turned hazy, agony-filled eyes back to Audra. "He said...I'd be...sorry."
"Do you mean Evan...shot you?" Audra whispered, grasping Heath's hand in both of hers, as if the act would keep him conscious.
Heath didn't answer. He seemed to be having enough trouble just breathing and staying awake.
"Tell us, Heath." Nick clasped his brother's arm. "Are you sure it was Evan? I saw the look on his face, too, but-"
"Stay...a-way...from him...sis..." Heath's eyelids closed as he drifted into the world of darkness.
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About a quarter of an hour later Heath semi-consciously leaned forward and started to cough. "Easy, son." Victoria cautioned. While keeping the wound compressed with her right hand, she slipped her left arm under his shoulders and eased him up, making it easier for him to breath.
Mid-cough Heath fell back and went limp. His eyes rolled back in his head. Victoria layed him back against the pillows and watched him closely. His breathing had been a grating, raspy noise, but now the entire room was silent. Something wasn't right.
Victoria gasped and spun around, her face stricken with terror and panic. "Nick! Your brother's not breathing!"
Nick rushed over and sat on Heath's left. He roughly jerked Heath's upper body up into a sitting position. Heath's head lolled side to side.
Nick pressed his ear against Heath's chest. He nodded. "I can hear a heartbeat. I think that bullet hit his lung." He let Heath's forehead drop against his collarbone. "Come on, Heath. Breath for me, boy! I'll help you, just give me one good cough."
Audra and Victoria watched in horror as Nick repeatedly smacked his palm on Heath's bare back, directly between his shoulder blades. "Don't you dare give up, boy!" Suddenly Nick's tone changed from Nick the loud, demanding boss to Nick the loving, pleading brother. "Please Heath! Breath!" Time was running out. "Please, God! Don't give in to it, Heath! Breath!"
Seconds ticked by. Audra stood at the foot of the bed, watching as her loud, dark-haired, brother continued aggressively beating her quiet, blond brother.
There was no response. Knowing Heath was gone, Audra sank to the floor, sobbing out her broken heart.
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Cliff-hanger! Part -2 coming soon!