Chapter 1

Joe shook his head, trying to knock loose the groggyness in his mind. He opened his eyes and through a blur, saw a feathered hat and red hair very near his nightstand. Joe shook his head again.

"Hurry it up, Janice!" A male voice said from the living room of the suite.

Joe still couldn't see very clearly, but he knew this man was some kind of threat. He crawled toward the dresser, where his gunbelt was.

The man was at Janice's side instantly, handing her a glass of water and pointing at Joe. She ran to Joe and squatted beside him.

"Here, honey, drink some of this, you're not feeling too well."

In her arms, Joe felt more secure. Maybe he'd imagined the danger. A drink of water sounded like it would hit the spot, so he allowed her to prop him up and give it to him.

Janice lowered Joe to the floor when he passed out again. She stood up and faced her friend. "I don't like it, Mitch. He's so skinny, we've given him too much."

"Shut up, woman! Did you get it?"

She held up a wad of cash. "This can't be all. Check his saddlebags."

Mitch rooted around the room. Finding the saddlebags, he searched the inside and pulled out an envelope filled with money. He showed a toothy grin. "Let's get outta here, Honey!" The two ran out of the room. Neither noticed that the door didn't catch behind them.

Hoss walked wearily up the stairs of the hotel, saddlebags over his shoulder and rifle in his right hand. He arrived at number 8, and knocked on the door. It swung open. "Joe?" Hoss called, thinking it strange that the door was open. Hoss tossed the rifle and saddlebags down on a table and walked through the living room into the bedroom.

Joe lay on the floor, half dressed and unconscious. A bottle of half-consumed whiskey was next to him, dripping slowly into the rug. Hoss went to his side. "Joe?" Hoss shook him gently. He was answered by a groan, and then Joe started to heave. Hoss retrieved a bowl and held his brother while he threw up.

Hoss cleaned him up and laid him on the big bed. Joe still wasn't conscious. He grunted a few times, but was unable to say anything coherent. Once Joe was settled in the bed, Hoss turned and looked around the room. On the nightstand, he found a woman's hairpin. Joe's wallet lay next to it. Hoss picked it up and looked inside. There were only a few dollars in it. Hoss picked up the whiskey bottle from the floor and replaced the cork. Disgusted, he set the bottle aside and found a comfortable chair to sit in. Hoss closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

Joe threw up several times, and then began whining incoherently. Hoss took care of him, in spite of how he felt about it. As Hoss was replacing the blankets over the young man, Joe opened his eyes. He didn't seem to see Hoss. He seemed frightened.

"Joe? Joe, it's me, Hoss."

For an instant, Joe seemed to relax. "Hoss?" He whined pitifully.

"Here, how about some water, Joe?" Hoss poured water from the pitcher nearby into the same glass Joe had used the night before. Joe let Hoss help him drink, and then passed out again.

Hoss sat back and sighed, then replaced the glass on the nightstand and went back to the easy chair.

After nearly three hours of nursing Joe, there was a knock on the door. "Hoss, Joe? It's me," Adam's muffled voice sounded through the wood.

Hoss got up and opened the door to let Adam in. Adam could read his closest brother like a book. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Hoss shook his head. "Joe's sick. I thought he was just hungover, but it'd be gone by now if that was the case."

Adam tossed his hat on the table with the others' saddlebags. With a worried expression, he asked, "Did you send for a doctor?"

Hoss looked down and massaged the back of his neck with one hand. "I ain't been able to leave him."

Adam walked into the bedroom and stood next to Little Joe. He felt his head. "There's no fever."

"Yeah, I know, Adam, but he's been throwing up and whining and sleeping for the last three hours."

Adam turned and looked around the room. He picked up the water glass, and saw a slight residue in the bottom. He showed it to Hoss. "I'll go get a Doctor. I'll have the hotel send up fresh water and a clean glass."

Hoss stared at the glass with disbelief.