A/N: Thank you for great reviews.
Chapter 4
Sadly little Joe couldn't show Adam the next day that he was fine nor a good hunter since Little Joe's coughing had gotten worse through the night. Adam woke up in the middle of the night by Joe's coughing fit. He turned on a lamp and went over to the boy he studied the boy closely. He didn't like how the boy looked at all fearing the boy had a fever. He touched the boy's forehead and sure enough the boy was burning up. He went to get the canteen with water and got the boy in his arms and put the tip of the canteen to Joe's mouth. "You need to drink, Buddy. Come on Little Joe. You need liquids to get the fever down."
Little Joe turned his face away, "I ain't gotten any f'v'er." Joe mumbled feverishly.
"Please Little Joe. You need to drink some." After some couching Adam was finally able to get Joe to drink some.
It took a long time before the coughing fit had stopped and the boy had finally been able to fall back asleep. Adam wasn't able to though. Little Joe being sick only gave him some bad flashbacks from all the other times he'd been worried about his baby brother. He never forgot the first night after little Joe was born. His Pa, stepmother, brother Hoss and him had mixed feeling at the time. They been so happy to have gotten a new member of the family another boy even though his stepmother had hoped for a girl since she was the only woman in the family, but they were also very sad because the boy was so poorly and they didn't know if the boy would survive the night. He remembered he'd woken up that night and went to check on the baby. He saw his Pa sitting up with the baby in his arms crying. Adam had been afraid then that the baby had died. But then he heard his Pa promising the baby what he would show him if he survived the day and became strong and healthy like his next oldest brother Hoss. Adam knew the best thing was to go back to bed but he needed to be there for his baby brother and his Pa. So he went silently toward his Pa while making sure he wouldn't wake up his stepmother since she's had had a very hard day and she deserved the sleep. When he arrived behind his Pa he lay a hand gently on his shoulder and said in a small voice, "Pa." Ben turned surprised his head around toward the sound of Adam's voice.
"Adam. Why aren't you in bed?"
"Sorry Pa. But I wanted to check on Little Joe to make sure he's alright. He is alright isn't he?" Adam asked while tears were threatening to fall. Ben gave him a faint smile and brushed away his own tears so not to worry Adam even more. "He's sleeping, son."
Adam gulped, "He's sleeping like a baby right. Not like my own Ma is now? He's not with her now is he?" Adam asked worriedly. Ben wrapped his left arm around his oldest son while his right arm was protectively holding the youngest son. "He's sleeping like a baby. He's still with us." Adam let out a relieved sigh. "I heard what you told little Joe Pa… I didn't mean to eavesdrop honest."
Ben hugged Adam tight, "I know son. I know you are worried about your baby brother. "So what did you hear son?"
"What you promised him to show and do with him if he survives and becomes strong and healthy like Hoss."
Ben nodded with a sad face. Adam knew what his Pa feared that he wouldn't be able to. "And I promise you Pa that I will help you and his Ma to take care of him and I will read him a bedtime story every night for as long as he wants me to."
Ben looked proudly at Adam."You've always been a great big brother Adam and I'm sure you'll be a good big brother to Little Joe too. Your stepmother, brothers and I are lucky to have you, Son."
Adam smiled brightly. He loved his Pa a lot and the rest of his family and it meant a great deal to him his Pa being proud of him.
"It's time you go back to bed, Adam. I'm going to need your help bright and early tomorrow morning."
Adam nodded reluctantly. He wished he could stay with his baby brother and Pa to watch over them, but his Pa was right he would need him tomorrow since his Pa had a lot on his hands with taking care of his stepmother and baby brother. He hugged his Pa and then gave his baby brother a gentle kiss on the baby's forehead. "Tomorrow night I'm going to read you a bedtime story, Little Joe so you better hang in there. For it's going to be an exciting story that you won't want to miss."
Ben smiled fondly at seeing and hearing Adam what he was good at and that was being the best oldest brother. "Night Little Joe. Night Pa."
"Night son." Adam then had went to bed and the next evening Adam had been a very happy older brother who had been able to read a bedtime story for the first time to his baby brother.
oOo
Adam was back in the presence. "You better keep hanging in there, Buddy. I want to be able to keep reading you bedtime stories. And our Pa will tan my hide if I don't get you home safe and sound. Adam cradled Little Joe in his arms like he did when Joe had been just a little fragile little baby.
oOo
It was finally morning. It had been a very long night for Adam worrying about Little Joe. Sadly the boy had gotten worse instead of better. He decided to head on home with him to get him to see Doc Martin hopefully he could use his magic on the boy once again. Adam stood up and went out of the cave to check how the weather was and to his annoyance a blizzard was going on. It was too bad for him heading home with a sick boy. He needed to wait till the blizzard had slowed down. He prayed it would happen soon. It wasn't a place to be with a very sick child in his hands. He wished his Pa was there he'd have known what to do.
TBC
