Doc Martin jumped out of his chair with shock when the front door to his office banged open and admitted all four Cartwrights with Sheriff Coffee straggling behind. The kind doctor knew why the men were there and he hated the reason. Quickly, he stepped forward to prevent Adam Cartwright from busting into the back room.

"Adam, wait..."

"What do you mean wait! That's my fiancée in that room and you're not going to stop me!"

"Adam, Son, take it easy..."

Adam's head snapped around so quickly that it was unsettling for his father. The coldness and the sparking danger in his eldest's eyes scared him. Ben stepped back and relinquished his hand from his son's shoulder to let him to continue on into the room. Adam paused in the doorway and life seemed to visibly drain from his body as his strong shoulders drooped. The door clicked shut quietly and Ben's eyes flooded with tears.

Quiet descended upon the little gathering and no one seemed to know what to say or do; all five of the numbed men stood where they were without speaking. Each of the family wanted to be behind that door with their fellow member and the two public servants wished to give any help whatsoever to their mutual friends but nothing could be done. Silently, each man there agreed with the others that Adam would have to face this by himself as he wished to and that they would be there when he wanted their support.

* * * * *

After the door closed, cold numbness rolled through Adam's body in waves to the point that he felt unable to move. His hat dropped from his fingers with a plop and he moved on wooden legs to the side of the examination table. A woman was laid out there in death; her wrinkled dress had been straightened as best that it could be on short notice, her face was covered with a black cloth to shroud the damage done to it, her brown hair had been sloppily put right and her hands had been placed together at her lap. The only sign of movement was a sparkle glinting from the top of those young folded hands.

Adam couldn't and didn't try to contain the tears that rolled down his cheeks when his eyes caught sight of the diamond engagement ring. His large hand tentatively reached out to rest on top of her dainty ones. A strangled sob caught in his throat as her cold skin met his warm flesh. Oh, God, it can't be...What have I done to deserve this? Am I never to find love or...happiness? Oh, why couldn't this day have continued in its bliss? Thoughts raced, boiling over into broken weeping as the distraught young man tightened his hold on the lifeless hands. I was going to take her to the lake...to the lake to see the flowers...If only that I could return to this morning...to the feeling of everything being right! She's not gone...she can't be...she just can't be. Why? Why!

Time suspended into a dream that had no meaning and contained no effort for normalcy. A half of an hour passed before the grieving man was softly interrupted by the opening of the door. No sobs could be heard nor any tears seen; the air was so still that Adam's breathing could be deciphered as he sat on the floor. Between his fingers he held the discarded and crumpled green hat that he had purchased specifically for Evangeline not more than a week or so before. Green suits her hair and complexion so well. A large hand covered his shoulder as he stared down blankly at the muddied collection of fabric and a deep voice spoke from his left.

"Adam?"

Hoss crouched down next to his brother and placed a big arm around his shoulders. "Adam...you alright?" Hoss knew that it was a stupid question but he could think of nothing else that could start off any conversation at a time like this. It didn't matter what his intentions were though, his brother was unresponsive. They remained together, one man being silently comforted by another in brotherly companionship. Finally, the quiet was broken by a whisper.

"I'm a failure, Hoss."

Hoss' head snapped up in horror at the words that he never would have imagined his big brother uttering. "Don't you talk like that, ya hear! There ain't a ounce o' truth in it!"

A chuckle as dry as dust permeated the air but the only part of Adam's face that moved were his lips. "Coming from the man who's always around to see me screw up."

"No, I'd say its the other way around. If anything you're the one who goes out o' his way to stay out o' trouble."

Adam turned his head to meet Hoss' disturbed gaze. " Come on, Hoss. It was my fault that Sue Ellen was killed...I didn't go back for Ruth...I let Regina go without a word...Heck, I even shot and nearly killed Joe for good measure among many other things...That time with Frederick Kyle, I should have kept going that night and saved everyone a load of trouble..."

"Adam, none of that is true and ya know it!"

Adam moved to his feet in a motion of agitation and stepped back up to the table. Hoss rose and stood while feeling his own throat tighten as his brother caressed the woman's hands. The bigger man wished with all his might that he would be able to take this pain away from his oldest brother. He bowed his head and did the only thing that he knew to do; he prayed for help from the only One that could help now. Meanwhile, Adam's hand traveled from the woman's hands to her arm but it stopped short at her wrist.

"Hoss!"

Hoss stepped forward to see what was wrong but, far from being distraught, his brother was perusing the woman's right wrist with something akin to excitement on his face.

"Adam? What is it?"

Adam didn't look up at first but when he did, his eyes were shimmering and his face was filled with bewildered relief and, could it be, hope? "Hoss...its...not...her...she has a birthmark on her wrist but...its not there! Hoss, it's not there!"

Far off towards San Francisco, a seemingly innocent camp could be seen being packed up into a freight wagon by one lone man. He hitched up the two waiting horses to the front of the vehicle then he doused the small campfire. A large blanketed bundle lay under a leafy tree and only when it moved, did it appear of interest to any casual observer. Soft rain fell as the young woman moved within her coverings. Her eyelids fluttered and opened briefly to reveal frightened pale-blue eyes.

Evangeline struggled to get her bearings but her vision was blurred and her head pounded with a headache of epic proportions. The man approached and crouched in front of her while holding a canteen. He gazed with a flash of sympathy on the young woman he had been instructed to transport.

"Here," he pushed the water vessel towards her. Evangeline was finally able to see without as much pain and she screamed in fright. She tried to jump up and run from the rough man in front of her but the soft ropes binding her wrists and ankles prevented any drastic movement. The man simply waited for her to calm down before solemnly offering the water again. She gazed at him with such fright in her eyes that he was tempted to renege on his agreement and release her but money was money and he would be taking her to San Francisco. Along the way, she would be made to understand her situation and the permanence of it; all of it would be done just as Decker had told him to do it, no more and no less.