I do NOT own Bonanza or any of the original Cartwright characters… nor do I own Albert Michaelson or his father, Sam. I have no Beta Reader for this story, so mistakes are definitely my own.

Don't Forget the Stars

Chapter Ten

Ben sat on the porch, in the wheelchair Adam had gotten for him, talking to his friends Alan and Abigail Benson. George had become ecstatic when Ben told him Michael had brought his telescope for him, George, to see. "I thought Joshua was coming with you." Ben looked at the Benson's as he took a sip of the lemonade Hop Sing had brought out for them. Joshua was the oldest of the two boys and quite good friends with Hoss.

Alan nodded as he answered, "He was, but his future father in law and you both have something in common; you tried to fly without wings." He winked at Ben.

Ben couldn't help it; he cringed slightly. He felt bad for the man, though he had to chuckle just a little at the way Alan put it. "I thought he had a couple of sons to help him. How long is he laid up for?" He had hoped to get the couple to let George to stay on the Ponderosa for awhile. Now, he wondered if that would be possible.

"His oldest son moved back east; his wife wanted back by her family," Alan said as he grew quiet for a moment then softly added, "Paul, their other son, was shanghaied seven months ago. They haven't seen him since. As far as how long he'll be laid up goes, doc says he should be up and around in a couple of months."

Ben felt his heart go out to the family. He didn't know what he'd do if any of his son ever suffered that fate. "I'm sorry to hear that." Ben, as he thought on sons, anyone's sons, and the fate life sometimes handed them, glanced up towards the roof. He had been pleasantly shocked when Mike and George had come and asked if they could get on the roof with the telescope; actually, George had asked. Mike looked uncomfortable, but said it was okay with him if it was with Mr. Cartwright.

Alan, not knowing of Ben's desire for George to stay, struggled to ask what was on his mind, but his wife gave him 'the eye' and he gave in. "We were hoping it wouldn't be too much to ask…" he said as Ben watched him squirm just a little. Ben was curious; what were they going to ask him. "If George could stay here for a few weeks, we are going to Chicago and he just hates to travel. Well, physically he does. I swear he's traveling all the time." Alan pointed to his head.

Ben broke out laughing. He knew the story. He didn't know how many steps it would take to get to Mike's door but he knew the second step towards it had just presented itself. He clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder and answered with a grin a mile wide on his face, "Don't act as if that's a big request Alan. You had me worried for a moment! He can stay as long as you need him to." He leaned back in his chair; he had to, his back was starting to bother him.

Alan wasn't blind. He could tell what Ben wasn't about to admit. Just as he started to open his mouth, Little Joe came out of the house. He too saw his father needed some rest. "Come on, Pa. Dr. Martin's coming out tomorrow. You don't want him to see you looking all worn out do you? He might insist on you moving back into town." He really wasn't worried about that; still, it was something to tease his pa about and a way to get a reaction out of him. It worked.

"I'm not going back to town," Ben barked quite loudly as Little Joe turned the wheelchair around. "I'm doing just fine here!" His friends were chuckling as they followed Little Joe and Ben inside.

From the top of the room, Mike and George could hear Ben and Little Joe going at each other. George laughed; Mike frowned slightly. "What are you looking upset for?" George looked at his new friend, "They're always like that. Pa says so. He says it's one of the reasons he likes coming here."

Mike didn't answer for a moment as he, for the thousandth time, saw Ben Cartwright flying through the air and landing on the hard ground below. "Dr. Martin says it may be up to a year that he's out of that thing; it's my fault he's there, you do realize this, don't you?" Mike had heard Adam telling George's parents about the accident and figured George had heard about it too. He had.

George had never been one to wallow in self pity or guilt even though he'd had plenty occasions to do both. He didn't feel like listening to anyone else doing it either, but was wise enough not to just lay into Mike. "I had a friend once," George began speaking as he looked through the telescope, "I talked him into climbing some hills with me; we went into a pretty dangerous are at my insistence. Long story short, my friend died and I barely survived." He pulled back from the telescope and stood up. "Yes, I had guilt in my heart for some time, but I moved forward. After all, I knew my friend wouldn't want me wasting my life on account of his death. It seems to me, if you really wanted to prove to Mr. Cartwright how sorry you are, you'd stop putting your life on hold." He was off the roof before Mike could come up with all the excuses he'd given to anyone else who had, in other words, told him the same thing. It was another hour before Mike retreated back into the house through the window George and he had used to get onto the roof.