Just Listen Some More

Previously: The dark haired rancher whirled around only to be confused when he saw that Heath's eyes were still closed. He took a cautious step towards the blonde haired cowboy, only to see Heath's mouth move once more as he repeated the words and then open his eyes long enough to lock eyes with Nick. For the third time, Heath said, 'Don't let them cut off any part of my leg without trying to save it first. Doc needs to drain the infection one more time, might not succeed, but he's gotta try anyway." Heath said as he closed his eyes once more.

~oOo~

Within thirty minutes after Nick had startled everyone by telling them what had happened, Dr. Merar was doing what he could to drain the infection while Victoria helped him. Afterwards, the good man had left leaving Victoria to tend to Heath, promising to return another day to check on his patient.

Heath, who was once again standing by the window, had his attention drawn away from Victoria when Tom reappeared; he stood in the corner of the room, not ten feet from Heath's spiritual form. "So, what's the verdict? Is the doc going to be successful? Will I live and keep my leg or what?" Heath asked, feeling a bit uneasy, which actually surprised him. When he fell off his horse, he'd wanted to die. He'd wanted to die even after Jarrod found him. Now, he had mixed feelings, a part of him wanted to live, but he didn't like the possibility of living with half of a leg missing either.

"I don't know yet. There's quite a debate going on up there about that fact." Tom pointed in an upward direction. He then watched as the door to the room opened and Nick walked in to the room, and up to his mother. Tom leaned against the wall and looked at Heath, who had automatically looked back towards the window. Tom sighed. He could see Heath was thinking to leave the room. "Stick around for a few minutes please."

"What difference will it make if I do or not?" Heath asked, not seeing what the two people had to say to him that could make any difference.

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe no difference, but will it hurt?" Truth was, Heath's father hoped Victoria and Nick might say something that would persuade Heath to fight harder to live than he was. For, while Heath might not realize it, he had let his half siblings get under his skin. Maybe, just maybe, Nick and Victoria's words would enable Heath to find the strength to fight harder to live…even if it wound up meaning he'd lose part of his leg.

Heath, who had no reply, folded his arms and rested against the wall. His mind might have wandered elsewhere, only when Victoria stunned him when she started talking to Nick…and talking to him about Leah…Heath whipped his head around. He was sure Victoria was going to bad mouth his mother. The moment she did that Heath swore he'd make sure she knew what he thought of it one way or the other. He was floored when he heard just the opposite being said about his mother.

"I met Leah Thomson once, by mistake, but I recognized the name straight away. She was alone." Victoria looked up at Nick, who felt shock waves go through him. She had never mentioned this to anyone. "We didn't get into specifics of our lives, though she did tell me she had a son. She was a lady, a true lady in spite of the fact that the dress she wore told of a story of lack of worldly wealth." Victoria sighed as she picked up Heath's left hand and held it in her hands. "She didn't say how old her boy was and I didn't ask; I just assumed she had married and had an infant. It was an assumption I now see was made in order to justify not thinking about the past, so we could all move on without facing 'that' possibility. Because of that, I never mentioned meeting her to your father, either. If he had known, I'm sure he would have insisted on looking into the matter."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Nick asked, more than confused.

Victoria sighed and looked up at Nick. "You're father was a good man, Nick. He was also human. You shouldn't be angry at Heath; he has done nothing wrong. When he regains consciousness, we need to make sure he knows he is welcome to stay."

Nick let out a 'harumph' and looked at their unconscious guest. He then stunned Heath by saying he, Nick, was no longer angry at Heath…and saying that, as long as Heath was willing to work from sun up to sun set like him and the rest of the men, he wouldn't kick him off the ranch.

"Are you kidding me?" Heath snapped, once again not caring if Nick heard or not. "You're still very angry and you don't want me around your ranch!"

"Why are you still so upset then? Why won't you tell talk to him, I mean, more than to lay out the options we have?" Victoria asked, remembering how Nick had confessed exactly what he'd said to Heath.

"I'm upset at father for having the affair; Heath's just had the misfortune of catching the aftermath of my anger. You know how I am, lash out without thinking a lot of times." Nick answered and then said, "As far as the second question goes," Nick shrugged his shoulders. "After I pulled him out of his bed in the bunkhouse and fought with the way I did, do you really think he'd believe me? He knows me as well as I know him." Nick shook his head. "I know if I was in his shoes, and he started making that claim, my doubts would be extremely high."

"Maybe," Victoria laid Heath's hand down, stood up and then took a hold of Nick's face, "maybe not. However, I think you need to still tell him. And," she added, feeling strongly there was more to it than Nick was saying, "I think you need to say whatever else is on your mind. Now, I think I best go for a while." Victoria said, wanting to stay, but feeling strongly that whatever it was that Nick was leaving unsaid needed to be said without anyone but Heath and Nick in the room.

Heath, who watched Victoria leave, found himself thinking about her admission of admiration for his mother and found himself moving towards the door. Only, before he could pass through the door and into the hallway, Tom was next to him. "Listen to him Heath, please." He then added a promise to go and see if he could find out if the decision concerning Heath's life was any closer to being decided. That is, if Heath would do as he asked and listen to Nick.

"Oh all right, but you tell them up there, I'm tired of this. Tell them if I'm going to lose my leg, any part of it, in order to live, I'd just as soon cross that river you talked about." Heath said as he made his way back to the window, even as he was shocked to have a strong feeling wash over him… one that told him he wasn't exactly sure he meant what he'd just said. It upset him as he always said what he meant.

Tom said nothing as he simply disappeared from Heath's sight.