I do not own 'The Big Valley' nor any of the original Barkley characters.

Thanks to my Beta Reader, though all mistakes are still my own

TIME TO HEAL

Chapter Twelve

Scene Twenty-Three

Nick's eyebrows turned down as he read the telegram that had just been delivered to the Barkley home. "What is it, Nick?" Audra and Jarrod had just entered the living room.

"It's from Heath. It just says, 'Been delayed. Still hoping to work things out once we get there'. It was sent from Carson City." He felt like a child at Christmas. He could 'see' his Christmas gift, it was within 'reach per se' and yet he couldn't open it. He hated it! He wanted his brother back and he wanted him back yesterday!

He didn't have to tell them how he felt; they knew. Ever since they'd received the second letter winter had dragged its feet through the snow slower than molasses coming out of a tree. "We just have to be patient," Jarrod sighed, "at least he's coming home. Once he and his wife get here we just need to make it crystal clear he is a part of this family, no matter what happens in our lives." He spoke to both siblings, but looked at Nick.

Nick put the telegram in his vest pocket and headed for the door, "I have work to do." Neither Jarrod nor Audra tried to stop him; they knew work was the best thing for their brother at that moment.

0000

Heath sat next to the bed the doctor had had the men lay Lorilee in. It was two in the morning and she'd not yet opened her eyes. 'Good news is, best I can tell, there are no broken bones. 'If she's not awake soon though, we may a major problem on our hands' Those had been the doctor's words to him just a half hour before.

Heath held her left hand in his and traced her wedding ring with his right thumb. A single tear ran down his cheek, "You gotta wake up, girl," he always called her girl when nervous or upset in any way, for any reason, "you just have to. I don't know that I can face my family without you by my side."

'Watch out below!' Lorilee was standing in the loft of the barn as Heath walked by. Before he knew it hay was falling all over him. He'd run into the barn and caught Lorilee just as she was hurrying down the ladder, soon they laughing and rolling in the hay.

"Best be careful when you start a war," Heath looked down at his wife, "you have allies around to help you." What with the Tillmans, and everyone else, in town for various reasons, work was quickly forgotten as Heath lowered his head and started kissing his wife.

One memory after another was flooding his mind when Lorilee slowly opened her eyes and left out a small groan. Heath's head flew up and his own eyes flew open. "W...what happened?" Lorilee asked as she blinked her eyes.

"It was those drunks, the ones that came out of the saloon, remember?" He answered as he kept his eyes on his wife; she was still blinking her eyes. It made him nervous.

"What is it, girl? What's wrong?" Heath leaned a bit closer as Lorilee turned her face towards him. One look into his wive's face had him feeling as if someone had double up their fist, and hit him in the stomach. He knew before she said a word what had happened.

"I..I can't see you, Heath. I can't see you!" her eyes widened in fear.

"Doc!" Heath hurried to the front of the doctor's office, soon the gentleman was by Lorilee and examing her.

Scene Twenty-Four

Heath led Lorilee to her horse and put the reins in her hands; then he mounted Charger. It didn't take Lorilee but a few seconds to mount her horse.

'There's pressure on the optic nerve. Apparently, when she fell she hit the back of her head. There is some sight. She can tell light from darkness. She may, or may not, see again. I can not say for sure'. As soon as he'd heard those words, Heath had determind to give her the same kind of support she'd given him ever since they'd met, and that meant making sure he didn't cripple her with his concern.

As they passed the jail the sheriff stepped out and stopped them. He felt horrible for the young woman before him. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened. I need to know if you want to press any charges."

Heath looked at Lorilee, "Do you?" a part of him did only he was going to leave it up to her.

She knew pressing charges meant sticking close by; she didn't want to do that. "No, they have to live with themselves and that will be bad enough. Let's get goin'. Time's a wasting." Thanks to the fact that her horse had flat out gone nuts when they'd tried to get him into one of the train's boxcars they had a lot of miles. They hoped by that time that Lorilee's horse would consent to get into one of the boxcars meant for animals.

Once they were out of town Heath kept his eyes wide open. The way people were talking the trouble with the Paiutes was dying down, but he didn't want to relax only to be surprised by any of the renegade warriors.

The morning hours seemed to drag on forever. He would have liked to travel faster, but, until Lorilee got used to focusing on the noises around her, he didn't dare. As they rode around a bend in the road Heath pulled up his reins. Lorilee, hearing Heath stop, did the same. "What is it?"

For a moment Heath said nothing. Off to their right sat a wagon; a man, woman and a young boy lay on the ground with arrows either in their backs or in their chests. Heath shook his head, "I wish that horse would have gotten on the blasted train. I've got some folks to bury." He answered bluntly.

All of a sudden Lorilee found herself filled with an undescribable fear of being on her horse without Heath next to her. Her heart was racing as she dismounted the animal and stood next to him. Heath, who had found a shovel in the wagon, quickly laid it down and hurried over to his wife. "Are you okay?" he laid his hand on her shoulder.

She wanted to say yes, but she couldn't. "I...I just need to sit down while you bury the poor people." Heath looked from her horse to her, sighing he led her to a nearby rock. Then, after tying up the horses to a tree, he went back to work. By the time he finished there he figured they'd lost at least a couple of hours. Guess there was nothing they could do about it, nothing but continue on their way.

As they continued their journey, he continued keeping his eyes opened. If, by chance, they came across any shelter, he felt strongly they should grab it for the night. "Everything's gonna be all right." he reached over and laid his hand on Lorilee's shoulder for a second. She still looked quite unsettled.

"My head agrees," she smiled weakly at him, "My heart is scared to death."

"Can't say I blame it." Heath's mouth turned up slightly as he turned his attention back to the road ahead of them.