"Ah, here we are! Sorry it took me so long, I had some miscreants to teach a lesson to..."

Adam had a grin on his face as he set the tray, laden with soup and a glass of milk, on Jody's bedside table. Ben retreated so that his son could help feed the nourishing broth to the boy. Adam gently propped Jody up with pillows into a semi-sitting position and tucked a napkin into the nightshirt neck-hole.

"Alright, young man...there...we...go. Now, do you think you can feed yourself or would you rather I help?"

Jody bit his lip in thought. He wanted to be able to be a big boy in front of Adam but, then again, he wasn't so sure that he could complete the task by himself either. Discerning the dilemma, Adam smiled and reached for Jody's left hand to grip in his own large palm. He wrapped the young fingers around the soup spoon but kept his own hand there as well.

"How about you hold the spoon and I'll steady you, alright?"

Jody brightened at that suggestion and worked at consuming the broth. Adam kept up a steady stream of encouragement as the warm liquid disappeared down the lad's throat. Ben hid a smile behind his hand and moved to the bedroom doorway where Hoss and Joe had just appeared after cleaning themselves up after their brother's "revenge". The three whispered among themselves as they watched Adam be in his own world with the patient.

"Ya know, Joe? I don't think that Miss Evangeline is the only one that Adam's fell for. Who would've know'd it!"

Ben snorted in derision. "I would have, he hasn't left that boy's side since we found him. I remember Adam telling us about how much spunk Jody Grant had. I definitely see that first hand, he's quite a brave boy," Ben leaned on the door-frame and crossed his arms. "You know, he kind of reminds me of your elder brother at that age."

Joe quirked his eyebrow and smiled mockingly. "Pa? You sure that Older Brother was ever that young?"

Hoss chuckled and Ben glared at both of his errant sons as they tried to hold their residual amusement at bay from the moments before. He pushed them both back so that the door could be closed quietly against the muffled noise. He put an arm around each of their shoulders with a solemn expression on his face. "Watch it, boys. There's still another Cartwright in this house who is much, much older than even your ancient brother. Maybe you two should take over running the ranch and give us old folks some rest." Ben winked and slapped their backs before walking away.

"Oh, but, Pa! We didn't mean..."

"Pa! Wait a dadburn minute!..."

Protesting all the way, Hoss and Joe followed their smirking father down the stairs. A knock on the door quieted the mayhem. Ben opened the door and was handed a telegram envelope by the ranch hand that Joe had sent to town. The man was thanked and dismissed back into the gathering darkness of night to get some rest. Ben shut the door while not taking his eyes off of the item in his hand. The humored smiles faded from the younger men's faces when they noticed their pa's hesitancy. Ben stared at the envelope for the longest time before slapping his thigh with it and glancing at his sons. They stepped aside solemnly and Ben climbed the stairs.

Hoss sighed. "What do ya think that telegram says, Joe?"

Joe rested his left hip on the settee arm. "I don't know but I have a bad feeling it's not good," He sighed as well. "I'm going to make some sandwiches, are you hungry?"

"I guess."

I* * * * *I

Adam's voice answered Ben's knock and the author of that knock entered Jody's room. To not alarm Jody, Ben requested to talk to Adam for a moment when he had the time. Adam looked puzzled then worried but he recovered his playful facade for Jody. He fed a couple of more spoonfuls of broth to the tiring boy before helping him wiggle back down into the warm bed-covers for some much needed sleep. Adam took away the propping pillows and smiled at the drooping eyelids of his charge.

"You just go on back to sleep for awhile, Jody, and when you wake up, maybe I'll tell you a story of when my brothers and I were close to your age. Sound good?"

"Thanks, Adam..."

A smile touched Jody's face as he drifted into slumber. A distant memory touched his mind but evaporated before he could hold on to it. A trauma-shielded memory consisting of a man with broken ribs and a jacknife...and a pretty woman with blonde hair...for the life of him he couldn't remember their names though...

The door clicked shut softly behind Adam and he turned to Ben with questions radiating from his hazel eyes. Ben said nothing but held out the envelope in his possession. Adam stared at it before tentatively taking the offering and withdrawing the single piece of paper from within. Ben scrutinized his son's every discernible muscle twitch or the clenching of a jaw to read what was going through Adam's mind but the younger man remained motionless as he perused the few words. It seemed a near-eternity before Adam slowly refolded the paper and meticulously returned it to the envelope.

"What did it say, Son?"

Adam didn't appear to have heard as he moved to lean on a table with his head lowered. After a moment of silence, Adam turned. "Matt and Anne Grant are dead."

Ben stepped forward in shock. "Dead! When? How?"

Adam's head moved from side to side slowly and he bit his lip. "They died of...um...," He pinched his nose and passed a hand over his mouth and chin in shaky agitation. After composing himself, he looked up and gazed directly into Ben's eyes. "They both died of influenza two weeks ago."

"Jody must have contracted it too except...he survived."

"To make his way here apparently. There was something odd though...," Adam pulled the telegram into view again and handed it to his pa. Ben took it and began to read.

Mr. Adam Cartwright
The Ponderosa,
Virginia City, Nevada

Regret to inform that Matt and Anne Grant died two weeks past...Stop...Influenza...Stop...Jody Grant taken to orphanage...Stop...Ran away five days ago...Stop...Request that boy is kept at Ponderosa...Stop...Do not contact...Stop...Letter to follow...Stop.

Sheriff John Henderson
Carson City, Nevada

Ben read the few words more than once before glancing up."Not that it's not desirable but, why would Sheriff Henderson want you to keep Jody? I would think he'd want him returned as soon as possible. I wonder why he doesn't want to be contacted."

Adam shrugged with frustration. "Maybe the letter will explain more. Something is wrong here. In the meantime though, I've got a sick boy in there that doesn't remember that his parents are dead! How do I tell him, Pa? How do I tell him that Matt and Anne are gone?"

The last sentences weren't a question so much as it was a declaration of a dreaded future event. They stood there for some time in silence until Adam sighed and spoke in a low, grieved tone. "Well, he'll sleep for a while now that he has food in his belly...I best get back."

Ben caught Adam's arm. "Let me. You go get something to eat, I'll keep an eye on him."

Adam's tired eyes revealed gratitude as their owner nodded and walked away from Ben. The older man lowered and shook his head before entering Jody's bedroom. The boy was sleeping soundly and it pained Ben to know the temporary innocence of the child. Unpleasant memories were aroused from three separate events that had plagued Ben's life and the lives of his sons. Being without a mother was one thing, but losing both mother and father was unthinkable. Ben sank down into the bedside chair to pray and wait. For what precisely, he wasn't sure. There were too many options to choose from.

I* * * * *I

When his older brother came down the stairs, Hoss glanced up from his groaning plate of roast beef sandwiches. Adam approached the table and sat heavily in his chair. Hoss handed him the serving platter of sandwiches, already one-third empty of food.

"Here have a sandwich, Adam. You look pretty done in."

Adam smiled wanly. "Thanks, Hoss...Where's Joe?"

"Necessary."

They ate in silence for a couple of bites until Hoss broke the amiable silence, "If'n ya don't mind my askin', what did that telegram say?"

Adam paused in his chewing and placed his half-eaten sandwich back on his plate. He swallowed the food in his mouth while crossing his arms on the table. "The telegram was from a Sheriff Henderson in Carson City. It seems that Matt and Anne Grant died of influenza...about two weeks ago."

Now, it was Hoss' turn to put down his sandwich. "I'm sure sorry for that poor little fella upstairs. What will become of him?"

Adam shook his head and inclined his head away to think. When his brother looked up, Hoss saw a new streak of stubbornness in the tanned face. Adam spoke, "We're keeping him."

Hoss was surprised at the finality of the statement."For how long? Don't he have any kin?"

Adam's eyes turned thoughtful. "I'm not sure on either count, Hoss. Matt told me that he doesn't have any relatives but Anne never mentioned her family. Some inquiries will have to be made but, in the meantime, Jody will have some healing to do...and he'll do it here."