A/N It was this or have Heath die. I didn't really want to post another death fiction. So, since one of my husband's relatives was born on a ranch and worked on ranches (including his own) his whole life...and done it for well over thirty years with a prosthetic leg...this was easier to accept and post.

At a Cost

Previously: Heath sat back down and sighed. His mother was right, and he knew it. After what seemed like an eternity, he hung his head and done something he hadn't done in a long time; he prayed for strength to accept whatever was to be. As he did so, he could have sworn he heard Jarrod and Nick begin to yell, and he felt something hit his chest… and hit it hard.

~oOo~

Jarrod sat beside Heath's bed and sighed. Heath's breathing was slow and steady as it ought to be and his fever was now gone, though he had yet to open his eyes. Jarrod remembered how Nick had practically jumped on top of Heath and then began hitting Heath's chest in an attempt to get the blonde haired cowboy's heart, which had stopped, started again. Afterwards, the doctor, who had had arrived just moments before to talk to Victoria and check on Heath, had raced up the stairs when they heard Nick and Jarrod both yelling. The famous Stockton attorney sighed again; the danger of Heath dying had passed, but it had come at a cost.

"I've got no choice, Nick!" Dr. Merar turned on Nick and barked louder than anyone in the living room thought possible. "I have to amputate the lower part of that wounded leg if he is to have any chance of surviving! And, before you say anything, it doesn't have to be the end of his working on a ranch! I know, and have heard of, men who have lost part of a leg-even a whole leg- and still worked their places! Sure, they've had to make some adjustments, but they've done it because they had the determination to do so!" Then, due to the fact that Victoria had told him the exact relation between Heath and her children, the doctor added, "Your half brother can do the same. For that matter, as stubborn as all the Barkleys are, he'll probably do ten times better than anyone I've ever met!"

Nick had started to open his mouth, and then shut it as he turned and stormed out of the bedroom. Later, while checking Heath, the doctor had slowly turned to Jarrod and Victoria; they'd followed him up the stairs. "I am sorry. We are out of time. If I don't do this now, I fear the next thing all of you will be doing is burying the young man." He then asked Jarrod to stay and for Victoria to leave and get Gene, who were downstairs, also. The doctor said he needed the two men to assist him. "I'd leave Gene out of it only, with the mood Nick is in, Nick won't be of any help to me." Dr. Merar explained. "Besides, as young as the boy is, he's a student of science which will help a great deal."

Jarrod lowered his head and rubbed his forehead. He and Gene hadn't wanted to be part of the operation, only neither one saw where they had any choice. Later, after Nick had calmed down, the three brothers had sat and talked long into the night, not knowing how Heath would react once he came to. "We'll have to make sure he doesn't blame the doctor." Jarrod had told his brothers. It was a fact that Nick and Gene both agreed with, as Dr. Merar had tried everything else before taking such a drastic step. Ever since Dr. Merar had left, the family had been taking turns sitting with Heath, hoping for the best. "We had no choice; I hope you understand." Jarrod found himself speaking out loud.

Heath, who had actually regained consciousness a few minutes before, heard Jarrod even though the man wasn't speaking rather quietly. With the visit with his mother, and his own prayer, still very clear in his mind, Heath quickly guessed what the famous Stockton attorney was talking about. However, feeling pain down in that area, he was confused.

"He took my right leg off?" Heath asked as he opened his eyes and slowly turned his head to look at Jarrod.

Jarrod's head flew up at the sound of Heath's voice. Sympathy for the cowboy was in his eyes. "Not all of it, just the lower half." Jarrod answered after a moment of painful silence. "Doc says not to be surprised if you feel pain for awhile; maybe, on and off throughout the rest of your life. He says it's called *Phantom pain."

Heath sighed softly and tried to sit up. Jarrod quickly stood up and helped him do so. "Thanks," Heath paused, not wanting to come across as ungrateful. "I...thanks for everything you all have done only, please, I want to be alone right now."

Jarrod, who was feeling more than stressed anyway, nodded. "I'll let the others know you're awake and want some time by yourself. However," he shook his head, "I know mother. She's never had a chance to talk to you and she will want to; she'll be up later." He started to leave only to have Heath speak up.

Even with all that had happened while Heath was in Limbo, a part of him still couldn't accept the Barkleys really wanted him around. He was sure it was mostly the guilt they were all feeling when it came his having been injured instead of Jarrod, along with his siblings' anger towards their father's affair, that motivated the family to say the things they had. "Once I'm able to, I'll leave and make my way somehow. I'm not living off your family's charity just because I took bullets meant for you. That happens when there's a fight; nothing is owed me."

"Live off our charity! Leave! Are you crazy!" Jarrod whirled around, put his hands on his hips and raised his voice just had he had done many times while in a courtroom. "You can't just waltz into our lives and then leave! You have a family here, who wants to get to know you, and they can't do that if you take off now! Doc will fit you with the best prosthetic leg money will buy and then you'll have plenty to keep you busy. Just ask Nick and he'll tell you this a working ranch, and every one living on it does their share. And, since you'll be working with him, I can guarantee that he'll make sure you do! You won't be getting any charity!" By the time Jarrod finished speaking the rest of the family had hurried up the stairs and was now standing off to the side of the room. All were horrified to realize what Heath meant to do once he was well enough.

"Jarrod, please," Victoria, who had been stunned to actually hear her oldest son yelling, stepped forward. "Go ahead and do something, anything, outside this room." She turned to the rest of the family and asked them to also go find something to do. "I want to talk to Heath." Her children had all had their say; she would have hers.

One by one her children left as she made her way to the bed Heath was lying in. Soon she was sitting down and asking him if he would listen to what she had to say before he made any definite decision as whether to stay or leave once a prosthetic leg was provided for him. Heath, who saw no reason not to, agreed to do as she asked.