*I had one reader question Jarrod's wife 'calmness' in this chapter. I want to point out, my focus in this chapter is Victoria. Jarrod's wife's feelings will be shown in another chapter/chapters.

Chapter Twenty One

A/N In the last chapter Nick was supposed to say he would meet Victoria, Audra AND Sarah, along with Derringer. Somehow, only Victoria and Audra got put in. Maybe, I'll just blame the busy week I had last week.

~oOo~

Audra and Sarah across from Victoria as they traveled down the road in the stagecoach to Martinsdale. Audra and Sarah felt their hearts go out to the older woman; the Barkley matriarch was looking out the window. It didn't take a genius to see her mother's mind was elsewhere. "He'll survive, mother; you'll see." Audra spoke as she thought on the moment they'd received Nick's telegram.

"He could have simply sent me a telegram." Victoria turned her face away from the glassless window and looked at her daughter, daughter-in-law and grandson-who was asleep on his mother's lap- with eyes full of guilt and sorrow. "I asked him why he didn't when he headed back to Martinsdale. Do you know what he said?"

The two younger women didn't know, but knowing Victoria they could still guess. However, they weren't going to. The Barkley Matriarch was beating herself up as it was; she didn't need them to heap more guilt up on her. "What?" Audra spoke up first.

"You'd have read the telegram and hopped on the next coach that rolled out of Stockton." Victoria sighed as she turned back to the window. "I would have too. Thinking I knew how to fix things, I'd have headed straight to Martinsdale intent on giving your blond haired brother a lecture of a lifetime…and I'd have expected him to listen."

"The accident wasn't your fault, mother. The fact that Jarrod was hurt isn't your fault, nor is it Heath's." Audra found herself adding the last part out of a fear that, somehow, if something happened to her eldest brother her mother-in her grief-would take it out on Heath…and they'd just found him! Sarah voiced the same opinion.

"We lost Heath four years ago; we may or may not get him back." Victoria closed her eyes, more of her heart breaking in pieces, though her voice remained firm and strong. "We can't lose Jarrod as well."

Audra opened her mouth to say something only to shut it when Sarah shook her head. The blonde haired girl might not have paid attention only, when it came to Jarrod and Heath, she didn't really know what to say to her mother anyway. It wasn't like she, Audra, could see into the future. After a few minutes of Audra said softly, "Nick said Heath has a wife and a son. I can't wait to see them. I wonder what they're like."

Victoria had to bite her tongue as the stagecoach hit yet another bump. A part of her wanted to yell at the driver to take it easy; the other half told her she was simply terrified they'd have a wreck too. "Any woman Heath married has to be a good woman. When it comes to his son, if he's anything like his father, you'll probably be doing a lot of the talking." Out of all Tom's children, Heath was far by the quietest.

Audra started to tell her mother that Heath was loud enough if you listened closely, but decided differently when Sarah again shot her a look that made her stop and think. Maybe now, desperate to have Heath back in their lives, her mother would really listen. That is, once Jarrod was out of the woods, sort to speak, and well on his way to recovery. The rest of the trip, the three women traveled in silence-unless Sarah spoke to assure Derringer-who had woke up- they would be in Martinsdale soon enough.

~oOo~

Jarrod started turning his head from one side to the other, mumbling in his unconscious state. Nick, who had taken over watching him when Hope had insisted that Heath go and eat lunch with her and their son, took the cloth that was on Jarrod's forehead and, dipping it in the pan that sat next to the bed, moistened it and put it back in place. It had been two days since Jarrod had been brought in, and he'd now developed a fever.

"Jack…Heath…got to get Heath to see…" Jarrod opened his eyes; though, by the look in them, Nick could tell his brother wasn't really seeing him.

"Just rest, Jarrod, don't worry about anything right now." Nick didn't know why he spoke; the way Jarrod's eyes were darting back and forth, along with his talking-which had turned back into mumbling-Nick knew the eldest Barkley couldn't hear him. When the door opened back up, Nick looked up to see Heath entering the room. Nick could see fear for Jarrod in his blonde haired brother's eyes, even it wasn't as clear to anybody else. Neither one said a word as Heath walked up to the other side of the bed. By that time, Jarrod had closed his eyes, though he continued to mumble.

"Telegram just arrived," Heath said as he laid his hand on Jarrod's arm; he didn't like how warm it was.

"When do they arrive?" Nick asked as he looked at Heath, who once again seemed to be drifting to another time and place.

"Should be here in a couple of days," Heath finally answered and then turned away and walked to the window. Since his mind was on the last time he and Jarrod had spoke, Heath said nothing else. Naturally, the silence only served to agitate an already on edge Nick.

"So?" He asked a bit sharper than he meant to, and then quickly apologized when he saw Heath stiffen slightly.

Heath knew why Nick had the edge in his voice; he knew what he was really asking. Was he, Heath, going to be around when Victoria arrived? Would he talk to her or would he simply leave town? "I am thinking about it, Nick." Heath turned slowly from the window and let his eyes fall on Jarrod. "For now, let's concentrate on doing what we can to get Jarrod through this."

Nick wanted to demand to be told just what Heath planned on doing when Jarrod did just that, pulled through that is. He would have only he wasn't going to start yelling in front of his gravely hurt and ill brother. Still, he couldn't help but growl low, "Let it go, Heath. They were in the wrong, yes, but they meant well. Please, just let it go even if it means you continue living here with your family."

Heath opened his mouth only to jump, as did Nick, when Jarrod bolted up right and, looking at nothing particular, yelled, "HEATH! NO!"

"Whoa there, brother," Nick and Heath took a hold of Jarrod's shoulders and, pushing gently, laid the man back down. However, Jarrod continued mumbling until he slipped back into total unconscious. Once again Nick looked at Heath, his eyes pleading for Heath to say something, anything.

"I'll go get the doctor. I want him to look at Jarrod again." Heath said as he headed for the door. "Then I have a promise to keep to Hope and Morgan. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Nick shook his head as he kept his eyes on Jarrod and prayed for a miracle.