Chapter Twenty Five

Heath, who had ridden out to the Peterson's ranch, talked with Mr. Peterson and explained everything to him, now sat behind the sheriff's desk. He was thinking on everything from his injured brother, who had yet to regain full consciousness, to his small family. A portion of the conversation he'd had with Hope as they were sitting on the edge of their porch the night before ran though his mind once more.

"Sarah's a good woman and you should have seen the way Morgan and Derringer chased each other around the living room." Hope chuckled as she told Heath how Sarah and she had visited that afternoon when Sarah had drove out with Nick to get Derringer. They hadn't stayed long as Sarah was extremely anxious to get back to the boarding house and to Jarrod, so Victoria could lie down and get some rest.

"I'm not surprised. She comes from a good family." Heath told her as he explained Fred's niece hadn't been living in Stockton when Heath was living there. "And I'm glad Morgan enjoyed his play time as well." He gave Hope a kiss and stood up, explaining that he had no choice but to go into work, as he couldn't continue to ask Henry to watch the sheriff's office for him. "I'll make sure to drop by the boarding house and see if there's any change in Jarrod."

He was secretly starting to fear even more for his half brother. If it wasn't for the soup that his mother, sister and sister-in-law had been able to get down him during the times he was somewhat lucid, Heath was sure they'd have lost his oldest brother. Heath sighed. With the town dwindling the way it was, there really hadn't been much to do at the office. He'd been done for a solid thirty minutes and had done nothing but stare at the desk. He knew he was only prolonging the inevitable. As he began to stand up, the door opened, and Nick walked in.

"I was getting ready to go over to the boarding house." Heath said as he sat back down. "How is he?" Nick, who had been rather agitated that Heath had been staying away from the boarding house since the Barkley women had arrived in town, was more than happy to hear Heath had planned on going to check on their brother. However, he still had to fight to control the volume in his voice and to keep any agitation out of his voice…not easy for him considering what he really wanted to do was lay into Heath for his own stubbornness.

"Doc says he's improving, but he's still drifting in and out of consciousness, mumbling as he begs mother not to do anything stupid or flat out yelling for you." Nick looked at Heath and failed to keep a silent plea out of his eyes.

Heath didn't have to ask why the glare. "Like I said, I was heading over that way until you walked in. Is there anything else we need to discuss before I go?" He asked.

Nick sighed as he looked around the office. He would have asked how Heath or Henry or the town had managed to get paint to redo the office walls which were as white as could be, but he already knew the answer. Another store had closed its doors and the owners had donated the paint. He wondered just how much longer the town would last…which, naturally, had him concerned that Dr. Olson would also pull up roots and go live with some of his younger relatives. "Not really, just wish I wasn't scared to death for Jarrod." He then expressed his concerns about the town, along with the fact that he wondered if the doctor would move away as well.

Heath sighed as he stood up and put on his jacket. "Town itself won't last much longer, but all it means is the ones left will simply have a bit farther to drive to get anything. As far as the doctor goes," Heath headed for the door, "Don't worry. I don't doubt he'll eventually go too, but he won't go before Jarrod's out of the woods. He's not that kind of doctor."

Nick followed Heath out of the sheriff's office and down the street, once again passing by the growing number of empty buildings, along with the few that were still doing their best to stay open. "Just how far will you or people like the Petersons have to travel to get anything once this place does shut its doors as it were?" Nick asked as they began walking across the street towards the boarding house.

"Ten miles," Heath answered as he walked through the gate in front of the boarding house and up its steps. He then entered the business. Soon he was standing in the hallway that led to the room where Jarrod lay.

Nick saw Heath tense up slightly and assumed it was because Victoria's and Sarah's voices could be heard coming from the inside of the room. After the two of them had just finished a rather comfortable visit, Nick hated to see Heath tense up again. "I could come up with a reason to get them to leave the room." Nick didn't like it, but he could do it. Everyone had been talking to Jarrod, but Heath and Nick figured his oldest brother needed to hear from this particular brother; no, not need to-had to.

"No," Heath took a deep breath and did his best to relax. "I can't avoid this forever and I want to talk to Jarrod-even if he can't respond me to." He then walked towards the room where Jarrod lay. It didn't take him long to gently push the door wide open. Instantly the visiting between the two Barkley women came to a screeching halt as Heath and Nick entered
the room.

"He's been asking for you." Victoria stood up and looked at Heath. "That is, he keeps mumbling your name." Okay, so Jarrod kept bouncing back and forth between the names Heath used, but what did that matter? He was still calling out for this particular brother. Victoria looked at Sarah and told her that she would be down in the boarding house's parlor and headed for the door only to be stopped by Heath's voice.

"After I finish up here, we need to talk. That is, if you're willing to after I've been staying away from the boarding house." Heath turned his eyes away from Jarrod and looked at his mother.

Victoria wasn't blind; she could see how stiff Heath was, how uncomfortable he still was around her. She felt a twinge of regret once more, though she was more than excited he was willing to sit down and talk with her. Slowly she nodded and agreed. "We'll talk later." She smiled and walked out of the room; Nick and Sarah followed as Heath walked over and sat down next to Jarrod.