Chapter 8
**Two hours later**
"Mr. Cartwright."
"Oh, yes doctor. How is he?"
"Well, he has a bad concussion on his left side of his head. I stitched up the gash he had. His pulse and heartbeat are normal. He had some cuts and bruises on him and a couple of broken ribs. Luckily they aren't near his lungs. Now, all we have to do is wait for him to wake up. I have no idea how long that will be. He needs to stay here until then. The Hotel is just down the street. You and your family can stay there until Adam wakes up. My office opens up at nine. You're welcome to come and visit him then. Hopefully he will be awake by then."
"Thank you, doctor. We will do just that."
**Four days later**
Adam was starting to come out of it and was in a lot of pain. The doctor gave him some more laudanum and the pain settled.
"Oh, where am I?"
"You are in my office, Mr. Cartwright. Your family found you out on the trail unconscious and your head was bleeding. You have a concussion, a couple of broken ribs, and cuts and bruises. Do you remember any thing about your past few months? Or about your family?"
"Well, yes I do. I am Adam Cartwright from Virginia City. And the Ponderosa. My family is my father and two brothers and, I remember a bit about a wedding and a birth. Where am I?"
"Mr. Cartwright, you are in Dallas, Texas."
"WHAT!? Dallas, Texas. How did I get here?'
"I think that your family can answer that better than I can. They will be in here shortly. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? Right now you can only have liquids until I'm sure you can hold it down. I have you on laudanum."
"Oh, well yes. I think I can handle a little something."
"Alright, just stay in bed and I will go and get you something and a cup of tea."
"Thank you, Doc."
Adam laid his head back and was thinking hard of what he had been doing all this time. Flashes were coming back to him in intervals. And he was hoping to get more answers from his family to fill in his lost memory.
"OK, Adam. Here is some farina for you and a cup of tea. Try to keep it down, OK."
"Yes, alright. Thank you."
"Not a problem. I think your family is here. Yes, they are. Can I send them in?"
"Yes, of course."
~0~
"OK, folks, you can go in now. He's awake and trying to eat something."
"Oh, wonderful. Thank you"-"Well, Adam. It's good to see you awake and trying to eat something."
"Hi Pa, Hoss, Joe. You sure are a wonderful sight."
"Son, you have no idea how I felt when we found you out on that trail."
"How did you know where to find me, Pa?"
"Adam, after six months I decided it was time to bring you home and bring Elizabeth back home."
"Ah, wait a minute, Pa. Who is Elizabeth?"
"So, you really don't know, do you?"
"Know what, Pa? What are you talking about?"
"Adam, you have an eight month old daughter. You named her Elizabeth after your mother."
"Oh my God, Pa. Josie died in childbirth didn't she?"
"Yes, Adam, she did."
"My life long fear came to life. Pa, you didn't answer me. How did you find me?"
"We followed sport's tracks. It was a good thing you putting those special horse shoes on him. We found sport before we found you."
"Pa, it was my mother's voice that took me back to that trail. She was reaching out to me all the way."
"I heard her voice also. She was with both of us."
~0~