Rachel attempted to give Isaac a spoon of goat milk, he didn't seem much interested, until she put some on her finger. She stood rocking him and he had his eyes open. Jimmy hovered behind her watching.
Buck walked up to her holding a blue dress.
"Can you help me put this on her? It's the dress she wore to the dance. She was most happiest then."
Rachel smiled at him. "Of course." And she motioned to Noah inquiring if he wanted to hold the infant.
Noah reached his arms out and cradled him. He bounced him around some and immediately he went back to sleep. "He's a sweet little thing." He said softly.
Once Emily was dressed, Buck carried her to the wagon. He place her son in the basket next to her. Lou sat in the wagon holding the basket. It was a slow, solemn ride to the spot Buck had set up the pyre for Ike less than a year ago.
"Son, you gonna stay at that homestead alone? You'll need lots of help." Teaspoon asked after they were ready to leave the burial site.
"I don't know what I'm going to do." Buck replied. He remembered Emily saying those words just over six months ago.
"I tell you what, why don't you leave the baby with Rachel at the station and Me and you pack a few things to come stay with us?"
Buck shook his head. "No, Ike stays with me."
Teaspoon nodded. "Ok. Buck, you drive the wagon and Lou, you sit up front and hold that basket. The rest of you all head back to the station. We've all had a long tryin' day."
Buck walked into the house, it was so empty and quiet. He picked up Emily's sign she had made. He gathered a few of his clothes and all the baby things including the cradle. He got Ike's bible off the table next to her bed. The bed was stripped down. Everything was set to be washed. He did everything one armed because he refused to put the infant down.
"You wanna bring the goat?" Lou asked.
Buck nodded. "Bring Hank too. Don't make him stay alone."
Teaspoon went out and tied both animals to the wagon. Once packed, the trio and an infant went back to Pony Express Station. Rachel had food ready and she ushered them in to eat. Still Buck did not put the baby down once he got him out of the basket. It was late into the night.
"Buck, I can hold him while you eat." Rachel offered. "I'm not going anywhere. We'll be right here sitting next to you."
Buck nodded and Rachel took the baby while they ate. Everyone was in their bunks shortly after. "Teaspoon?" Buck asked.
"Yeah, Son?"
"What are you going to read tonight? I promised Emily Ike would be read to every night."
"Sure thing. Maybe we ought to read from God's word. We'll start at the very beginning."
Once everyone was in bed, the quite sounds were too loud for Buck. He hadn't set Isaac in the cradle, he just held him in bed with him. But he quietly got up and sat out side. He gave him a small amount of goats milk still warm on the stove. He looked at the night sky and just thought.
He noticed the infants eyes were open. He hadn't really cried, just little moans. "Hello there little buddy. What a day we've all had." He said looking down at him and smiling. "I know it's sad, but at the same time, I am so happy to have you here. I'm Buck. Your Pa was my best friend. My brother. And your Ma loved you with everything she had. They've both passed but they loved each other and they are together now. But me, I get the best thing they've left behind. I get you. And I'm going to love you forever. Let's go inside and get some sleep."
—
Buck awoke to sounds of movement outside the bunkhouse. He was in his regular bunk. Had the past several months been a dream? He was alone inside and the sun was fully bright indicating it could be mid day. He sat up and put his clothes on and walked outside. No it wasn't a dream. Lou sat in the rocking chair he had sat in the night before rocking the baby.
"Good morning. I mean afternoon" Cody said sitting on the porch steps.
"How long did I sleep?" Buck asked.
"Long enough to miss breakfast ... and lunch." Kid said. "We ate outside."
"Long enough to not hear that little feller's screams for some milk." Cody said.
"He was?" Buck asked. "I don't remember a thing."
"I even attempted a diaper change." Noah proudly said.
"Thanks." Buck replied. "I can take him now. He drank the goats milk fine?"
"Fine enough." Lou replied. "He's still learnin'."
Buck picked him up. "He sure is tiny, isn't he? Good morning, I guess afternoon, Ike." He said and held him close. They spent the day on the porch, everyone taking a turn holding the baby, except Jimmy, who had left on a run.
Dr. Howard came riding up to the station. "Good day," he said to all on the porch, tipping his hat. He walked up the steps. "I heard your wife had a difficult time." He said looking at Buck. "Sorry I was away. That could have been an even larger catastrophe at that site. We lost two men."
"We lost one woman here." Noah said sternly, standing up and walking into the bunk house.
"Oh. She didn't make it?" The doctor asked. The sympathy was clear in his voice. Buck shook his head, "I'm so sorry to hear that." He said with such concern. "Birthing isn't an exact science, sometimes nature takes a turn for the worse. May I take a look at the infant? Give an initial exam?"
"It might not be a bad idea." Lou suggested after Buck didn't respond. Buck finally nodded. "I'm gonna go get Rachel. She was there at the birth."
"We can go inside." Buck said standing up, holding Baby Ike close. Cody followed them.
Rachel came in soon after. "What did you name him?" The doctor asked. They laid him on the table atop a blanket.
"Isaac." Cody volunteered, "after our friend."
The doctor used his stethoscope and other instruments. Issac whined at being unwrapped. It seemed like a real through exam. Everyone just watched with baited breath. What if there was something wrong with him? Dr Howard asked Rachel several questions. About Emily and Isaac. Ike had his little hand around the doctors finger and the doctor cooed at him. Finally he sat back and sighed.
"He seems pretty healthy for being only a day old. Lungs sound clear. His movements are good. He's alert. My one concern is his stomach and how he's going to eat. He's probably not too hungry right now because he's still recuperating from the traumatic birth."
"We've been milking the goat." Kid told him.
Dr. Howard nodded. He searched around in his bag. "Since he's not nursing from his mother. Goat's milk can do. I've also read of canned milk. See if you can get some from Tompkins store. Might be easier to make sure he's getting enough to eat. See if you can get a bottle or two."
"We got one." Cody said, "but the soft part was too big for his tiny mouth."
He pulled out a tube contraption. "You could probably use a funnel to get the milk into this syringe. You push here and it will squirt into his mouth. You can have this. Maybe see about ordering some more. It's normally used with a needle at the end, but with out the needle, it should work well till he grows. And that'll come sooner than you know."
Dr. Howard continued, "The first few months, he can only handle strictly milk. At about 3 or 4 months he should be more able to handle cereals or fruits by the spoon but still a majority of milk even past the first year. He does look really good. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help, if I could." He stood and shook Buck's hand.
"If you take him out in the sun, make sure he's fully covered. And I'd really thank that midwife, from the sounds of it, it's a miracle he's alive."
With that, Dr. Howard gathered his bag, put his hat on and left.
"Doc Howard?" Cody said, following him out the door. "Thank you." He said shaking his hand.
"My pleasure, Mr. Cody."
—
"You want to go ride to the Territory Register to register for his certificate of birth, Buck?" Teaspoon asked. "Or you want me to do it?"
"I can take the ride." Buck said. Which reminded him to put the recording into Ike's Bible. He handed the baby to Lou and went in the bunkhouse. He noticed the cradle had been set up next to his bunk. The traveling basket was under Ike's bunk with all the baby items inside. He got Ike's bible and opened it to where Ike's parents were listed and he had written his wedding information. Below it he wrote "Isaac Metcalfe McSwain Cross" and the date. Was it just yesterday? He saw some papers fall out onto the floor. He picked them up, one was addressed to Jimmy, the other, to ... Baby Ike? Buck began to read the letters. Once he was finished, he wasn't going to record Emily's death just now. He'll write it another day. Today was a new day.