Chapter 8

'Anyone home?'

Missie looked up from the stew she'd been eating, placing it aside as Little Joe came over. 'Hey big brother. Did ya miss me?'

'Like a burr under Cocheise's saddle-'

She gasped with pretend horror as he took a seat beside her bed. 'How could you say that about your sister?'

'Oh, easy. I just remember your little trick in stitching my socks shut.'

'That was payback for you scaring me, remember?'

'How could I forget? Your going to use that as an excuse for every joke you play on me from here to breakfast now.'

'Maybe. Just be thankful I haven't nailed your boots to the floor. Yet.'

'And here I was telling the boys on the cattle drive I had an angel for a sister.' He teased and she grinned, shaking her head as she chuckled. 'Anyway, the real reason I'm here is to let Pa know we've got the trail cleared now. Where is he?'

'He and Adam went hunting, I convinced them I'd be alright for five minutes-' Her sentence was stopped abruptly by a coughing fit that seized her violently. Finally it ended but her eyes were red and watery as Joe handed her some water. 'Thanks.'

Joe watched her with concern as she took a drink and some deep breaths. 'Hoss said you'd been under the weather when he came up to see me this morning.'

'Under the river more like.' She sighed and handed him back the cup. 'I'm alright though now, I'll just have this annoying cough for a couple weeks I'm guessing. Pa and Adam won't let me stick so much as my little toe out of bed or else they'll be on my back about it.'

'With what I've heard I can't say I'd blame them.'

'So your on their side now are you?'

'No, not at all. I'm still on your side.' He winked at her then motioned at the door. 'You want to head out?'

'Pa's liable to shoot both of us if he catches me out of bed.'

'He and Adam will be gone for ages, besides, sitting out in the sun will do you a world of good.'

She grinned widely, kicking the covers off then swung her legs over the side of her bed. 'Hand me that skirt and blouse will you?'

'Where's your boots?'

'Probably down in Mexico by now.' He handed her her clothing and she began unbuttoning her shirt. 'Turn around.'

He rolled his eyes as he chuckled, the girl was fully clothed in her undergarments but did as she requested. 'I really think you're trying to outdo me Missie. What's it been? Four, five months perhaps? And this is the third time you've been hurt so far. Pa's gonna have to open another savings account just to pay Doc Martin's bills-'

Missie threw the nearest object she could get her hands on at his head, giggling when her pillow hit its mark. 'I think that's more than enough out of you right now, thank you very much. I'll have you know I don't go looking for trouble-' She fastened the last button of her blouse up and tucked it into her skirts. 'Unlike present company.' She took ahold of the bed head, steading herself for a moment until the dizziness passed. 'Alright, I'm presentable.'

Joe turned, frowning as he saw how pale she looked and how strongly she held onto the bed for support. He reached her side in one long stride, placing his arm around her waist to steady her. 'Maybe Pa and Adam were right in keeping you in bed.'

'I'll be alright in a moment Little Joe, just gotta wait for the room to stop spinning. I've been in that darn bed for over a week now I guess and I'm sick of looking at the ceiling.' She rested against him and waited for a moment. 'Alright, I think I'm fine now.'

'We'll take it slow, just out the door. You tell me though if you need to go back to bed alright?'

'Deal. I ain't going back till I see something other then the boards of the roof though.'

'I think Pa's right. Your more stubborn then me and Adam put together.'

'Guess that's why I'm still here. Even the devil doesn't want my company.' She chuckled, Joe opening the door for them. She breathed in deep of the mountain air as he helped her off the little porch over to a patch of grass nearby. White clouds danced in a gorgeous blue sky and she gazed up at them as they sat down on the ground. 'One thing I truly love about this country is the sky. It's so crisp and beautiful that you can feel it, almost touch it if you tried. I used to sit and try to watch the clouds back in Boston but you couldn't see them for the smog of the factories. Same with the stars, you couldn't see them either. I first got to see the sky when I was on my way west, I remember looking up and thinking there wasn't anything quite like it. All my life I'd lived in a fog, physically and mentally. It was like a curtain was lifted. Watching the endless sky gave me a feeling of freedom I never had experienced before.'

Joe was quiet for sometime as she finished, the two of them lying on their backs watching the clouds drift across the sky. 'I've never thought about what you've said before but your right. It does give you a feeling of freedom.'

'People take things that have always been there for granted. Until you've lived without something then you finally get a taste of it you truly appreciate it for what it is. I made myself a promise not to take anything for granted. I want to make memories, to enjoy the moment.' She chuckled a little. 'I guess coming close to kicking the bucket again has made me all sentimental. I won't bore you with my theatrics any longer.' She pointed up towards a cloud that was turning into a bird shape. 'I used to keep my siblings amused when we were on the trail with a game of cloud spotting. We used to see who could spot the most shapes in five or ten minutes. I don't have a watch but we can just spot for fun. That one looks like a bird.'

'That one next to it looks kinda like a frog if you tilt your head a little-' An amused smile was on his lips as she pointed out a cloud that looked like an arrowhead. If his brothers saw him cloudgazing he'd never live it down. 'And that one's turning into a horse.'

'I used to imagine when it was storming the thunder was horses running in the sky. There were buggy horses and such back in Boston, I used to go pat the one that came to deliver the bread everyday. Guess that's how I came to love horses and even come up with the idea in the first place. Silly hey?'

'It's not silly, Adam would say when I was little it was God emptying the bathwater. I imagined him pouring a pitcher out wherever he wanted it to rain.'

The girl laughed softly. 'Oh that's a good one.' She searched the sky for a moment, pointing to another cloud. 'Deer.'

'Gosh your good at this.'

'Had plenty of practice. More often then not I was by myself so I had time to waste. My siblings didn't always like me, to them I was always ruining their plans if I caught them doing something stupid and stopped them. I've been watching you all since I came here, there's a rift between you and Adam isn't there? Your a lot closer to Hoss then him.'

'Sometimes you are just too observant for your own good.'

'I'm right. Aren't I?'

'Adam's more of a second father then brother I guess in a sense. Pa was away a lot when I was little and he was in charge. He got to boss us around and he still is.'

'It's a perfect breeding ground for resentment, isn't it? Joe, I've gone from being the eldest to being the youngest. Now I know how my siblings felt and it gives me a new appreciation for what they went through with me. I also can see where Adam comes from too, regardless of the circumstances he feels obligated to take care of you and Hoss. He feels it his duty as I did mine.'

'But he doesn't need to. I'm a grown man, I can take care of myself.'

'Even grown men need someone looking out for them. My Pa appreciated it when my Ma watched out for him. One of the worst things you can do is have an attitude of you not wanting to be helped. One day you'll find yourself in a situation you can't get yourself out of and you'll need someone to pull you out. If Adam hadn't gotten me out of that river I wouldn't be here.'

'Hoss told me about that. Why didn't you ever learn to swim?'

The colour drained some from Missie's cheeks and she stared up at the sky. 'That's- not something I talk about.'

'Your going to have to learn to swim, it's a skill you'll need to have out here. I could teach you if you wanted.'

'Thanks but no. I'm firmly keeping both my feet dry thank you very much. I don't cotton to the idea of being thrown into the creek and told to swim or sink. '

'That's how Pa taught me and I survived.'

'Considering I've done a lot of sinking I doubt I'd be good at swimming or I wouldn't have almost drowned.' One of the clouds above looked almost like a waterfall and she looked away from it. 'And that subject is not open for discussion. Rabbit.'

'Another bird.' He pointed out, wondering why the girl didn't wish to speak about the matter. He didn't have much time to ponder however, hearing the sound of hoofbeats and sat up. He cringed. 'Sorry Missie, looks like Pa and Adam are back early.'

'I don't care.' She sighed heavily, still cloud gazing. 'I'm used to being in trouble anyway. Having them mad wouldn't be the worst I've had.'

Joe cringed inwardly again at her tone, her normally light and cheerful voice replaced with a cold, emotionless no nonsense emptiness. It chilled him a little. When she took on that tone it was like she became another person.

'I thought I told you not to be out of bed.' Ben exclaimed, looking down from his vantage point on Buck. 'You promised me you wouldn't get out of bed-'

'Don't get mad at her Pa, it was my idea. I thought being out in the sun might help her. Besides, we've only been here and looking at clouds isn't exactly strenuous.'

'You keep a civil tongue in your head Little Joe, your not too old for the belt just yet my boy.'

'I agreed to come out.' Missie was still staring up at the clouds, her gaze focused on a cloud that appeared as a galloping horse. She was on that horse, galloping far far away- 'I knew I was going to break a promise and I chose to. It's my fault. I could have said no. I'm sorry.'

Ben sighed, the stress of the week catching up with him. Missie had been for the most part behaving like an angel while she'd been sick. In all honesty Joe was right, being out in the sun was good for her. 'No, I should be apologizing. There's no harm in lying out in the sun but you should have asked.'

'I did, I asked Adam the other day.'

Adam nodded as his father looked at him. 'She did and I said no. I didn't think she was strong enough to go out.'

She sat up, her head swimming a little and she felt Joe's hand on her shoulder. 'And I should have listened. I'm just so frustrated with myself-'

He dismounted, kneeling across from his brother and took her into his arms. 'I'm sorry Missie, I know we've been overbearing lately and there's no surprise why you wanted to be up and around. Nothing keeps a Cartwright down for long. Pa and I should have been more considerate.'

'It's alright, I know you've had a hard time lately. You've been worried about me and I don't hold it against you.' She closed her eyes, the warm rays from the sun and the safety she felt in his embrace making her feel sleepy again. 'I think it's time for a nap for me though, can we finish this conversation later?'

Adam picked her up with ease, a nagging worry in the back of his mind as he felt how light she was. That fever really had taken everything out of her. 'Back to bed for you.'

Joe stood up after he'd left and took Sport's reins, he and his father heading to the barn. 'Missie's not doing too well is she?'

'It's been far from an easy week.' He untied the deer he'd shot from behind the saddle and placed it aside to take care of later. 'She's weak and the cough she has isn't helping things.'

'I heard it when I got here, sounded like she couldn't breathe.'

'Sometimes she can't, she was choaking last night. Took forever to get her back to sleep after that.'

Joe glanced up from untacking Sport, his father looking like he'd aged five years with worry. 'What can I do Pa?'

'You've already helped more than you know. With the trail cleared we can get her back home and seen to by the doc. She'll be alright, the worst of its behind her now.'

'I sure hope so, I wouldn't want my record broken.' He tried a halfhearted joke. 'You going to get her out tomorrow?'

'That's the plan. We'll be going slow and steady. She'll have to ride with one of us, she's in no condition to be riding her own pony.'

'I can take him back home for you so you needn't worry about him. I can go let Doc Martin know too so he'll be out home when you get there.'

Ben smiled with appreciation, placing his hand on his sons shoulder. 'Thank you son.'

He nodded, turning back to Adam's horse. 'You know I care for her too.'


It was late the next evening when the family was finally together again, sitting around the fireplace waiting for the doctors verdict on Missie's condition. Ben was smoking his pipe, staring into the fire with his thoughts. He never imagined when he had the idea of taking Adam and Missie out fishing what would have happened. What was supposed to be a time to relax and spend quality time getting to know Missie better had turned into nothing short of a pure nightmare. It was nothing other then the grace of God that he hadn't lost both his children.

Adam was flipping through the pages of one of his books absentmindedly, glancing up at the clock every now and then with impatience. The toll the ride back home had taken on her was clear for anyone to see. She'd been asleep for the last few miles of the trip, worn out from being moved and her constant coughing. More then once they had to stop and let her rest. She was exhausted but she wasn't the only one. He felt as if he hadn't had a good sleep in a month. He flipped over another page, his eyelids feeling heavier as the minutes slipped by and he had to force himself to stay awake.

'Still your turn.' Little Joe exclaimed, looking at the checker board he and Hoss were playing over. Hoss finally took his turn and he smiled triumphantly as he took two of his peices and made it across to the other side of the board. 'King me.'

Hoss sighed, seeing where he'd made his mistake and placed one of his captured tokens beneath Joe's piece. 'Dad burnit. Guess I'm just not being good competition tonight.'

'You can forfeit now if you prefer, big brother.'

'No, no-' He took a good long look at the board before making his next move. The smile faded off his brother's face ad he captured three tokens in one continuous line. 'That's better.'

'Darn.'

Ben glanced over at his sons for a moment, watching their game then up at Adam. Adam was nodding off in his chair and he got up and picked the book up before it landed on the floor.

'I was reading that Pa.'

He chuckled, handing the book back to his son. 'You might be talented Adam but I don't think even you would be able to read with your eyes closed. Why don't you head on up to bed?'

'I'll stay here and wait for the doc to finish with Missie, he can't take much longer.'

'Who want coffee?' Hop Sing questioned as he carried a tray into the living room and both Hoss and Joe took a cup. 'Any news on little girl yet?'

'Not yet, doc's still with her.' Ben took a cup too, glancing up at the stairs hearing footsteps. The boys stood as the doctor joined them in the living room and he voiced the question they were all asking. 'How is she Paul?'

'As best she can be under the circumstances.' He replied honestly. 'Missie has double pneumonia but it would appear the worst of the infection is over. I don't know how you did it Ben, whatever you've been doing most likely saved her life.'

'When Missie was conscious she told us to make a tea from willow bark and white root, that's what we used. We didn't have anything else we could give her.'

'Will she be okay though Doc?'

'She's going to be rather weak for sometime Adam, I've given her a sedative to help her rest and she's sleeping right now. Keep giving her the tea though. If she takes it easy and you keep up with the tea and the medicine I'll leave for her she should be mostly over it within a week. Her cough and fatigue will last longer then that but she'll be just fine with rest and time.'

Ben breathed a sigh of relief. 'That's good to hear.'

'It honestly never ceases to amaze me what scrapes you Cartwrights manage to get yourselves into.' He remarked, the tension easing a little as Joe blushed knowing it was directed mostly at him. 'You keep me in business more then any other family in the district. I've lost count how many trips I've made out here over the years. I sure hope Missie isn't going to turn out like you Joe.'

'She won't, not if I have any say about it.' Adam exclaimed, dodging his younger brothers punch in his direction. 'We don't need more then one accident prone member in the family.'

'I couldn't agree more. Well, I should be on my way.'

'It's late Paul, your more than welcome to stay the night.'

'I might take you up on that offer Ben, after a late night delivering a breach birth then tending to some miners after a brawl I'm asleep on my feet. Goodnight gentlemen.'

'I think it's time for us to retire too, I'll go keep an eye on Missie.'

'No Pa-' Little Joe interrupted. 'You and Adam have been looking after her all week, you need a rest. Hoss and I can take turns watching her. We'll come get you if anything changes.'

Sleep and in a bed did sound good and he nodded, feeling for once just how much a toll the week had taken on him. While it was his place to watch over his sick children he couldn't argue with the logic of what Joe was saying. 'Thank you son, both of you.'

'You have a good rest now Pa.' Hoss added as his father and older brother started up the stairs. 'You too Adam.'

'Night.'

Joe glanced back at the checker board. 'Guess that's the end of that game then. How about I take the first watch and wake you for your turn?'

'I ain't feelin ready for bed just yet. Why don't we take the board upstairs. We can finish our game and watch Lil Miss too.'

'Hoss-' He smiled. 'Your a genius.'

'And don't you go forgetting it brother.'