Forgotten Past
By Miranda Rochelle Inc
Chapter 5: Safe and Sound
Ben vaulted up the stairs to his son's room, faster than a prized racehorse could have. He didn't bother to knock on the door, he simply threw it open; but couldn't step beyond the threshold. There, just next to the bed, in a heap on the floor, was his youngest son.
Adam and Hoss rushed up behind their father. Adam took one look and started to push past his father as he whispered his youngest brother's name, but Ben held his arm out, almost absentmindedly.
Ben couldn't bring himself to say it, but in his mind, he cried out to his oldest. 'Joe is my son, Adam shouldn't have to—' the thought was bad enough, he couldn't let himself complete it. Ben stumbled over to his son's body and carefully smoothed the boy's unruly curls from his forehead. His hair was exactly like Marie's. 'Please,' Ben prayed silently as tears gathered in his eyes, 'don't take him yet. You took away my wives, but please, don't take my son.' He gently slid his arm under his son's neck to lift him onto the bed, when Joe moaned weakly.
Ben couldn't believe his ears. He pulled Joe close and almost laughed out of relief. "Adam! Get doc Martin! Joe, its alright. I'm here, Joe."
"Pa," Joe whimpered, "he wanted to lynch me, pa."
Ben tried to sooth the boy, "It's alright, son, they're gone. "Hoss, light the lamp for me."
"Yessir." Hoss answered and the room filled with a soft yellow glow.
Ben could instantly see the bruises on his son's face, which caused a pang of guilt in his heart. He had been just down the hall, but he hadn't heard his son cry for help.
"Pa, stop Adam, I don't need a doctor." He groaned, "What happened, pa?" He looked straight into his father's eyes, "Why does Thomson hate me so much?"
Ben tried futilely to swallow the lump in his throat, "Don't think about that, Joe. I just want the doctor to make sure you don't have a concussion, or anything else serious."
Joe tried to push his father away, "He said you lynched his son! I tried to tell him you didn't, but he wouldn't listen to me, pa! He said you lynched him!"
"Joseph, I have never lynched anyone in my life. Hoss, help me get your brother into bed."
Hoss swallowed, and went to grab Joe's arm, but Joe dodged it. "Pa! Then why does he want to kill me?! Why cant you tell me what happened?!" He turned to his older brother, "Why don't you tell me, huh?! I heard the three of you talking; I know you were there! Someone needs to tell me what happened!"
Ben clenched his fists and closed his eyes. Deathly quiet he answered, "Joseph, that's enough. Get back into bed, and wait for the doctor."
"I'm fine, pa. I don't need Doc Martin. Pa, you know I hate doctors, I'm not really hurt, so go tell Adam to stop."
Those words stung his heart, Joe had never been afraid of doctors before that night.........
Joe sighed and allowed his family to help him onto his bed. "Hoss," Joe asked, "could I talk to pa.........alone?"
Hoss looked at their father then nodded, "Sure, short shanks." He turned to Ben, "I should get started with the chores, anyhow." Then he walked out of the room.
Ben pulled a chair over to Joe's bedside and sat, Joe looked horrible to him. His left eye was almost completely closed it was so badly bruised. He right cheek wasn't much better, and Ben was sure there were more bruises, but all he could see at the moment was his son's face. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about, son?"
Joe sighed again, "I don't remember what happened, pa. I heard you, Adam, and Hoss talking, but none of it made any sense! Do you know how frustrating it is? The three of you are so worried, but I can't be afraid of something I don't understand. You told them to make sure I wasn't ever alone. I understand that after what just happened, but I don't know why any of this is happening, pa! I can't remember!"
"Don't try, Joseph. Please, you don't need to."
Joe grimaced and put his hand over his stomach. "They ambushed me, pa, in my own room." He gingerly touched his face, "And they didn't stop after they knocked me out."
Ben sighed, "Did he say anything to you, besides wanting to lynch you?"
Joe looked straight into his father's eyes, "He said.........he wanted me to tell you........." He paused.
Ben steeled himself, "What did he tell you, son?"
Ben breathed deeply and nodded, "Stay in bed, son; I want Doc Martin to make sure you're alright."
Joe had sense enough not to argue, for an astonishing two times in twenty- four hours.
***
Dr. Paul Martin came and went, saying that Joe might be sore for a while, but all that was wrong were a few bruises and a lump on the head. Joe could have sworn that his head hurt enough to have at least a mild concussion, but he wasn't going to tell the good doctor that.
Joe was starting to get very worried about his father. He was acting very out of character. Ben Cartwright was strong, physically and emotionally; so why couldn't he look his youngest son in the eye? Why wouldn't he tell him anything?!
This was not Benjamin Cartwright, owner of the Ponderosa!
Ben Cartwright didn't cry; the deaths of three wives saw to that. Joe hadn't thought anything, short of the death of him or his brothers, could bring such a strong man to tears. But that was the second time he had seen tears fall from those steely chocolate eyes in only a few hours time.
Joe realized that he wasn't going to get any information out of his father. Maybe he could get something out of Adam or Hoss?
A/N: ::Ducks all things being thrown at her:: I'm sorry! I've been mondo busy. My mom also has lots of reports to do for her PhD, so I can't use the pc. I'm sorry! I'll put up more chapters next weekend, if I can, and I'll try to make them longer. The thing is, I only type what I can write during class during the week, which as you can see, isn't much. I'm more or less making this up week by week. I have virtually no clue how this will turn out. I know only a little more then you people do! Like *I* know exactly what happened after that night.........my own imagination frightens me sometimes. It will come up eventually.........maybe as another dream, but from Adam or Hoss.........I don't know. But all will eventually be explained.
Lisa G: sorry, apathetic, sympathetic.........I think I was thinking empathic.........I don't know. Thanx, I'll try to fix it really soon! Always good to know where my mistakes are. At least I'm not confusing then and than anymore. My sci-fi teacher made me write the definitions for those 25x each cause I messed them up so many times.........
Jade: Thanx for the review. So many people have the same names online.........I get confused. I'm very easily confused.
Jules47: Thanx for the review, I live to entertain! And thank you for the feeling better vibes, they helped!
And lastly, to Carly, Biene, Phuong Bui, Wanda, Simon, Karen, Rhonda, Horisont, and of course, Sam ::a.k.a. Todd Smith:: Thankies and much love! Keep reviewing!
By Miranda Rochelle Inc
Chapter 5: Safe and Sound
Ben vaulted up the stairs to his son's room, faster than a prized racehorse could have. He didn't bother to knock on the door, he simply threw it open; but couldn't step beyond the threshold. There, just next to the bed, in a heap on the floor, was his youngest son.
Adam and Hoss rushed up behind their father. Adam took one look and started to push past his father as he whispered his youngest brother's name, but Ben held his arm out, almost absentmindedly.
Ben couldn't bring himself to say it, but in his mind, he cried out to his oldest. 'Joe is my son, Adam shouldn't have to—' the thought was bad enough, he couldn't let himself complete it. Ben stumbled over to his son's body and carefully smoothed the boy's unruly curls from his forehead. His hair was exactly like Marie's. 'Please,' Ben prayed silently as tears gathered in his eyes, 'don't take him yet. You took away my wives, but please, don't take my son.' He gently slid his arm under his son's neck to lift him onto the bed, when Joe moaned weakly.
Ben couldn't believe his ears. He pulled Joe close and almost laughed out of relief. "Adam! Get doc Martin! Joe, its alright. I'm here, Joe."
"Pa," Joe whimpered, "he wanted to lynch me, pa."
Ben tried to sooth the boy, "It's alright, son, they're gone. "Hoss, light the lamp for me."
"Yessir." Hoss answered and the room filled with a soft yellow glow.
Ben could instantly see the bruises on his son's face, which caused a pang of guilt in his heart. He had been just down the hall, but he hadn't heard his son cry for help.
"Pa, stop Adam, I don't need a doctor." He groaned, "What happened, pa?" He looked straight into his father's eyes, "Why does Thomson hate me so much?"
Ben tried futilely to swallow the lump in his throat, "Don't think about that, Joe. I just want the doctor to make sure you don't have a concussion, or anything else serious."
Joe tried to push his father away, "He said you lynched his son! I tried to tell him you didn't, but he wouldn't listen to me, pa! He said you lynched him!"
"Joseph, I have never lynched anyone in my life. Hoss, help me get your brother into bed."
Hoss swallowed, and went to grab Joe's arm, but Joe dodged it. "Pa! Then why does he want to kill me?! Why cant you tell me what happened?!" He turned to his older brother, "Why don't you tell me, huh?! I heard the three of you talking; I know you were there! Someone needs to tell me what happened!"
Ben clenched his fists and closed his eyes. Deathly quiet he answered, "Joseph, that's enough. Get back into bed, and wait for the doctor."
"I'm fine, pa. I don't need Doc Martin. Pa, you know I hate doctors, I'm not really hurt, so go tell Adam to stop."
Those words stung his heart, Joe had never been afraid of doctors before that night.........
Joe sighed and allowed his family to help him onto his bed. "Hoss," Joe asked, "could I talk to pa.........alone?"
Hoss looked at their father then nodded, "Sure, short shanks." He turned to Ben, "I should get started with the chores, anyhow." Then he walked out of the room.
Ben pulled a chair over to Joe's bedside and sat, Joe looked horrible to him. His left eye was almost completely closed it was so badly bruised. He right cheek wasn't much better, and Ben was sure there were more bruises, but all he could see at the moment was his son's face. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about, son?"
Joe sighed again, "I don't remember what happened, pa. I heard you, Adam, and Hoss talking, but none of it made any sense! Do you know how frustrating it is? The three of you are so worried, but I can't be afraid of something I don't understand. You told them to make sure I wasn't ever alone. I understand that after what just happened, but I don't know why any of this is happening, pa! I can't remember!"
"Don't try, Joseph. Please, you don't need to."
Joe grimaced and put his hand over his stomach. "They ambushed me, pa, in my own room." He gingerly touched his face, "And they didn't stop after they knocked me out."
Ben sighed, "Did he say anything to you, besides wanting to lynch you?"
Joe looked straight into his father's eyes, "He said.........he wanted me to tell you........." He paused.
Ben steeled himself, "What did he tell you, son?"
Ben breathed deeply and nodded, "Stay in bed, son; I want Doc Martin to make sure you're alright."
Joe had sense enough not to argue, for an astonishing two times in twenty- four hours.
***
Dr. Paul Martin came and went, saying that Joe might be sore for a while, but all that was wrong were a few bruises and a lump on the head. Joe could have sworn that his head hurt enough to have at least a mild concussion, but he wasn't going to tell the good doctor that.
Joe was starting to get very worried about his father. He was acting very out of character. Ben Cartwright was strong, physically and emotionally; so why couldn't he look his youngest son in the eye? Why wouldn't he tell him anything?!
This was not Benjamin Cartwright, owner of the Ponderosa!
Ben Cartwright didn't cry; the deaths of three wives saw to that. Joe hadn't thought anything, short of the death of him or his brothers, could bring such a strong man to tears. But that was the second time he had seen tears fall from those steely chocolate eyes in only a few hours time.
Joe realized that he wasn't going to get any information out of his father. Maybe he could get something out of Adam or Hoss?
A/N: ::Ducks all things being thrown at her:: I'm sorry! I've been mondo busy. My mom also has lots of reports to do for her PhD, so I can't use the pc. I'm sorry! I'll put up more chapters next weekend, if I can, and I'll try to make them longer. The thing is, I only type what I can write during class during the week, which as you can see, isn't much. I'm more or less making this up week by week. I have virtually no clue how this will turn out. I know only a little more then you people do! Like *I* know exactly what happened after that night.........my own imagination frightens me sometimes. It will come up eventually.........maybe as another dream, but from Adam or Hoss.........I don't know. But all will eventually be explained.
Lisa G: sorry, apathetic, sympathetic.........I think I was thinking empathic.........I don't know. Thanx, I'll try to fix it really soon! Always good to know where my mistakes are. At least I'm not confusing then and than anymore. My sci-fi teacher made me write the definitions for those 25x each cause I messed them up so many times.........
Jade: Thanx for the review. So many people have the same names online.........I get confused. I'm very easily confused.
Jules47: Thanx for the review, I live to entertain! And thank you for the feeling better vibes, they helped!
And lastly, to Carly, Biene, Phuong Bui, Wanda, Simon, Karen, Rhonda, Horisont, and of course, Sam ::a.k.a. Todd Smith:: Thankies and much love! Keep reviewing!