Chapter

Burden

He had to move quickly. The moment he heard the hooves ride away, Hopsing used his tongue to push the gag out of his mouth and to his chin, then his shoulders to guide it further down so it hung about his neck. Using his now freed teeth he pulled the knife from its wooden embedding. He laid it close to the table's edge to make it easy for his hands to reach it. The whole time praying the family would come in to expedite the process. At their absence he continued to work. He stood straddling the large chair then slowly walked into a clockwise motion until he was facing the living room and Little Joe sleeping soundly. At least he hoped he was. His fingers glided the table's edge until they met with the handle end. He took a good hold than sat back down. It took several more minutes of sawing for the binds to give way. This whole time not a single stir came from the sleeping child. The moment the binds fell he went to Little Joe.

He bent over him listening to his shallow but steady breathing, then ran straight to the bunk house to send one of the ranch hands into town for the Doc, without giving him the full details of what had occurred. Hopsing was burdened with impossible choices. The choice to involve the law was way beyond his level of understanding. He considered the answer was probably going to be 'sure, why not?' 'Without a doubt' 'why wait?' But what if he was wrong? Would involving the law get that boy killed? He didn't want the burden of that boy's death on his shoulders. He didn't think himself capable of making a decision such as this. He didn't even believe it was his decision to make. Ben would know what to do. He would be better at making that call. Oh he wished he would get here.

He tended Ben's third son, bidding him to wake, while he waited for the Doc to walk through that door; or the family, whichever came first. The boy scowled as he pressed the sopping rag against his reddened cheeks. This was the first response he'd gotten from him. The boy reached up and took hold of Hopsing's wrist. To which he felt a weird pain and looked at where Joe held him. He didn't realize until now that bruises were beginning to form where the binds had dug in. Would the boy take notice? Then he thought about his eye which the boy would likely see first. Oh he must be a sight. "Pa?" The boy forced out before opening his eyes.

"Is Hopsing. You hut velly bad. Bang head." Joe gave a soft smile. Though not his father he felt comforted by Hopsings voice. He knew he was someplace safe.

"Where's Pa and Adam?"

"They still out. They be back velly soon." He responded not really knowing how true that was. Joe cracked one eye open and peeked around at the near empty house. The blinding light sent his head into a spin. His face scrunched into a grimace.

"Was wong?"

"I think I'm going to be sick." His stomach was in his throat before he knew it and his day's portion was expelled onto the floor.

"Oh. Boy velly sick. Make tewibol mess. Hopsing clean up. Boy lay down. Keep eyes close." He pushed Joe back down and folded the wet rag placing it over his eyes. Joe pressed the rag against his head as Hopsing went off to the kitchen. "Boy west. Docto be hey velly soon."

"Doctor? I don't need no doctor." He contended.

"Boy no augue." The voice reproached. "Hopsing cooking on floor say boy need docto." The slightest titter escaped Joe's lips. He felt the bandage above the rag and considered the position he was in.

"How'd I get hurt?" He asked when Hopsing came back in.

"Boy no wememba?" He fought hard for the memories, but came up empty. "Boy fell off howess. Hit head."

Then it came to him. Glimpses. Images. "Ah yeah. My horse got spooked." Hopsing continued cleaning the mess. "How'd I get here?" Hopsing stopped scrubbing. He was afraid of saying too much. Sick boy get spooked if he finds out too much too soon.

"Hand bwing home." He waited wondering if this would trigger more memories. He wondered if he knew anything of his journey home or of anything that happened once he got here. He waited for more questions to come but the boy was silent as he tried to put the pieces together in his mind. He seemed to have no recall of what happened here. He was as unconscious as he had appeared to be. Thankfully. Or depending how bad his injury was, unfortunately. Fortune has yet to be decided. He finished up the spot and took the pail back into the kitchen.

"Hey Pa, look at that." Hoss pointed to the horse and buggy in their front yard as they approached. The horse attached was familiar to them. They exchanged worried glances as their heart fell to their stomach.

"It's Doc's." Adam added needlessly. "You think Joe was worse off than they thought?"

Joe was supposed to meet with them. When Willard Trump and Hank Myers rode in without Joseph, they were naturally concerned. Will told them that Little Joe's horse got spooked and he got hurt when he fell. They said he didn't look that bad, but when he started throwing up, they became concerned and told the young one to take him back to the house, while they finished gathering the herd. The men downplayed the injury so the family decided to stay on and help push the cows in. Seeing the wagon now, they imagined the worst. They kicked their horses faster urging them into the yard. They had to find out just how bad it actually was.

Hopsing heard the horses and stopped the men as they charged through the door. "Boy fine. Boy hit head." The Doc stood over Little Joe who was laid out on the Settee. The Doc didn't seem to be too highly concerned over him. The men found comfort in his demeanor. Relief washed over them, which allowed room for more questions. As they searched for clues Hopsing's eye naturally stood out. It was a wonder they didn't notice it when they first came in. He was the first they saw but they didn't see him at all. They were blinded by their love for Joseph. Looking at it now, it was painted in beautiful shades of purple. Ben was astounded. He didn't know what to think of that. A wild thought came into his mind. Had they been fighting? His boy was sweet but he wasn't naïve to his temper. Had his boy dared to lay a hand on him? Would he ever cross that line? He'd blister his hide if he had. His boy was renowned for his exploding temper and taking it out with his fist, which his brothers were frequently privy to. They can give it right back to him just as good. Hopsing on the other hand, not without a temper of his own, was so gentle a creature, as long as he'd known him, had never known him to raise an angry fist to anyone. Not to his boys. Not to any man. It just wasn't in his nature. If his boy had- he felt himself getting flush- but his boy is layed out. He cooled himself. Hopsing would have to have gotten him pretty good. He glanced down at his hands. Clean. Pristine. He didn't do this. Two different injuries. Two different sources. Neither Doc nor Hopsing himself mentioned his eye. It was like the black elephant in the room. Ben let it be for now and walked over to his now sleeping boy.

"Concussion. He had a bout of sickness." The Doc explained as he nodded to the freshly cleaned floor. "Other than that he seems to be fine. I gave him something to settle his stomach and help him rest." As the doc spoke, Ben slid his eyes down to look at his own son's hands. Clean. Neither one had been fighting. This confirmed it, two injuries, two sources. He looked back at Hopsing who avoided his questioning gaze. "He was unconscious for quite a while. An hour, maybe more. He has some swelling which seems to have stopped. We'll continue to watch for that."

"He got that from falling, huh?" Adam snorted. Smirking at his mock discontent Doc continued.

"I checked his skull. There doesn't seem to be a fracture. All his functions are working properly. He is light sensitive though, but that is to be expected when the brain gets knocked around like it did; which is why I gave him something to help him sleep. Other than that he's fine. Just a beautiful sleeping baby boy." Ben let out a sigh of relief. Adam gave a quirky smile and glanced at Hoss who bore the look of a smitten mother.

"Way to get out of work." Adam teased. It was for their benefit alone as Joe was miles away. Their smiles broke out to chortles.

"How long is he going to be out of commission?"

"I say bed rest for two days. He could start moving about at three. Light chores in five." Joe will insist otherwise but that didn't have to be said. The doc knew him well enough. He spoke the words he needed to say. What this family did when he walked out that door was on them. Somehow this bullheaded family continues to make it through scrape after scrape. As if their own stubbornness toughens them. He began packing up his tools.

"Can we move him?"

"Sure. As long as you're careful about it. He can make the trip upstairs." Ben moved around to his front.

"I got him, Pa." Hoss said gently moving him aside. The large boy picked up his sleeping brother and carried him up the stairs. Ben followed a step behind the entire way. Hopsing watched the men disappear up the stairs. Adam who wasn't blind to the mark on Hopsing wondered if or when he should pry. He wondered if the Doc had tended to it already or if they'd even discussed it at all.

They hadn't. Every time Doc Martin would broach the subject the cook would dismiss his own injuries for the plight of the injured child. He seemed uncharacteristically dismissive. The Doc knew the questions in Adams eyes and tried answering them with his own. Without knowing whether or not Adam was picking up on them, he excused himself and walked out.

Adam waited until he was gone then turned to the man by the staircase. He opened his mouth to speak not sure what was going to come out, but the question screaming in his head was sure to spill out in one form or another. As if taking that as a cue the China man scurried upstairs. It was as if he knew the question would come and he wasn't quite ready to answer it. That is the darndest thing. He was caught at a crossroads. He could follow Hopsing up, but he can't imagine he'd get him to say anything he wasn't ready to say; or he could try to get what he could from the Doc. He chose the latter.

Hopsing was outside the door as Ben walked out. "Oh Hopsing." He announced startled. "Good you're here." He said stopping himself at the concern in his eyes. The concern couldn't have been for the sleeping boy. Doc said he was fine. Looking at his eye he realized the concern lied elsewhere. "Hopsing, what's wrong?" He asked wondering if he would finally get the explanation he sought.

"Hopsing have to talk to you. Velly impotant."

"What is it?" He struggled for the words. It look like he was fighting his own bout of nausea. Not finding the words he sought, he shook his head and reached into his breast pocket. As he did, Ben caught a glimpse of the young man's wrist. It was just a passing glance as they hid within his oversized sleeves. He couldn't fathom what it was he saw. He couldn't make out why they looked so weird. The Chinaman handed him the note. He took it and opened the slip reading the short statement and the following instructions. Ben too had a bit of stomach churning as he imagined the implications. He pushed it away with logic. His boys are fine. All of them. Safe at home. He must have been exhausted. His mind couldn't make sense of what is was he was reading.

"What is this? Is this a joke?" The China man wasn't that humorous. He looked at his eye wondering if the two were related.

"Men, come to house. They take boy. Leave note." He glanced back at the closed door and thought of the treasure that lied beyond.

"What? They took Joseph? Is that what happened to him?" He felt enraged at the thought of some unscrupulous creature laying a hand on his boy. "Did they do that to him?" Still, how'd they get him back? Question's needed answering.

"No. Not Joseph. Joseph unconshuss. They take otha boy."

"What other boy?"

"They take hand."

"They took the hand? The help? Why?" He wasn't comprehending.

"Hand come in with Joseph. Say he fell fom hoes. Bad men alweady heey."

"Okay. So why take the boy?"

"They think boy Joseph."

"Why would they think that?"

"Boy tell them he was. They tell boy they take yoh boy which eva come thoo doe fust. Joseph unconshuss. Boy say he Joseph, so they take him stead." It all came to him at once. Ben had to steady his knees as he felt the magnitude. How different this night could have been for his youngest. His boy could be missing right now, somewhere out there lost in the night with these monsters; but he's not, this other kid is. This kid whom he doesn't even know, gone, instead of Joseph. Who is he? Why would he do this? Why would he risk himself like this?

"How long ago did this happen?"

"Two owas, maybe mo."

Adam charged up the stairs. He stopped at the top of the landing looking at the two men outside his baby brother's door. They'd been talking. Perhaps, about the eye. He hadn't been able to get anything out of the Doc other than Hopsing's avoidance to the subject matter. His father looked pale now. His eyes were deep set with concern. Something was shared between them. He cocked his head to ask. As if this was what his father had been waiting for, he charged down the hall. The dark haired man was perplexed as his father brushes past him and staggers down the stairs. What is going on? He looked back and forth between the man in the hallway and the empty stairwell where his father had been. It was obvious Hopsing told him whatever secret he was holding on to. Between the two he wagered getting something out of his father would be the easier choice. He left the man in the hallway and followed after his Pa who was at the bar pouring himself a stiff drink.

"Pa. What is it? What's going on?" He locked eyes with his son.

"Adam. Go get Hoss." He said, barely able to hold onto his drink with his trembling hand. He nodded. Surely it was something important. Something they both needed to know. As he turned back to the stairwell. His father said again, "and tell Hopsing to come down too." He hesitated at this task, not knowing how easy that would be. What was going on in that little man's head? Hoss was at the top of the stairs.

"What's all this ruckus? Little Joe's tryin' to sleep." Hoss could see his big brothers concern as he glanced at their cook. He looked back at Hopsing standing like a ghostly figure in the hallway. Cheek of Violet purple. He'd been so callous brushing past him like that. Disregarding him like he wasn't an important member of the family.

"Hoss. Pa wants to see us downstairs." He looked back at Adam and nodded in understanding. "Can you tell Hopsing to come down? He wants to see him too."