A/N: Sorry for the delay. I've had company the last three days and was busy, busy.

Her screams ripped through the quiet of the night, waking the house, and startling Jarrod enough that he fell out of the chair he'd been sitting in.

Not bothering to get up off the floor, he just crawled to the bed and pushed himself up. Sitting beside his mother, he pulled her into his arms, holding her and rocking her as she cried.

Hearing his brothers run into the room, he shook his head slightly to keep them from rushing to the bed, not sure how the woman in his arms would react. She'd been lost to them for three months and he wondered if she was back, or if this was another part of whatever had happened to her.

"My baby." Victoria cried as she fisted her hands in Jarrod's shirt. "Oh god, my baby."

Holding her tighter, Jarrod felt tears roll down his cheeks as he listened to his mother finally grieving for Audra. He hadn't really grieved for his sister because he had been so worried about Victoria, but now…it was flowing out of him.

Feeling the bed move, he opened his eyes and found himself staring into Nick's eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks. Looking to the other side he found Heath, his own tears dripping from his chin.

Both brothers moved close enough to wrap their arms around Jarrod and Victoria, the three men grieving with their mother, hearts breaking with each anguished cry of their sister's name.

Silas, having come upstairs at the first screams, stood wiping the tears from his face with his handkerchief. Hearing the plaintive cries of a mother as her heart broke was a sound Silas had heard many times in his life, but he'd never thought to hear it here. Giving up the futile attempt to wipe away his tears, he turned and went back downstairs, deciding that he'd send one of the hands into Stockton to bring Dr. Merar back to the house.

As he walked, he said a prayer of thanks that it was a weekend and it was Mr. Jarrod who had been with Mrs. Barkley not one of the ladies who stayed during the week. Mrs. Barkley and her sons needed the time to grieve without outsiders lurking about.

Hearing a knocking on the door, Silas rushed down the last of the stairs and opened the door to find McCall standing on the other side with a worried look on his face.

"Silas?"

"Mrs. Barkley just came back to us. Can you send someone to get Dr. Merar?"

"I'll do it myself." McCall turned to go then looked back. "Is she going to be alright, Silas? Those boys can't lose her, too."

"I don't know, Mr. McCall." Silas answered truthfully.

McCall nodded then turned and made his way back to the barn, disappearing into the shadows as a cloud rolled over the moon. His thoughts turned to memories. He'd worked for this family since before Audra and Eugene were born. He'd watched how the family had rallied together after the death of Tom. He'd never seen a woman as strong as Victoria and he'd marveled at how she'd held it together for her young children, though he knew that Jarrod had stepped into his father's place as head of the family. He also knew something that her children didn't.

Victoria's daily rides back then hadn't been just to exercise her horse. She'd used those rides to do her grieving without having to hold back. McCall had never told anyone what he'd accidently stumbled up on, not even the lady herself.

He'd spent days watching over her, making sure to make it look like he was working in the area so no one would think he was shirking his duties. He supposed he was in a way, since he wasn't working, but making sure the grieving widow of his former boss and friend was kept from harm as she grieved, was more important than cattle and fence line.

TBV

"I've given her something to help her calm down. The screams may continue to happen. I think she's remembering the accident as well as…" Dr. Merar paused and shook his head, his own heart aching over the loss of one of the first babies he'd delivered when he'd arrived in the valley. He'd enjoyed watching Audra grow into the fine young woman she'd become. Clearing his throat, he continued. "If she doesn't want to talk about it, don't try to force her, but do keep trying to get her to. As long as she keeps it all inside, she'll continue to be plagued with the nightmares."

Jarrod nodded. "Thank you, John. Sorry to get you out of bed."

"No need to apologize, Jarrod. It's part of the job."

Nick patted the man's shoulder. "Thanks, Doc. You're welcome to stay in a guest room."

John shook his head. "No, I'd best get home. If someone else needs me, I don't want them having to go all over trying to find me."

"Be careful then."

"Get some rest. All of you."

"We'll do our best." Nick shrugged. "Or at least Heath and I will."

John studied the man. "Is Jarrod still having trouble sleeping?" he asked quietly.

Nick nodded. "But I didn't say anything."

John smiled slightly as he walked to the door, digging through his bag as he went. Handing Nick a small bottle just before he opened the door, he shrugged. "Same as before."

Nick watched the man go then looked down at the bottle. He didn't think tricking his brother was going to work a second time.

"Don't even think about it, Nick." Jarrod warned from behind as though he'd been reading his brother's thoughts.

Nick turned and handed the bottle to his brother. "You do what you wish, but when Mother realizes you haven't been taking care of yourself…" he shrugged.

Jarrod sighed as he looked down at the bottle of pills. "It's not that I don't want to sleep, Nick. I can't. I close my eyes and…" he shook his head. "I can't."

"It's why you didn't want the rest of us to see her." Nick whispered.

"Yes."

"And it's why you've insisted you be the one to sit with Mother."

Jarrod nodded. "Go on to bed now. I'll go sit with Mother and send Heath on to bed. Maybe the both of you could sleep in and wait until lunch to go out and join the men. McCall, I'm sure won't be expecting you."

"I'll see."