Many direct quotes from the original episode "The Ordeal" are in this chapter. All credit goes to the script writers and producers of the show. NOT MY ORIGINAL WORDS.

April 20, 1940

At the Godsey store, Ada Corley was in selling her herbs. While conducting business with Corabeth, Mrs. Corley tried to convince Corabeth that her eyes were tinted yellow.

"Ada Corley, I will buy herbs from you. But I must ask you to refrain from informing me what is natural and unnatural to me." Corabeth bluntly stated.

Ada muttered something under her breath.

Corabeth didn't hear it because her daughter ran into the store at that moment.

"Mama, Mama!" Aimee called. "It's Elizabeth, she got hurt on the log pile! They had to take her to the hospital!"

"Oh my stars!" Corabeth exclaimed.

"What happened?" Ike was concerned.

"Well, she found… she was up on the logs and she fell and… the logs fell on her." Aimee said.

"How bad is it?" Ike asked.

"Both her legs are broken, I guess." Aimee said.

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Ada Corley broke the silence. "Inner Sypes' girl busted her ankle, I had walk in the next day."

"Ada Corley, you are not a doctor!" Corabeth said, slamming the cash drawer on the cash register. "Please take your money and GO!"

"I ain't no doctor." Ada agreed. "I know a heap more about curin' folks with herbs than all those doctors and their fancy ways!"

Mrs. Corley stormed out of the general store, almost running over Miss Emily and Miss Mamie Bladwin as they came in to do their weekly shopping.

"Sorry." Miss Emily sarcastically apologized. But Ada was out of the store already and didn't hear her.

"Ada Corley seems in a worse humor than usual." Miss Mamie remarked.

Miss Emily nodded in agreement. "Perhaps she should have one of her tonics."

Miss Mamie chuckled.

Miss Emily turned to the storekeeper and his wife and cheerfully greeted them with a "Hello."

Ike smiled slightly. "I'm afraid we have some bad news for you ladies."

Miss Emily and Miss Mamie's smiles dropped.

"Oh?" Miss Emily asked.

"Elizabeth Walton has had a dreadful accident and is in the hospital." Corabeth said.

"Oh the poor dear." Miss Mamie said.

"It happened near the mill. The logs…" Ike started but was cut off my Corabeth.

"Mr. Godsey, will you please spare us the details." Corabeth said. "It is unnerving enough to think that could have happened to Aimee."

Aimee looked at the women. "Well, they're taking her to the hospital in Charlottesville."

Miss Emily nodded and turned to her sister. "Well, do you suppose there's something we can do, Sister?"

"There's always something one can do." Miss Mamie said. "We could go to the Waltons' and prepare food, clean up, make ourselves useful."

"Erin and Jenny are there taking care of the kids." Aimee said.

"And worried sick no doubt." Miss Mamie said.

"All by themselves with all those young children." Miss Emily remarked. She then turned to Miss Mamie. "Sister, we must move quickly."

Miss Mamie agreed. "Yes, at least we can help the girls."

The ladies turned around to leave the store.

"Well I'm sure they'll appreciate it. Children that age can be a handful." Ike was in agreement with the ladies' act of kindness.

The sisters nodded before turning around to head out the door.

Corabeth realized that the ladies must have come into the store for something to begin with. "Is there something I can help you ladies with?"

Miss Emily turned to Miss Mamie. "What was it we came in for, Sister?"

Miss Mamie thought for a moment and then shrugged. "I haven't the slightest idea."

At the hospital in Charlottesville, John-Boy, Jason, Ben, and Grandpa all stepped outside.

"I wonder where Jim Bob went." Jason said, scanning the area for his brother.

Zeb motioned with his right hand. "Over there. On that bench." He turned to his three oldest grandsons. "You boys get in the truck. I'll be with you shortly."

"Sure Grandpa." Ben nodded as the three brothers went to truck.

Grandpa walked over to the bench and sat down next to his grandson. Jim Bob was a young man of few words but his eyes spoke volumes to the hurt that was in his heart. Zeb hoped that his words would encourage this hurting young man.

"Well, Elizabeth's settled down in her room in there, it's time we head on home." Zeb smiled.

"What did Curt say?" Jim Bob uttered, barely above a whisper.

"More or less what Mary Ellen said." Zeb replied. "We'd best get on home and let your sisters know what's going on."

"You all go ahead. I think I'll stay here for a while."

Zeb placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Lookie here, James Robert. There's no use blaming yourself for what happened."

Jim Bob shrugged. "I can't help it Grandpa. How would you feel?"

"More or less, about the way you feel. But I'd try and see the truth of it. It wasn't done on purpose. You and Ben made a mistake, which we all do from time to time. Especially me." Zeb chuckled. "But it wasn't done with any evil intention, so we've just gotta pick up and carry on."

Jim Bob looked directly into his grandfather's eyes. "I don't know if I can look Elizabeth in the face again."

"Of course you can. Time is a great healer. This too will pass." Zeb said. Then he stood up to walk back to the truck. He took a couple steps then realized his grandson wasn't following him. He turned around. "Well come on now. Have you heard one word of what I've been saying?"

Jim Bob chuckled slightly and got up to follow his grandfather.

Zeb put an arm around the young man. "This too will pass. Abe Lincoln said that in the back end of a train going to Washington."