For the next three days the Cartwrights moved in a steady rotation around Joe's side. Ben was almost always there unless Hoss or Adam could literally drag him away. Molly did her best to make sure that the three men ate and groomed up regularly while Doc Martins pocked his head in occasionally to check on Joe. When he could, Roy would stop by, but for the most part the family was left alone. That was probably for the best, for each passing moment drew them farther and farther into their living hell as they seemingly watched their baby die.

It was mid morning of the fourth day when it seemed that death would make its claim. As Paul completed his examination of Little Joe, he stood up, a grave set to his face. "I'm sorry Ben," Paul began taking a breath as Hoss and Adam moved in closer to their father. It had been clear to all present that some time during the night Joe had taken a turn for the worse. His breathing had grown irregular and shallower. His coughing fits lasted longer and he taken to coughing out small amounts of blood. He was no longer able to swallow and thus unable to take in water. His fever had seemingly grown and the flush to his cheeks had deepened.

"I'm sorry Ben, boys," Paul said again, "He' getting worse. There's fluid in his lungs. If his fever doesn't break soon…But it's been so high for so long I doubt it'll make any difference."

"What are you saying Paul?" Ben asked, nearly breathless with his fear.

Paul felt his heart flutter as he looked at the three men who had drawn in closer. Hoss was already balling, his big frame shaking with sobs. Adam had placed a hand on his father's shoulder, both offering support and restraint. As always the boy's face was placid and blank, but the look in his eyes gave him away. But it was Ben that Paul's heart broke for. "I'm saying that it's too late Ben. It'll be a miracle if Joe lives, and holy intervention if he suffers no ill affects from his ordeal. He's gone Ben; it's a matter of hours now. There's nothing I can do for him."

"So what are we suppose to do?! Give up?!" Ben hissed at the doctor, "Am I suppose to just watch him die?! Just sit here as my baby's life slips away?!"

"There's nothing to be done," Paul said again, keeping his voice level. Ben was lashing out at anyone near by, and Paul couldn't blame him. So far the death toll had risen to twenty and soon it would be twenty one. Though the illness seemed to be winding down, Virginia City was rocked to its core with the loss of so many.

"Not even those doctors' notes we gave you can help?" Adam asked after forcing his father to sit and leaving Hoss to make sure he stayed down.

"Adam, I have been over and over those notes again and again. They all say the same thing. The cause of the epidemic was traced to the cattle, and the first cases of human contraction were butchers, ranch hands, and farmers. All jobs that deal directly with cattle and more importantly slaughtering the beasts. Best that I and the other doctor's can tell, it was spread through the blood."

"But Joe doesn't slaughter cattle Doctor," Adam stated after a moment, "He's twelve."

"Yes, but you are a ranch and the dieses does spread from person to person. The first victims were family members."

"Then why aren't any of us sick?" Ben asked, after resolving himself to the chair, "If Joe was sick when we were home, why aren't we sick? If we have sick cattle, why aren't we sick?"

"'Cause we didn' slaughter none. We sold 'em to that doc," Hoss spoke up.

"And I'll bet you Joe had more exposure to it then you all did. The first time I heard word of this epidemic was when I was called to the farmers and ranches because the children were getting sick. If it spread from child to child then to child to parent, Joe wouldn't have been able to give it to you because you weren't there," Paul said softly.

A depressing salience filled the room for several minuets. Finally Hoss, always wanting to help, moved to his father's side and helped him to his feet. He fought back a shudder as he looked into his father's face which seemed to have aged a good twenty years, and said, "Come on Pa. You and me 'll go git some lunch and then sleep. You're gonna need ta rest ifin you're gonna be here to night."

"Yeah Pa," Adam added, "and I'll be here until you and Hoss return. I won't leave him once, and if anything changes I'll be sure to send for you."

Ben just nodded, his eyes never leaving his youngest as Hoss lead him from the room. Once gone, Adam took Ben's vacated seat and rubbed his temples. "There has to be something Paul," he began, eyes looking for support.

Paul sighed and shrugged, "I don't know Adam, all the reports I've read describe these exact same symptoms and progression. What's worse, is that none of it matches anything we know of."

"Well what do we know? We know that it was caused by the cattle, most likely from handling the blood. We know that the children of the farm families and ranchers were first to come down with it and they spread it to others. We know that it starts off like a cold and turns into something similar to the flu and finally phenomena. Vomiting, sore throat, high fever and coughing all accompany it through out the entirety of the sickness. We know that the medications have little affect. So how come that not all the victims died? What do the survivors share?"

For a moment Paul was silent as he pondered what Adam said. Then it was if a light turned on in his head and he suddenly felt like a giddy school boy, "Adam Cartwright you just gave m an idea!" he exclaimed as he raced out of the room. He returned moments later with the stack of papers that Adam had given him upon his arrival. "I over looked this because it seemed so trivial at first. But now it's the only thing that I think of. It's the only thing that all the survivors have in common!"

Adam felt his own heart race as he took the papers from the doctor and examined the sections that were pointed out. "They were all given ice baths?" he asked confused. "I don't understand."

Paul was to excited to be put off, "Their bodies were so hot that the ice was enough to shock their system! The shock to their system would basically cause their heart to flood with adrenalin and force their bodies into over drive, and as the ice cooled their energized heart would pump cooled blood through their system breaking their fever. And then for some reason when the fever was broken they began to recover. Of course that's only a theory, but…."

"But what do we have to lose?" Adam finished as he handed the papers back to Paul. "Let's try it," he said as he looked at his brother, "It just might be his last chance."

Paul nodded and looked at the two brother's for a moment, "If you'll excuse me Adam, I'm going to go see if I can find that mircal."