Chapter 15

"So, what exactly happened?", Thomas asked, turning to look at his aunt.

"Well, sweetie... I don't know all that happened. I just know that when I came in from the garden Jake, an old boyfriend I once had, held your brother in a death grip. Claimed... Well, Lily's claim about your brother." shaking her head, she sighed. "Jake hasn't changed and apparently Lily's just like him.", Mary replied with a sigh.

"Wish I could protect him.", Thomas said, letting out a sigh.

"Me too baby, me too.", Aunt Mary agreed, while Simon merely gave a nod of his head.

"Well, why don't you two go outside with the others... I need to get supper on.", she added after a moment.

Nodding, Simon laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'll stay here. You look like you could use a little company."

"I'll go outside with the others Pa.", Thomas suggested, wanting to give Jeffrey a break, at least from Henry.

"Ok.", Aunt Mary hesitantly replied with a nod of her head.

Then, letting out a sigh, she accepted the kiss Thomas gave her before he walked out the front door to go find his brothers.

"Well...", she sighed after a moment. "I just need to get it into the pot."

Nodding, Simon grabbed a chair from the table, settling down in it, his arms resting on the back. "Boy, this has been a long day."

"Yes. And with a terrible ending for Adam... If only I'd known...", she said absent-mindedly, wishing she had known who Lily was.

"Yeah...", Simon whispered in agreement with a shrug of his shoulders.

"How's Adam, Tommy?", Jeffrey asked as his brother settled down between him and Walter.

"Well... He needs our love Jeffrey. Aunt Mary'll tell you the whole deal later, or at least... what she thinks the others can handle."

"Why she do that to him? Can't she be nice?", Gabriel asked, his cheeks red as usual and his eyes holding a gleam of concern for his older brother.

At first taken off guard, Thomas merely sighed, wrapping an arm around his brother, replied after a moment; "I don't know Gabe, I don't know."

"I love him.", Gabriel replied.

"We all do.", Thomas agreed.

Opening his eyes just a bit before closing them once more, Adam moaned. Though his aunt had left him on his stomach, the pain he felt was anything but bearable.

"Aunt Mary!?", he called moments later.

When he called a second time, Simon, who had been sitting at the table, sipping a cup of tea Mary had made him, looked up from where he sat, suddenly startled.

Turning, he gasped silently at the sight of his son, tense on the bench.

"Mary.", he called, standing up, taking a few steps forward.

"Yes, Simon?", she asked, having been out back, checking on her garden. But, the moment she saw her nephew, she nearly dropped her basket as she rushed to set it on the table, before joining Simon at his side.

"Adam, what's wrong, son?", Simon asked, while his sister loaded another needle to give her nephew more pain medication.

Though he opened an eye, looking up at his father, Adam wasn't able to give him a word through his difficult breathing.

"Adam?", Simon sighed, taking one of his son's hands into his own.

"Squeeze him hard.", Mary told him as she took her nephew's arm. And, after her brother clutched his son's hand as strongly as he could, she gave him the shot.

Wincing as his son groaned, Simon let go of his hand, stepping back as Mary took over, taking her nephew's hand instead.

"A-Aunt M-Mary?"

"Yes?", she asked, gently stroking his arm.

"Did she hurt Henry or anybody else?", he asked, his voice a mere whisper.

Turning to look at her brother, she let out a sigh in relief before turning back to her nephew.

"Adam, everyone is fine.", Aunt Mary replied, glad of the fact herself.

"Ok.", he whispered before closing his eyes once more.

Letting out a sigh, Mary looked toward her brother, neither completely knowing what to do about Adam. Knowing how hard things had been for him only made the situation harder on them.

"Think you'll need anything for him?" Simon asked, ready to get anything for his sister, if she asked.

Shaking her head, Mary sighed. "No. I'll wait 'till morning. I don't think he could eat anything tonight."

Nodding, Simon leaned forward, gently giving her shoulder a couple rubs. "Well, I'm going to check on the other boys and make sure they're all settled for bed."

"Ok.", Mary whispered, giving Simon a vague clue she wanted a little time alone with just Adam.

"Alright. Well I'll put Henry to bed for you.", he replied before heading upstairs to check on his sons.

Opening the door to his sons' room, Simon smiled, seeing Gabriel and Walter already asleep in their beds. Billy laid in Jeffrey's arms, the pair of them asleep as well.

However, looking to Thomas brought a smile to his lips. His eldest son, sat up, Henry cradled in his arms.

"Tommy?", he whispered, walking as quietly as possible over to his eldest son's bed. "You alright son?', he asked, laying a hand on the foot of the bed.

Looking up, he merely sighed in response. "I suppose so, Pa... Just thinking about Adam.", he whispered.

Nodding, Simon blew out a small sigh. "Well... he's ok. Nothing's broken... 'cept maybe his pride and spirit. He'll just have to stay with your aunt for a little longer."

"He needs help Pa... Something we can't give him."

Shaking his head, Simon gently took his youngest son into his arms. "I agree. I just wish I knew how."

"So, you're sure nothing was broken?", Thomas asked, his face serious.

"Well, he might have a bruise there and your aunt said there was the teeniest crack in one of the bones in his back but yes, that's all that was wrong, physically.", he replied.

"Anything I can do to help him?", Thomas asked, feeling a little better after his father's last response.

"We'll see. For now... We'll talk about it in the morning.", Simon replied, letting out a yawn before heading toward the door.

Nodding, Thomas slid down under his covers.

Once he reached the ledge at the top of the stairs, Simon sighed, seeing Mary as she faithfully stood at her nephew's side.

"Mary... take Henry and go to bed yourself. I'll stay with Adam.", he whispered, knowing she needed to go to bed herself.

Looking to her brother, she merely took the boy from his arms, giving his cheek a kiss. "If he ever looses me, I don't know what you boys will do.", she whispered before turning toward her room.

With a sigh, Simon admitted her statement made a point. If only you were here Jane. He thought to himself as he watched his second eldest son.