Man of Justice

Chapter Thirty-One

Whispers and rumblings could be heard as Tom drove his wagon through the streets of Stockton with Jarrod by his side. Tom wasn't surprised though he hoped the "good" people of Stockton would keep their "accidents" to a dull roar for awhile at least. In between his work obligation, helping Victoria as much as he could and doing his best to be patience with his boys….Nick for his consistent refusal to call Jarrod anything but brother and Jarrod for his consistent refusal to speak English; well, not much anyway. He had started at least saying "Thank you" to his mother for the food she cooked, though the burden of fixing meals would be eased once their new butler, Silas, started working.

Understandably, Victoria was being taxed to the limit with the new baby and doing her best to help their oldest feel at home once more, not exactly easy when the boy continued to insist on sleeping on his floor with the window open or even sneaking out of the house and sleeping on the front yard lawn. Jarrod should be used to walls around him by now. When the new sheriff, Fred Madden, stepped out of his office as Tom drew near, Tom stopped the wagon. "Hello, Fred, how are things going?"

Fred was a very good man and tolerant of many people, smiled at Tom and at Jarrod. He held out his hand and took a hold of the one Tom had held out as he greeted the lawman. "I'm doing great. I've been out of town for a spell and haven't met Jarrod yet. So this is this your oldest boy, the one I've been hearing about?" He, very politely, left out just some of the things he'd heard. After all, Jarrod's story was not so unusual in these times and places out west. But most people either stuck their heads in the sand or stuck their nose up in the air; Fred was well aware that most people just didn't want it in their faces, or to be reminded of it.

But Tom Barkley didn't care about the ignorant masses; he just concerned himself with getting his boy the help he needed."Yes, this is Jarrod, but he prefers his Shoshone name, Man of Justice." Tom replied as he looked at Jarrod. He was relieved to see the young man at least looking at the sheriff without an expression full of ice. Maybe, all that talking Nick had insisted on doing when he found out his father was taking Jarrod into town had done some good after all.

Fred started smiling from ear to ear as h he held out his hand to Jarrod, "Good to finally meet you Man of Justice. If you're anything like that name of yours, we should get along fine. I'm sure we have a lot in common."

Tom was pleasantly surprised and shocked when Jarrod actually reached out and took the hand that was offered to him; though he said not a word he was also smiling. It was still a small smile, but at least those, small smiles that is, were starting to come more often. "Well, Fred, we have to get going. Have a good day." Tom lifted up the reins as Fred stepped back.

"You too." Fred watched as his friend drove his wagon down to the doctor's office and stopped in front of it. While he didn't know the reason for the medical visit, the lawman did pray for the best when it came to the Barkleys. He liked them.

Dr. Merar was just coming into the waiting area of his office when Tom and Jarrod entered. Because Tom had already talked to the good doctor the week before, the man didn't have to ask what he could do for them. "Hello Tom, good to see you home J…I mean Man of Justice. Forgive me," his warm and genuine greeting reached out and helped calm Jarrod's troubled nerves; and he had been troubled ever since he'd heard McCall doing his best to reassure Nick there was nothing physically wrong with his older brother that he was very healthy. If his father knew he was well, why was he being brought to this man?

"If you don't mind Tom, I have someone who wants to meet Man of Justice while you and I talk privately." Dr. Merar wasn't surprised when both Tom and Jarrod stiffened. He had expected such a reaction. "Come with me, both of you can meet him." He led them down a small hallway lined with various documentations hanging on the wall and into a side room.

When their visitor stood up and turned around, he'd been facing the window with his back to them, shock waves ran through both of the Barkleys. Though his skin was white, the man's high cheek bones and other physical traits said he was partially of Indian descent. "This is James Goodman; he's a friend of mine from back east. He's…" Dr. Merar hesitated not wanting to offend Tom or give Jarrod what he might see as just cause to run and then finished, "another kind of doctor."

It was a good thing Jarrod was too enthralled at seeing someone who at least had Indian blood in him to notice how much Tom stiffened up at Dr. Merar words. "Tom, please, you said you wanted to help your son. Dr. Goodman is …." Dr. Merar chuckled at the irony of what he was about to say and the man's last name, "a very good man."

Tom found himself chuckling as he turned and followed Dr. Merar out of the room, but not before reassuring his son he would not leave the building without him. Once they were back in the waiting room, Tom asked as he sat down in a chair to wait for his son, "Was it really necessary to send for this Dr. Goodman?" He knew what kind of Doctor this Goodman fellow was. He immediately imagined mental institutions and his son most definitely did not belong in one of those.

"I'm not saying Jarrod is crazy, Tom, if that's what you're thinking, but let's face it. It doesn't matter if he was to start speaking and tell us he had the best possible experience in that village. Fact remains, he should be speaking English and he's not. He should also be talking more and his not. That spells major emotional trauma to me. I figured with Dr. Goodman's grandfather being Indian, it would help Jarrod relax and feel comfortable. I especially sought out this doctor. I really believe he has the best chance of getting through to Jarrod." Dr. Merar didn't think he would get an argument from Tom. He didn't.

When Jarrod fell in silence Nick spoke up, "I remember that. Dr. Goodman wound up coming out and living with us for a few months, until you started talking again." Then realizing that, even with all the talks he and Jarrod had had, there were a number of times Jarrod had refused to answer questions Nick still had. Seeing an opportunity to get yet another question answered, Nick asked, while shooting Jacob Michael another glare which Jacob took in stride. After all, Jacob figured he could be getting worse things than a glare from Nick, "I always got the feeling he left under protest. Did he?"

Jarrod turned his head and stared into the empty fireplace. For a few seconds an uneasy air encompassed the room until Jarrod sighed and nodded, "I walked into the study and told father I'd speak English with other people if he did two things, not fight me speaking to my horse in Shoshone as I did not wish to lose the ability to speak the language and two, Dr. Goodman had to go or I would go back to speaking only Shoshone and never speak another word of English to anybody."

"Was he that bad?" Heath was afraid the man had done something horribly wrong for such a request to be made; it was an assumption they had all made.

Jarrod shook his head as he turned his head to look at his family and their guests, "He never laid a hand on me if that's what you're thinking. I…" he paused as he rubbed the palms of his hands together, unable to hide a fleeting look of lingering pain out of his eyes, "It's just that, as nice as he was in some ways, he kept hinting that the Shoshone had been cruel to me. He even went so far as to suggest my Shoshone father never really cared about me and was only thinking about himself when he accepted me. " Fire appeared in Jarrod's eyes, a fire so strong it shook them all to the core. "I will give him the trauma of being taken from my family by the Modoc and given to a Shoshone man was a nightmare, adjusting to their way of life was extremely difficult for me some days, but Straight Arrow was nothing like the man Dr. Goodman was trying to make him out to be nor were the majority of the village! Straight Arrow did the best he could by me while I was with them and would have welcomed me back with open arms if I had gone back!" Jarrod took a deep breath before continuing. "At the time, I figured if the only way to get rid of him was to start speaking English again, so be it. Besides, he was right on one thing," Jarrod smiled and winked at them, "If I didn't speak the language of the people around me… I was going to be very much alone."

Audra, now curious as ever, asked, "When did you stop wearing your Indian clothes and cut your hair." She kept an eye on Jarrod who had fallen back into silence.

Victoria, seeing an extremely tired look upon Jarrod's face, feared Jarrod was being pushed too hard. Also, noticing the time she spoke up, "Let's continue this conversation later, maybe even tomorrow. Silas should have supper ready soon. You," she looked at the Michael's, "can sleep in the guest room for tonight." She stressed the words 'for tonight' and shot Nick a stern glare. Legally the ranch might be his, but for the sake of her oldest ghosts needed to be laid to rest. There was obviously still much healing to be done. Those ghosts would not go away, nor would the healing take place, if the Michaels were made to leave 'at this point. Nick's only answer was to keep his tongue in check, ball up his fists, turn around and leave the house.