Blowing in the Wind
Previously:
John didn't know what to think of the revelation Steve had just handed him, didn't know whether or not he was right. However, two things were for sure…he'd felt something odd when he'd shook hands with Jarrod Barkley, and the man had taken a bullet for him because he believed Steve's story to be true. He turned on Steve and sent a fiery glare toward his friend. "If you're right in your thinking, who's going to stop me? Now, don't worry about me, if I were you, I'd send a telegram and the Barkleys know he's been hurt." He then turned and headed for the back room once more.
~oOo~
Jarrod moaned and opened his eyes, pain shooting through him as he did so. As his surroundings came into focus, everything came back. By the time he turned his head, John was standing next to the bed looking down at him. Jarrod was unsure of what to make of the look that he saw in his brother's eyes. Though, seeing that his brother was okay, the first thing he asked about was Steve. "Did Steve get shot too?"
John shook his head. "He and the sheriff are out looking for Kyle Jensen. When the saloon keeper heard what happened, he admitted our 'friend' slipped into the saloon's back door shortly after the shots were heard. At the time, he didn't connect Kyle to the sound of gunfire because 'the man didn't appear to be running from anything though he did look awfully dusty'. Jensen always was a good actor. The saloon keeper only put two and two together when, later, he heard the town drunk ask Kyle what he'd doing hiding in a small space created by the boxes."
Jarrod wasn't going to argue; he'd seen that acting ability while Kyle was employed by the Barkleys. Then, due to the look of a man with mixed emotions that still resided in his brother's eyes, Jarrod sighed and asked, "I must have really given everyone a scare if Steve told you everything. He did, didn't he?"
John removed his hat, turned away from the bed and took a few steps before turning around. "He told me, but not because we thought you weren't going to make it." John then told Jarrod what had caused Steve to confess everything. "He didn't want me thinking badly of you, says you honestly believe I'm your missing brother."
"But you don't?" Jarrod asked as he struggled to sit up, a struggle he might have lost, only John quickly closed the distance between the two of them and helped Jarrod to sit up. Soon Jarrod was propped up against two very fluffy, white pillows.
"I don't know what to think right now." John admitted as he pulled a chair that sat near the door over to the bed and sat down, setting his hat on the small end table that sat next to the head of the bed. He shrugged his shoulders and then admitted to the few things he did remember. "If Steve was indeed the child I was with, then both of us are in the same boat. That is," John said as he leaned forward and let his elbows rest on his knees while his hands hung down, "I can't tell you why we got separated or why he had that book with him."
Jarrod smiled. "I'd say what the two of you were doing with that book is irrelevant." He paused and then said quietly, "You aremy brother; you are Nicholas Jonathon Barkley." He went on to repeat what he'd already told Steve, John Summers bore too strong of a resemblance to Victoria Barkley and her side of the family not to be Jarrod's lost brother. "Please, give us a chance. I know we can't turn back the hands of time, but we; I'm including you in that 'we', have the right to get to know each other. You arefamily."
John stood up abruptly, turned around and walked towards the door, but then stopped. Jarrod wasn't sure how long his brother stood with his back to him, but Jarrod had about accepted that John would wind up opening the door and walking out before the man finally turned around. The look of one in turmoil was still in John's eyes.
"While I was living with the Indians, I used to dream that someone would come and tell me who I really belonged to. Then, after I lost my Indian parents and the chief gave me to the Davies, I was angry that I was being given to a family who had members more than willing to let me know I wasn't there by their choice." John did not try to hide the bitterness he felt as he thought of William's brother, Paul-he'd moved to Montana two years earlier; the older boy had been more than vocal when it came to his parents taking in a child that wasn't theirs to begin with. John slowly walked back to the chair he'd been using and sat down. "I didn't call Mrs. Davies 'Mama Davies' until I was almost twenty-three, finally grew up enough to realize she'd done her best by me, but I couldn't get myself to call her mother either." He sighed and added, "I never did call her husband anything but Mr. Davies." Due to the concerned look that appeared in Jarrod's eyes, John quickly added, "He was a good man. I just never could get myself to do it. He said it was fine, said at least I was using a respectful tone when I said Mr. Davies." John stood up again, walked to the window and quit talking.
Jarrod wanted to reach out and give his brother one, very tight, bear hug. He wished he knew what to say, what words to use, to help John accept that what he was being told was the truth…not just false hope on either side of the story. Without half thinking, Jarrod began telling John everything that Heath had been told the day that McColl had told Steve to take care of his horse. "I'm blamed myself for years for the two of you disappearing, even though others would tell me the same thing Heath did. Somehow, even knowing that 'I was only nine' didn't helped. I never should have sent the two of you away. You weren't hurting anything, not really."
John wanted to believe Steve and Jarrod were right; he wanted a name that was really his, not one give him out of necessity. However, he'd had other experiences in the past, ones that gave him cause to be weary. Sighing he turned away from the window, walked over to the night stand, picked up his hat and, looking at Jarrod said, "You need your rest, and I told the sheriff I'd let him or his office know when you came to. And I'll try to send another telegram to your family. The other one wouldn't go through, seems like Stockton is having problems with their telegraph office." He then put his hat on and headed for the door. However, just as he took a hold of the knob, he said, "They're right; you were only nine years old. You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to your brother and Steve." He then opened the door and left the room, leaving Jarrod hoping that eventually John would accept the truth of what had been told him.