Here's the Options

"Doc?" Jarrod, who was sitting near the fireplace, stopped talking with Nick and looked at Victoria and Dr. Merar, who had just entered the room. She and Audra had been with Dr. Merar while he checked on Heath; Audra was still with their injured half brother.

"I have no reason to doubt Audra when she tells your mother Mr. Thomson responded to her, but he is not responding now." Dr. Merar sighed. "And that leg is getting worse. I really think I should amputate it below the knee if he's to have a chance to live."

"NO!" Nick, who had gotten back from his ride a few minutes before, bellowed as he stepped forward. "There's got to be something else you can do! No man, I don't care who he is, wants you to cut off any part of his leg if there's another way!" Nick looked at Jarrod, Gene and then the good doctor, the look in his eyes daring them to tell him different.

Jarrod sighed. He knew Nick was right, but it's not like Heath was conscious and able to say yes or no. "I don't see where we have a choice, Nick. Unless," he looked at Dr. Merar, "you're absolutely sure there's nothing else you can try first."

Dr. Merar scratched the back of his head and thought for a moment. "Well, I could try to drain as much of the infection as I can one more time and up the medicine one more time, but it's very risky. He could die in the mean time."

"And what are the chances, he'll die if you cut off half his leg?" Nick snapped as he stood as straight as he could with his hands on his hips, again thinking about the Civil War and seeing soldiers near death with fever and infection, only to die of shock or blood loss after an amputation.

Doctor Merar felt as he if was in between a rock and a hard place. He'd seen many men in the same position as the man the Barkleys had lying in their guest room. Some lived, some died, and he still didn't know why. "While I can't honestly answer that, I strongly feel his chances of surviving go up if I do as I just said." He then said he had the whole afternoon free, and there was nothing to stop him from having the time to perform the amputation.

"I'm going upstairs." Nick started marching towards the stairs, only to have Jarrod jump up and demand to know what Nick was going to do.

"I haven't talked to…" he said and then paused, knowing Dr. Merar had yet to learn about the true relation between Heath Thomson and the Barkleys. "I haven't talk to Heath yet and I intend to do just that. If," Nick said as he saw a huge amount of concern appear in everyone eyes, "Jarrod feels it necessary to be present when I do so, fine, but keep quiet! You had your turn!" He then briskly walked out of the room and headed up the stairs.

"Jarrod?" Audra asked, her eyes filled with worry, "Are you going to go up with him?"

Jarrod couldn't say he wasn't tempted. Only, since Nick hadn't left yelling and screaming, he stayed where he was. Jarrod turned his attention to Dr. Merar, who was looking at him as if to ask what the family wanted him to do. "Let's wait until Nick comes back down." He looked around at his family. "Then we'll take a vote." Slowly, each family nodded in agreement.

"May I get you something to drink while we wait?" Victoria stood up and looked at Dr. Merar.

"If you don't mind," Dr. Merar answered as he walked over to the sofa and sat down.

~oOo~

Heath, who still felt as if he was on fire, barely heard the door open. Though, he heard the sound of spurs hitting the floor as someone entered the room. He might not have been around the Barkleys very long, only he still knew only Nick Barkley wore spurs inside the Barkley home. What on earth did that man want? Surely he hadn't come to beg Heath to stay, or to at least wake up and talk to the family, as the Nick's siblings had done.

For Nick's part, he stood besides Heath's bed and took a long hard look at him. After a few moments, he audibly cursed his father and then said, "How could you have an affair in the first place? And, since you obviously did, how could you not look back? If any of your sons have your mark on them, Heath Thomson does."

Heath was shocked by Nick's admission; it was the last thing he had expected. He might have been tempted to try to struggle to open his eyes only Nick had started talking again.

"I'm not exactly a very good with words; well, not like Jarrod is." Nick rubbed his chin with his right hand and then rested it on his hip, allowing his left hand to rest on his other hip. "The thing is this, in spite of what my family thinks, I can't see the use of standing here telling you the same things you've already heard; if you really have heard." He took a deep breath and then continued. "Jarrod always compares me to a bull inside a china shop, and maybe I am. Only, when something needs to be said I don't see the use of dancing around trying to avoid it. The thing is this," Nick said as he took a deep breath and then pushed forward, "while your arm is healing nicely, that wounded leg of yours has massive problems. Doc says unless something is done about it you'll die for sure." Nick then point blank spelled out the two options that Dr. Merar had given the family. "Boy, if it were me or another member of this family, we'd know what to do because we know each other inside and out. We know what each other would want in a case like this. Only thing is, it's not one of us, and we don't know you well enough to know how you feel about it! So, bottom line is, if you don't at least wake up long enough to say something, I think the rest of the family will… thinking they're choosing the only option they really have… vote for the amputation without trying the second option first. Personally, I saw enough during the war to know, I'll be voting for the second option. That is, unless you say different." Nick finished speaking and then, after a few minutes, turned to leave only to be stopped dead in his tracks by a voice behind him.

The dark haired rancher whirled around only to be confused when he saw that Heath's eyes were still closed. He took a cautious step towards the blonde haired cowboy, only to see Heath's mouth move once more as he repeated the words and then open his eyes long enough to lock eyes with Nick. For the third time, Heath said, 'Don't let them cut off any part of my leg without trying to save it first. Doc needs to drain the infection one more time, might not succeed, but he's gotta try anyway." Heath said as he closed his eyes once more.

A/N For those who wanted to "hear" Nick talk-I mean really talk-to Heath, this isn't the only time Nick talks to him. There's more coming later.