The sun was setting, night was about to fall. His heart quaking, Ben slowly closed the front door, feeling his hopes evaporate with the click of the latch. His feet felt like leaden weights as he walked across the room and sank into his red chair. Taking his pipe from his inner vest pocket, he leaned forward and reached for the can of tobacco on the side table. It slipped from his numbed fingers, banging on the edge of the fireplace hearth. He stared at the spilled leaves, his mind not able to contemplate the tragedy of what had been lost to him. A wave of emotion struck into his soul and a sob caught in his throat. His eyes raised, catching sight of the blue chair that usually cradled his eldest's tall frame. Rising on shaky legs, he sank to his knees next to the chair, gripping the armrest as a man who was in danger of drowning.

"Adam, where are you? My boy, my boy..." the grieving father moaned, his eyes burning with unshed tears as he caressed the blue fabric. "What have I done...what have I done?!"

His echoing cry went unanswered. Hop Sing was making inquiries in town among his cousins and Joe and Hoss were out looking for their lost brother. Tirelessly, the brothers had continued to search while Ben had reluctantly elected to remain at home to await the promised return, doing odd jobs about the house and watching the minutes crawl by on his pocket watch. Now the sun had set and his world had wound down into nothing. He knew that he would forever blame himself for not stopping Adam from leaving that morning and then for not finding his hurt son later. A funeral would not even be possible...since there wasn't a body to bury. His father's heart broke within him and tears began flowing down his cheeks as he clung to the piece of furniture that had always been favored by his beloved eldest son.

A crash outside brought Ben out of his grief, long enough to jump to his feet and run to the door. In the light of the porch lamp, he beheld a most wondrous sight. He opened his mouth to cry out but found he had no breath with which to form the words. Adam was leaning heavily on the nearest wall, a broken flower pot lying in pieces next to his boot. He was breathing quite hard, his face tired but all that Ben could focus on was the glint in those familiar hazel eyes.

"Pa?" came a hoarse, desperate whisper, a lopsided grin forming on the cupid-bow mouth.

"Adam! You're...alive!" Finding his voice, Ben broke into a run, taking Adam's body into his arms. He squeezed hard, feeling the warmth and the heart beating next to his own and his tears started again. Leaning away, he raised a shaking hand to hold the side of his son's face. "I thought you were dead, I thought you were...dead. Oh, Adam, I am so sorry. I let you down..."

"No, you didn't, Pa," Adam responded, struggling to stay on his feet for a wave of dizziness had seemed to come over him. "It was my fault...my fault. "

Crying out in alarm, Ben caught his son before Adam fell hard. Ben yelled for help and the hands came running from the bunkhouse. They were more than surprised upon finding the eldest Cartwright son but the worried father kept them on task as they lifted Adam's limp body into the air and carefully carried him to his room. Once there, Ben dismissed all three with orders to get the doctor quickly and alert Hoss and Joe. Then he began to care for his unconscious son. Running to get a bowl of cold water, he returned up the stairs. Placing the bowl on the bedside table, he dipped a cloth in and bathed Adam's forehead and neck thoroughly. Difficult though it was because his son was not a small man, he managed to get Adam out of his clothes and into a nightshirt before tucking the covers about him. Then he sank into a chair by the bedside, worry and relief mingled on his face. His son was home but would Adam survive was the real question.

Within a half hour, Doc Martin had arrived and was ushered up to the room in the quickest fashion. Ben stepped out and paced in the hallway until the good doctor emerged, drying his hands on a clean towel.

"Well? How is he?"

"None the worse for wear, it would seem. There is evidence of pneumonia left behind and there is bruising on his forehead but he will make a complete recovery soon."

Ben was confused. "But, he collapsed! He was talking and then he was just unconscious. How could he be alright?"

Paul flinched at the man's angered shouts but knew that worry and stress was at the heart of it. He reached out to grip Ben's shoulder. "Ben, his breathing is deep and there aren't any bones broken. The bruising will subside in time and the rest of him appears to be healthy. Someone has been taking very good care of him for he is clean and I noticed those clothes on the chair. Those aren't his, are they?"

Ben shook his head, raising a hand to rub between his eyebrows before it fell to his thigh. "No, no, I...I don't know whose clothes those are but I don't think he bought them. I have never seen them before."

"They are expensive, the best to be found. If I were you, I would find the person who saved Adam because he surely would be a dead man had it not been for his benefactor. That mystery savior deserves your hearty thanks," Paul smiled, his eyes twinkling, "This has been the easiest house call I have made all week. Give Adam my best when he wakes up, won't you? He is sleeping now but should awaken in a few hours."

Ben nodded, grasping at the doctor's hands and shaking them vigorously. "Thank you, Paul, thank you."

As the doc disappeared down the stairs and Ben heard the door close, he sank once again into the chair by Adam's side. He sat silent, watching the carefree face of his son as the slumbering man lay peacefully. Minutes turned into hours and Ben grew sleepy, exhausted after the stress of the last few days. Father and son slept soundly, each in their own dreams until Ben jerked awake when heavy footsteps plodded into the house, the voices of his two youngest rising between the floorboards. Rising to his feet, he checked once more that Adam was sleeping quietly and then tiptoed from the room. Hoss and Joe's dejected faces greeted him as he came down the stairs but then filled with hope upon seeing his smile.

"What's happened, Pa? What is it? Is something wrong?" Joe ventured to ask as he hesitantly stepped forward, warily as if wondering if his father had lost his mind in the face of the past days.

"Quite the opposite, boys! Your brother is alive and well!" Ben declared as he bounded down the steps, a laugh accompanying the joyful news. He held up his hands when his sons rushed forward, intent on running up the stairs to see their brother. "You can go up but you both must be quiet. He is sleeping soundly. Paul has been and gone and he said that Adam will be alright after some rest over the next few days, I should think. Adam is safe and back with us!"

Hoss seemed to find it hard to put together the right words and his eyes clouded with tears. Instead of voicing his pleasure, he gripped his father's left shoulder while Joe did the same to the other. All three men came together in an embrace of relief and prayerful thanks, tears flowing freely and without shame for such a praiseworthy reason was more than enough excuse. When they quietly ascended the stairs and crowded around Adam's bed, drinking in the sight of their beloved son and brother, Ben smiled. His family was whole once again and he thanked God for that blessing.