Emily's near hysterical reaction to Julia's fever worried Nick but he wasn't sure who he was worried for more; his sick child or his wife, who usually kept her emotions well in check. He didn't think, on the face of it, that Julia's fever was anything serious but Emily's worry had him worried about the little girl, too. Maybe Emily had seen or felt something only a mother could.

Lunch was over but everyone remained at the table, quiet. Nick told Tom and Will to send for the doctor and both boys left the table immediately. Tom headed out to the stables to ride to town but he was just as eager to get away from his father.

Over time, Tom had assumed more responsibilities in running the ranch and, though this was as Nick wanted it, Nick also expected complete obedience to his decisions and agreement with his opinions and Tom had bucked at that, making his own decisions where the hands and the daily work were concerned and without consulting with his father. Nick had bristled at having those decisions made without his or Heath's consent or consultation. Sometimes, Tom felt his father disagreed with his decisions only because he had made them.

Tom saddled up and rode towards town. Will, however, went directly upstairs to Julia's room. He could hear her raspy breaths from where he stood in the doorway. She was curled up on her side and he noted that she looked much smaller than he thought she actually was. His mother sat still and silent in the rocking chair, her eyes closed. She'd clearly been crying and Will was startled by how red her eyes were when she opened them and looked at him.

"Mother, why don't you go lie down? I'll sit with her." Emily gave no immediate response but she looked worried. Haunted, Will thought. "I'll make sure to wake you if she wakes up or when the doctor arrives.

Emily got up and paused as she passed Will, now standing in the small room. She touched his arm and started to say something but changed her mind and walked next door to her own room. There, she also curled up on her side and cried and prayed till she fell asleep.

She dreamed she was wading into a tranquil lake and the bottom kept plunging deeper and deeper until she stood tiptoe on the lake bottom and water was up to her chest. Any deeper and felt she would lose all control of herself. Just beyond her reach Julia lay in the baby cradle which floated on the lake surface. Every time the cradle came within her grasp, it would drift away, gently rocking with the warm breeze. Emily started to panic and when she did the lake turned into a cold, swift river and it rushed the cradle far out of Emily's reach. She watched helplessly as Julia awoke and sat up, reaching her arms out to Emily and crying for her mother.

In the dream, Emily told herself this was only a dream and she forced herself to wake up but the dream stayed with her. She wasn't sure whether she was truly awake or not until she heard Julia emitting a horrifying combination of crying and coughing at the same time.

She darted into Julia's room to find Nick holding her in his lap, trying to get her to drink some water. There were voices downstairs, one of them Emily recognized as belonging to Dr. Wold. The others belonged to Will and Audra. Emily was about to become angry that she had been left to sleep while the doctor examined Julia but then she heard the footsteps coming up the stairs.

While the doctor confirmed that Julia was very sick and gave instructions to keep her fever down and give her lots of fluids, he also offered confidence that she would be fine. He made a point of telling Emily to rest and not worry but Nick pulled him aside as he was leaving and confided just how worried Emily was. Dr. Wold told Nick that, being as young as she was, Julia's illness could carry her off, but he also reminded Nick that even fragile Daniel had survived early childhood and he trusted Julia had also inherited the strong Barkley constitution. He left Nick with morphine should Emily become over-wrought again. Nick looked at the bottle and scoffed at the idea that he could make Emily take any.

Daniel and Tommy made it home for dinner. Tom did not. Tom had stayed in town out of anger at his father and a need to be away from home for a change. Emily stayed with Julia and barely touched the tray Florence brought for her. But she sang and read stories to Julia even though Julia slept through it all. She refused Audra's and Caroline's offers to sit with Julia.

Will and Daniel took Tommy to his uncle and aunt's home after dinner. The boys had a great time being nine-year-old boys running free around the ranch and Emily would have loved to hear all about it but she was too worried about Julia. Nick was distracted by Emily, Julia, and, now, Tom.

Nick tried to sleep that night but wasn't very successful so he checked on Emily and Julia frequently. Near dawn, he thought to check on Tom but Tom had not been home.

Dr. Wold arrived soon after breakfast and noted Julia was still feverish and, on listening to her lungs, he pronounced bronchitis as her malady. The treatment of fluids, rest, and keeping the fever down remained the same. This seemed to send Emily into a fit of near hysteria again and Nick thought she looked like hell; her dress was rumpled, her face pale and puffy, and her hair was falling out of its pins. Dr. Wold firmly instructed her to get some food and some sleep but she looked at him as if he'd just spoken to her in a foreign language. The doctor shook his head at Nick as they stood on the porch.

Nick was watching the doctor ride off when he saw Lance McClellen, the sheriff's deputy, arrive and feared that, on this morning of all mornings, he was about to receive bad news about Tom.

Still on his mount, Lance rode up to where Nick stood on the porch and said, "I'm afraid I have to tell you, Nick, that we have Tom in jail."

"What? Why?" Nick bellowed.

"Got drunk and in a fight last night. Kinda busted up the place," the deputy said.

Nick fumed.

"He needs bail, Nick, then you can bring him home and do with him as you like."

Nick thanked the deputy dismissively and stormed over the barn to saddle Theo after the lawman rode off, then left to drag his teenage son out of the hoosegow. He didn't tell anyone he was leaving.

He ranted and shouted at Tom all the way home but Tom was in too much pain to pay attention or to care. His shoulder hurt, his ribs hurt, his jaw hurt, his hand hurt, but most of all, his head hurt. He just wanted to lie down and sleep, or vomit, or die, or maybe all three.

Once inside the house, Audra and Caroline tried to fawn over Tom and his injuries, keeping their voices low. Tom dismissed the concerns of his aunt and sister and started toward the stairs when his father grabbed his arm and spun him around.

"Don't you dare let your mother know about this. She has enough to worry about but you and I will be having a chat later," Nick had recovered from his fury but was still angry.

Tom had just started up the stairs when there was a knock at the door.

"What now?" Nick said to no one. Audra and Caroline had removed themselves to the billiards room and Daniel was outside helping Will.

Nick opened the door to find a very well dressed young man on his doorstep, carrying a satchel.

"What d'ya want?" said Nick.

"I'm Charles Lorton. I'm looking for my mother."