For The Love Of Jeremy
"Excuse me, Mr. Bolt. Mr. Bolt? May I speak to you, please?" Laura Box was trying to be heard over the din at Stempel's Sawmill Office.
She wasn't getting anywhere. Laura climbed in a chair.
She shouted, "Mr. Bolt, I must speak to you about Jeremy!"
There was dead silence in the room. A very tall man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes stood up.
"Yes ma'am, I'm Jason Bolt. Has my brother gotten into some type of trouble?"
"No, sir. There's really no easy way to say this. Mr. Bolt, Jeremy has been beaten. He has been hurt badly. I'm sorry." Laura said.
Jason was terrified. "Is he dying?"
"I don't think so, Mr. Bolt. But he is seriously injured. The doctor thinks there may be internal damage." Laura Box replied.
"Where is Jeremy?" Jason said hoarsely.
"He is at Miss Lottie's. Your brother, Joshua is with him. Joshua is very upset about what happened."
"Let's be on our way to Lottie's, Miss…?" Jason paused.
"Box. Laura Box. I'm Liza's cousin. I'm visiting her for a few days, and I was at the school when it happened." Laura replied.
"Aaron, I'll be back when I can. But I don't think it will be for quite some time." Jason said as he and Laura were going out the door.
"I'm coming with you, Bolt. Your brothers are more important than some business meeting." Aaron quickly adjourned the meeting and ran out the door.
"Jason, let's take my buggy." Aaron offered.
Laura and the two men got in the buggy. "Yah! Yah!" Aaron shouted to his horse.
They arrived at Lottie's in a few minutes.
When they got inside, Jason bound up the stairs. Joshua heard him coming and ran to meet him.
Joshua was sobbing. He threw himself against his older brother.
"Jason, I tried to stop them! I promise I tried! I didn't know what was going on at first. Jeremy just went to the privy. After a while, I realized he hadn't come back in the school. About that time, I heard Jeremy shouting my name. He would call me and then he'd be cut off. That's because those bastards were choking him." Josh continued sobbing.
Jason hugged Joshua close. "Josh, this isn't your fault. I know you did all you could to help Jeremy. You always do."
Lottie stepped out into the hall from Jeremy's room. She stopped Jason before he could enter the room.
"Jason, I have to talk to you before you see Jeremy. He's hurt bad, Jason. He looks terrible. He has a black eye and other bruises on his face and his throat. He's unconscious. Jeremy's ribs are broken, and his left arm is broken. Dr. Wilson says his spleen may be damaged. If it is, Jeremy will need surgery to remove it." Lottie said.
Jason started to speak. Lottie motioned for him to be quiet.
"Jason, you have to promise me you won't go after the dogs who did this in the wrong way. You have to let the law handle it or else you will wind up in jail. And where would that leave Joshua and Jeremy? They are only 12 and 8. You're just 19 yourself. So don't let your temper ruin three lives. Oh, there's one more thing. Jeremy was in a great deal of pain. Dr. Wilson needed permission to give him some morphine. I gave him permission. If I overstepped my bounds, I'm sorry. I just couldn't stand to see that sweet boy in pain."
"Alright, Lottie. I promise not to be violent. I have got to see Jeremy." Jason walked into the room.
Jason made his way to the bed. Jeremy was nearly unrecognizable. The eldest brother dropped to his knees by the bed. He took Jeremy's hand in his.
"Jeremy." Jason whispered as he dropped his face to the bed and cried.
Joshua put his arm around Jason.
When Jason stopped crying. He talked to Dr. Wilson. Dr. Wilson told him the same as he had told Lottie. He said it would take a day or two to know if Jeremy's spleen was injured. The doctor said Jeremy would recover. He said it would take time.
After Jason talked to Dr. Wilson, he sat down in Jeremy's room to talk to Joshua.
"Josh, did you recognize the two men who attacked Jeremy?" Jason asked.
"No, Jason, I didn't. They looked like cowboys or ranch hands. One was tall. But he wasn't quite as tall as you. The other man was about the same height as Dr. Wilson around five feet six inches tall." Joshua said.
"Did they call each other by any names? Did they have any distinguishing marks or anything? Jason asked.
Joshua thought hard. "No. They just laughed and yelled at each other as they were beating Jeremy. They wouldn't let up, Jason. Even when I screamed at them to stop. I had to get the shovel and hit them in the back to make them stop. Jeremy tried to fight back. But he's only eight. When he could, Jeremy grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in their faces. It was awful, Jason! Awful!" Joshua cried.
"I'm sorry, Joshua. I know it was frightening for you. Do you think you did any damage to these thugs when you hit them with the shovel?" Jason inquired.
"I don't think so, Jason. They yelped and cursed when I hit them. But they didn't act like they were injured. I wish I'd had a shotgun; I would have…" Joshua growled.
"Don't talk like that for your sake, Josh. Don't let these varmints drag you down with them." Jason advised his brother.
"Jason! You see what they did to Jeremy! There's no reason for it at all. He's just a kid. He doesn't deserve this." Joshua frowned.
"I understand how you feel, brother. I am livid about what they did. I want to throttle them and throw them from the top of Bridal Veil Mountain. That won't help, Jeremy, will it?" Jason asked.
"No, it won't. I'm just so mad!" Joshua agreed.
Jason and Joshua sat with Jeremy for a few hours.
Laura Box had left the saloon earlier to go to the school to help Liza.
Now, hours later, both ladies came to Lottie's.
"Jason? Is it alright for us to come in?" Liza peeked in the door of Jeremy's room.
Jason got up from his chair. "Certainly, ladies. Come in."
Liza and Laura entered the room.
The ladies gasped when they looked at Jeremy.
"Oh, Jason! Joshua! I'm very sorry! Jason, can you ever forgive me?" Liza cried.
"Forgive you? Liza, you can't blame yourself for what happened. It is not your fault. The blame lies with those two men. I am angry at them not you. Don't feel guilty, sweetheart." Jason went to her. He put his arm around her.
"I'm Jeremy's teacher. It's my responsibility to keep him and all the other children safe. Jason! This is just unbelievable!" Liza exclaimed.
"Yes, it is. I want to know why two grown men would hurt a child like this."Jason wrapped both arms around Liza. He rested his chin on top of her head.
"Liza, tell Mr. Bolt about the telegram." Laura reminded her.
"Oh, yes. Jason, the Territorial Marshall, Leonard Trueaxe, sent a wire saying that he will be here tomorrow. He said he couldn't come today because he is investigating a murder in Olympia. My goodness, Jason! Marshall Trueaxe is investigating the murder of a child!" Liza and Jason looked at Jeremy.
"Do you think that the men who attacked Jeremy could have murdered the child in Olympia, Mr. Bolt?" Laura asked.
"It's possible, I suppose. But why?" Jason wondered. "Miss Box, please call me Jason. May I call you, Laura?"
"Yes, you may, Jason." Laura replied.
"You are thinking like a rational person, brother. Men who beat and murder children are not rational. So, we may never find out why in either case." Joshua said.
"That's a good point, Josh." Jason told him.
Jason and the two ladies sat down in chairs close to the bed. They looked at Jeremy for a few minutes. He was sleeping easily thanks to the morphine the doctor gave him earlier.
Liza told Jason and Joshua that the school would be closed until further notice due to fear in the community and the pending investigation.
Jason rented a room for Joshua and himself so they could stay close to Jeremy. The first night, the two older brothers stayed in Jeremy's room. Lottie stayed with them. Dr. Wilson came in to examine Jeremy. The doctor said he was doing okay considering all he had been through.
The next day, Marshall Trueaxe came to Seattle to begin the investigation. He found a few small pieces of flannel that he said probably came from one of the attacker's shirts. Marshall Trueaxe looked at the footprints. He found horse tracks in the woods behind the privy. The Marshall also found scrapes of food in the wooded area. He said that indicated that the two men ate and were there for some time waiting for a child whom they could attack. Jason wondered if the men were waiting for any child or for Jeremy in particular. The Marshall said that could be a key in finding the criminals but there was no way to know that at this point. Trueaxe asked Jason if he had any enemies. Jason said not that he knew of.
Marshal Trueaxe talked to Joshua. Josh told him the same thing he told Jason except for one thing. He said the men were making fun of Jeremy stuttering when he screamed for help.
Marshall Trueaxe said he would have to talk to Jeremy at some point in the investigation. He said it would be fine for Jason to be with Jeremy at that time.
The following day, Jeremy woke up. He cried and moaned in pain. Dr. Wilson came in to examine the youngest Bolt.
"Hello, Jeremy. I'm . I'm here to take care of you. How do you feel?" He asked.
"J-J-Jason!" Jeremy cried out.
Jason crossed the room quickly. "I'm right here, Jeremy. Joshua is here too. We aren't going to leave you." Jason touseled his little brother's hair.
"S-S-Scared!" Jeremy looked at Jason with fear in his eyes.
Jason sat on the side of the bed. "I'm sorry about what happened, Jeremy. I know it was very frightening for you. You are safe now. No one will ever hurt you like that again." Jason looked into Jeremy's eyes.
"I'm sorry too, Jeremy. I should have gotten there sooner. I just never thought something bad would happen when you went to the privy." Joshua told him.
"T-T-They w-w-wanted to k-k-kill me! T-T-They s-s-said! M-M-Might c-c-come b-b-back!" Jeremy began kicking his legs and trying to flail his arms. He stopped due to the pain these movements caused him.
"Jeremy, no one is going to kill you. I promise you that I won't let them." Jason said gently.
"You weren't there this time. There will be another day that you're not there and they could k-k-kill me." Jeremy's voice quivered.
"No, Jeremy, I promise they won't hurt you again or kill you." Jason stroked Jeremy's hair.
"J-J-Jason, your p-p-promise is no g-g-good." Jeremy turned his face away from his brother.
"Jeremy!" Jason was heartbroken.