Chapter Eighty-Three

The Barkleys and Esther were gingerly placed on the private rail cars with several hired nurses. They disobeyed the doctor's orders and wanted to be sent home after recouping at Nate's home for only two days. Each person had a serious injury of what would become a reminder of the fateful night.

Nick was walking with a cane; his left knee was damaged and he wondered if the ligaments would heal correctly; he had a nagging suspicion that his knee would never be the same again.

All he wanted to do was get the boys to come home to Maris and be there for his new child. "I promised to bring the boys home and by damn, I am."

He kept hugging Chip and James David, so thankful they were alive.

"Stop with the apologies, we are all alive and we all made mistakes. We just need to get home. Maris and Elisabeth are gonna need us strong and hale soon with the new babes."

Macklin had undergone two surgeries at the hospital and stayed behind. He was stable but had serious healing time ahead of him.

James David, Chip, and JT had all varying neck wounds where the brigands had tried to slice their throats in the melee. Chip was in a sling from the earlier knife wound as well as JT's dislocated shoulder. James David's wound was the most disconcerting to the onlookers. Half of his ear was lost to the blade of the crimp.

Jarrod had a concussion that he downplayed to everyone but Nick knew it was serious. He was struggling with double-vision and headaches; he knew he would suffer that and even death to get the boys safely away from the crimps. Light was making all of it worse.

"Just want my whole family safe and home. No apologies, just a happy home again. Elisabeth would be giving birth to the next Barkley soon. I want us all there."

Esther was in bad shape; she was dehydrated and weak. She got quite a bit of smoke inhalation before she was dragged out to safety. She was still coughing up flim. Her shoulder wound was red and angry. They watched her for signs of further infection.

Alice had clothed the girl in several nice traveling shifts and a quilted robe. Jarrod had assured the girl he would get her a fresh start and the boys all took time thanking her for saving their lives.

"Thank you, Mista. You and your brother and the boys treated me nicer than anyone since I left Carson City, Miz Alice gave me these nice clothes, washed my hair, braided it, and soaked me in fancy bath salts. Sat by my bed when I slept the first night—-never seen a stranger do such."

"Esther, you will never lack kindness again. You got my word." Nick gingerly hugged the girl.

She couldn't find it in herself to believe him.

—&—-

Maris and Elisabeth were ready for them to arrive home, "with some injuries that will heal" according to the telegram.

"Maris, I assume quite a bit has happened and we will find out the men are more injured than Jarrod's note revealed."

"Yes quite, Elisabeth. Nick sent that part of James David's ear is gone. He didn't want me to be shocked when I saw him. All on the exterior and his hearing will not be affected. I am glad he warned me; that would have been quite the shock."

The ladies reached out and held hands.

"Sister, our husbands are such special men. We are blessed to have them and the children, especially as fathers."

"Elisabeth? Are you and I past the contention?"

"My stars of course. I never ever, I mean never was out of sorts with you. I just was with Jarrod and even Nick. My father was a judge and he was an amazing man. But his sense of right and wrong—-weighing the truth—-accepting consequences is deeply part of my raising. I was taught to make my own decisions with conviction. And to know the bits and pieces—-of what JT and Chip have done over the years. I am sure neither of us knows all of it and I am fine with my husband's judgment in what he tells me—but when they gave them lectures on marriage and purity I had a sense of foreboding that the boys in their immaturity would see it as hypocrisy."

"And you were right," squeezing her hand.

Elisabeth barely whispered back, "I didn't want to be." and the ladies shared a look of understanding.

Sally came into the room with her brood behind her. Hannah was looking especially lovely.

"Hannah? Is that a new dress?"

The young lady blushed, "I thought it was a celebration for all my cousins to come home, even injured as Papa says."

Sally added, "Heath and Carl went to town to meet the train. Audra will be here after lunch. Heath took several rigs and hands to help."

Victoria came into the room in her favorite rose-colored gown and shawl, "I am glad he is there to meet them. I assume they have had some travails."

Sally sent all of her children out to play with Jarrod's children and an admonition for "everyone and I mean everyone" to help with Benjamin.

Hannah got up to leave but Sally told her, "You may stay. You are becoming quite a lady in your own right. You can stay at what your Father calls our hen party."

"Nick calls it that too."

The ladies shared the gleaned details each brother had written about.

"Elisabeth, how are you?"

"Should be soon. I have had the tinge come and every day, I labor a bit?" Then she looked over at Hannah. It did not phase her.

Sally laughed, "It's ok Lis. Hannah knows it all being the oldest of six and she has helped me birth the last two and assist a ranch hand's young wife last month."

"Plus lots of cows and horses and puppies and kittens." Hannah giggled.

"Maris? How are you?"

"Tired. I can't eat much at a time but I grow larger each day. So different than with James David."

"Each one is different," Elisabeth added.

Maris colored for a moment, "Uh, what is a tinge?"

"A bloody show? When you go to the water closet—a few days even a week before the babe comes."

Maris's eyes grew wider, "I don't remember such with James David. I was kept in confinement for the last month. And had a nurse. I feel so free this time to come and go and walk around when I choose. My life here is so relaxed."

The ladies shared looks of sympathy for Maris's isolated existence in the past.

Hannah made a little laugh, "Papa said Mama cooked a full course meal, hemmed a dress for me in the labor bed and took a switch to Thomson before she had Rachel."

Victoria laughed, "Yes she did. I got to the house and the kitchen smelled like a banquet and Thomson was sulking on the stairs. She would have a pain, stop, and then take some whip stitches on that little blue calico. Hannah, my oldest granddaughter, you have always looked so good in blue."

Sally reminisced, "I still have the dress in the cedar chest."

The ladies visited a bit longer until they heard horses come down the long drive.

"They are here," Rosita announced.