Joseph, My Son, Part 2

Chapter 1

All canon characters belong to David Dortort and Paramount Pictures. I make no money from this work.

This is the fourth and last story in my AU which started with "School Marm" and continued with "Joseph, My Son," "Adam, My Son" and "Hoss, My Son". I suggest reading those stories first to know the additional characters and the previous history.

Adam's first born, Stoddard "Dard" Cartwright, was barely four weeks old. He and Sally Ann had brought the child up to his father's house this morning because Sally Ann's sister Gertie would be there. Gertie, now sixteen, had become a midwife and unofficial doctor under Paul Martin's supervision over the past year, and in fact had delivered Dard. She was in the big house this morning to watch Little Joe's son, Andy. This oldest Cartwright grandchild was nearly two-and-a-half, and into everything. She adored the boy, and he returned the feeling and hated that she couldn't spend the time with him that she had previously, now that her practice was becoming so busy. Andy's father felt similarly about the young woman. He had waited until her birthday the month before to let her know the feelings that had been growing in him for the past year. The last four weeks had been heady and yet tentative. In some ways, Gertie was quite an adult. In others, she was still a teenager, not so sure of herself as she might seem at first glance. But one thing was quite certain; she was a talented physician, despite not having a formal degree.

"So, how is Dard doing since I saw him last Sunday?" Sunday afternoons the entire clan gathered for an early dinner. That not only included Adam and Joe and their families, but Hoss and Prudence, older sister to Sally Ann and Gertie and their eighteen-month-old daughter, Inger Marie.

"He's started to be quite colicky," Sally Ann answered.

"He's been spitting up a lot also," added Adam with concern. "I don't remember Hoss or Joe being like that."

Gertie laid the baby on the living room's coffee table and unwrapped him. "Andy, please bring me my bag." She never went anywhere without her medical bag anymore. Anyone could need her at a moment's notice. The little boy grabbed the bag from the chair next to the grandfather's clock and holding it with two hands walked over to the group of adults. "Is Dard OK?" he asked. He was very protective of his younger cousins.

"Oh, I suspect that he just has a tummy ache, sweetheart," cooed Gertie. Taking out her obstetric stethoscope, she listened to his stomach and then his heart and lungs. She found nothing unusual and standing, she turned to her next older sister. "Everything sounds normal. I want you to avoid spicy foods, onions, garlic, and gassy vegetables like cabbage. After you feed and burp him, how long do you keep him upright?"

"A few minutes," Adam replied while redressing the baby.

"He usually falls right asleep, but then wakes up shortly, crying and then spitting up," Sally Ann added.

"I want you to keep him upright for at least thirty minutes after any feeding. Are you giving him water in a bottle?"

"Yes, when it's hot outside," her sister answered.

"You've got to keep him upright even for the water," Gertie explained. "He's not yet able to keep liquid from flowing back from his stomach, so if you put him down too soon, it goes back up, along with stomach acid. That's why he's spitting up his feedings and feeling uncomfortable. And it's a good thing that he is spitting it up; at least it's not going into his lungs. That could cause pneumonia."

Adam and Sally Ann looked at each other with concern etching their faces. Pneumonia was deadly, especially for the very old and the very young.

"Well," said Adam, "we'll be particularly careful," as he held his son to his shoulder. "Good," Gertie started to say. She was interrupted by the sound of a rider pounding into the yard. It was Ryder Bellman. His wife was expecting their second child.

"Miss Gertrude!" he called as he strode into the Cartwright house without knocking. "Yer sister said I'd a' find you here. It's time. Please come quick!"

"I'll be along in a moment. Go back home and start getting things ready," she replied. The man nodded and left as swiftly as he had arrived. Gertie turned to Adam. "I wanted to talk to you about Joe's surprise birthday party, but it'll have to wait. You'll be here Saturday morning?" That was when Adam and Ben worked on the ranch hand's weekly pay packets while the men were taking care of the morning chores. Joe and Hoss were usually working with the men, keeping them out of the house.

"Yes, as usual. If you stop by we can talk about it. Pa will have some thoughts as well."

"Good. I'll see you then."

That Saturday, after paying the men, Ben sat down with Hoss and Adam to go over the monthly figures for the sub-businesses that were part of the growing Cartwright Ponderosa enterprises. Adam was responsible for the lumber mill and the wagon factory, his brother for the Clydesdales. Ben took responsibility for the mining operations. As of yet, Joseph didn't have any specific responsibility, but his father anticipated him taking on the breeding, training, and sales of riding stock in the coming year.

Adam began. His accounting was always accurate. The lumber mill operations had been consistently profitable for years now. The wagon factory was only a few months old, but there were a handful of orders already. If their projections were accurate, it would start being profitable in another twelve to eighteen months. Of course, some of that would depend on when they'd be able to start selling Hoss's big draft horses.

"Well, sir," the big man began, "Jill's had three colts already. Much as I hate to lose her, I think she's done her part to build the herd. I just don't want to see her go to someone who mistreats his animals."

Ben knew how much his middle son loved animals in general and Jill and her partner Jack were the first two Clydesdales they had bought. Jack was still very valuable as a stud and was often used around the ranch to haul heavy loads as well. But with two other brood mares and an increasing number of both male and female juveniles coming along, Jill was more valuable as a saleable item than as a working horse.

Adam also saw Hoss's distress. "Pa, do you really think someone who'd want a draft horse would buy only one? They're more useful in pairs to pull heavy loads."

"Yes, that would be the normal way of things, son. However, Harvey Crenshaw down at the Mercantile has mentioned several times that he could use one of our horses to pull his delivery wagon. Says he's selling more and more heavy items like furniture and stoves. His old gelding really isn't up to the task anymore." Ben turned to Hoss. "And you know how he's taken care of that old horse. He'll take good care of Jill, you'll see."

Hoss first looked dubious but then shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, Pa. I guess you're right. Mr. Crenshaw takes good care of Diamond. He'll take the same care with our girl. And we've put so much money into the herd, it's about time to start to recover some of it."

After the three men were finished with their tallies, Adam walked Hoss outside, just as Gertie drove up in her buggy.

"Whatcha doin' here instead of home, Gertie?" Hoss asked.

"I'll be along in a moment," Gertie replied. "I wanted to speak to Adam about you know what."

Adam looked at the young woman slyly. "Joe's not back yet. No need for subterfuge."

"Alright." She turned to Hoss. "I'll talk to you about your part some other time, okay? I'll be home after I talk to your brother."

"Sure, honey. Don't be too long. You look tired from being with Mrs. Jackson. The delivery went well?"

"It was a little difficult, but everything was fine in the end. But you're right. I am tired. I'll be home as soon as I can."

As Hoss mounted Chubb, Adam took Gertie over to sit at the table on the porch. "Now, what part do you have planned out for me? And how are we going to keep Andy from spilling the beans?"

The young woman's eyes narrowed. "We don't have to tell Andy anything. The less he knows, the less he'll have to talk to Joe about. Now, here's what I want you to do…"

After fifteen minutes of intense back and forth, Adam and Gertie had ironed out what each was going to be responsible for in relation to the surprise party. Adam walked her to her buggy and was about to hand her into it when she suddenly turned and embraced him tightly. She knew that her eldest brother-in-law was not a demonstrative man, but she also recognized that he felt deeply never-the-less. Organizing this party meant a lot to her. Celebrating the man his youngest brother had become, all that he had overcome and the loving way he was raising his son was deeply meaningful to Adam as well. He returned her embrace and gave her a meaningful kiss on her hair to thank her in turn – just as Joseph rode into the yard on Cochise.

"Hey! What's going on?" Joe demanded as he jumped off of Cochise and ran to the front of the house. "You've got a wife at home, Adam! Why are you kissing Gertie?"

Adam took a step away from the young woman. "It's nothing, Just a thank you for everything she's done for Sally Ann and Dard." Adam's tone was conciliatory, his hands held out to Joe in a mollifying gesture.

"Like hell it is," his brother growled. "That's why you were holding her so tightly, I guess?" With that, he took a swing at Adam but ended up clipping Gertie on the shoulder, sending her falling to the floor. "Oh, God!" Joe cried. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Gertie."

"Joseph, if you would only get some control over that quick temper of yours," said Adam cooly, "this wouldn't have happened." He quickly turned away to walk the path to his own house, hoping that the budding romance between his brother and the young woman hadn't been irreparably broken.

Gertie made to stand, but Joe held her tightly. "Adam's right. I get too jealous, too angry, and too stubborn for my own good. Forgive me, please."

She looked at him, assessing him. She had known him for more than a year now. She knew he was quick-tempered, and she knew that he and his oldest brother were sometimes like oil and water, but she'd never seen him be as possessive as he had just been. "Joe, if you're going to act like you own me and can control who I see and who I talk to, then things are not going to work out between us." She finally was able to squirm out of his arms and stand up.

"Please, no," he begged. "Adam's always been able to charm women, businessmen, and even Pa away from Hoss and me. I realize now that it was nothing. I guess, uh, I guess I was just acting on old fears. I have no reason not to trust you, Gertie. Or Adam, for that matter. But if you feel that I'm treating you like a possession, then you'd be right to turn away from me. I never want you to stop being the independent, capable woman you are. After all, wasn't I the one who's always encouraged you to follow your dreams?"

She took a deep breath, looking out into the yard, instead of at the man standing besides her. "Yes, you have Joseph. You're the one who made me believe that I could find a way to get a medical education. You've accommodated my need to care for patients instead of being with Andy all the time." She turned to look at him, looking deeply at him, examining him, and testing him. "You've never been anything but kind and gentle to me. I know you didn't mean to hit me, that it was an accident. But if you ever do raise your hand to me in anger, I will leave."

Joe's answer was a silent nod of his head.