The brothers were silent during breakfast and the clean up afterward. They were each thinking of different things, and maybe, just maybe, trying to avoid the conversation they needed to have. Any of them could have brought up one of their thoughts as a distraction, but none of them did.

Just as they finished cleaning, there was a knock at the door.

The brothers looked at one another.

Jason made an abrupt, dismissive gesture at the younger two, and wheeled around to answer the door.

It was one of their men, with some question, and Jason stepped out onto the porch to speak with him, deliberately pulling the door shut behind him.

"Well, that should get word out that we aren't receiving callers," Josh commented.

"If they don't all c-come to ask why we ain't – aren't."

"I'm glad for the interruption, though. I have something I need to say to you."

Jeremy looked at him, puzzled.

Jason silently reentered, quietly shutting the door.

"Yes," Josh said. "I want to apologize for using the word backward yesterday. I forgot it was one of the – things they said about you. I don't know why, it just seemed to come out. I know you aren't backward, or a baby, and I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Oh." Jeremy didn't know what to say to that.

"Think you can forgive me? I'll try not to do it again."

Jeremy smiled, his grave, serious smile. "If you can apologize, I can f-forgive. Seventy times seven, even."

"I'm not that stupid."

Jeremy grinned, his eyes twinkling. "G-guess we'll f-find out."

"I guess we will."

They all three laughed, before Jason said, "Get your notebooks and planners out, boys. We've got some things to settle. We'll start with a – a battle plan."

"What do you mean?"

"What k-kind of p-plan?"

"Well first of all, I was impressed when the accident happened. Those river men just swung into action. They each knew, before anything happened, what they needed to do and how to do it. It was a coordinated planned rescue, and we should probably implement something similar."

"Do we have enough men for something like that?"

"We're going to. One of these days. Any emergency planning should be incorporated into our training. I think it should depend on what jobs are being done."

"L-like the guys on the ground should catch the ones falling out of trees?"

Jason smiled. Leave it to Jeremy. "Something like that. Although I don't think catching them would be the best course of action."

"What would be?" Josh asked. He had books and papers, pencils and pens and ink open and spread out and had already headed a long sheet of paper "Emergency Actions."

"I don't know. The river crew didn't have a plan of action for men falling from trees, with or without tools."

"We shouldn't have men falling from trees anyway. We use safety belts and ropes, usually both, and inspect them religiously."

"Belts and ropes can both break, or be cut accidentally, if the wind blows wrong. Or any sudden spate of weather."

"True. So what can we do?"

"I don't know. Something to catch them with or in?"

"Like a net?" Josh sounded skeptical.

"Could that work?"

"L-like when we jumped out of t-trees and you an' Da caught us in a b-blanket?"

"Yes, something like that."

"How would we keep something like that handy? It won't do any good if we have to run back to the camp for it."

"P-put it with the 'quipment. We us'ly take a wagon when we're not c-close, it could just go in the w-wagon."

"That's a good idea." Josh wrote it down."Okay, that's one possible solution for one problem. What else seems likely?"

"Rebounds."

"And what can we do about those?"

The brothers worked on this problem/solution/prevention the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. They imagined likely problems, and as many unlikely ones as they could think of. When they started getting silly and sillier, Jason voiced the opinion that they might feel better if they had something to eat.

"We could do with a break," Josh agreed. "Who's cooking?"

"Why don't you go see if you can buy us some supper? You know if I go out there we won't get back to this tonight. And I want to get everything out and started, at least. Take Jeremy with you, he can help you carry things back."

"B-but –"

"Go. I don't want to argue with you without a witness. We aren't waiting until tomorrow to get this on the table."

"Phooey."

"After we get food off the table," Josh quipped, making both brothers laugh./\/\

\/\/

While they were waiting for their coffee after finishing their meal, Jason said to Jeremy, "I've been thinking about what you said last night."

"What'd I say?"

"About me chasing you every night."

"Oh yeah."

"Hey, I remember that," Josh said. "It was fun."

"For you, maybe. Climbing up on my back just because I got down on my hands and knees."

To Jeremy, Jason said. "You were just about a year old, hadn't quite started walking yet, but you were close. You were crawling and rolling all over the place, and when I came in I'd get down and crawl after you. Josh would ride me, and when we caught up to you and roll you over and we all ended up laughing, although you and I, little brother, would end up soaking wet. Mom would take you to wash and change and put you to bed, and I had to take care of myself."

"Huh?"

"You were still in diapers, dummy. I can't wait until you get to tickle babies on a regular basis. I'll laugh."

"Josh."

"Well, it's the truth." Jason was trying not to laugh.

Jeremy just looked embarrassed. "Oh." He checked the coffee, turning his back to his brothers. It must have been done, because he started pouring it into cups.

"That didn't last very long, you were up and walking in just a few weeks, and then when I got down to chase you, you'd turn around and run at me. I'd be trying to stand up, with Josh with his arms around my neck from the back, and you from the front. That's if you hadn't butted heads with me and knocked yourself halfway across the room."

"Why d-did I d-do that?" Jeremy sat and blew on his coffee.

"Darned if I know. I'd be crawling after you, and you'd turn around, look at me, get this big old grin, then lower your head and come at me. Usually I could get away from a direct hit, but it depended on how well Josh was staying on. I don't know how you managed to never get hurt, but it scared me to death for a long while. I think I got hurt more than you did."

"And me," Josh contributed. "One time my head got between both of yours b'cause I was coming over your head. Boy, that hurt, too! I saw stars. And had a headache for days!""

"Yeah, I think that was the night Da decided I shouldn't get down on my hands and knees anymore to chase you."

"Yeah, you just got down on your knees after that. I could still hang on your back."

"I know. One time, Jeremy, you hit me in the teeth with your forehead. Hard enough to bleed. Me, not you, although Mom was a bit upset at the blood – my blood on your head. But she had to get you cleaned up before she could come cry over me and fix me up. We were both relieved I was the one bleeding, though."

"Why did I do that?"

"I think you liked the feeling of flying through the air backwards. Who knows what you were thinking? If you even were thinking. I don't know how much cogitation a year old baby is actually capable of."

Jeremy looked at Jason through his lashes at the word 'cogitation.' He supposed that meant thinking. Jason used bigger and bigger words when he didn't know things. Did it make him feel silly to not know things?

"Gosh, it was fun, though," Josh said wistfully. "Everybody was always laughing. Even you," he said to Jeremy. "When you'd get your breath back after landing on the floor, you'd just wave your arms and legs and laugh and laugh. What made you ask Jason about that?"

"I dunno. W-was th-thinking it the other night, but the whole thought wouldn't come out, and then it did when I was asleep last night."

Jason smiled. "Your thinky thoughts?"

"Uh-huh. I think it was because of your face."

"Why do you think that?"

Jeremy shrugged.

"I don't know how either of you ever think anything," Josh said. "Your thoughts jump around like fleas. Are we ready to get back to this?" Josh's tone was that he wanted to get it over with.

"No," Jeremy answered.

"Jeremy," Jason said gently, "what would you have done if I hadn't come back?"

Jeremy looked away and shrugged.

"What do you think I'd do, if you – didn't come back?"

Jeremy continued to look away.

"What would either of us do if a tree got the best of Josh some windy day? What would you do if that wind took out both me and Josh?"

"NO! NO! NO! You d-d-d-did c-come b-back, and I d-d-d-in't g-g-g-go nowhere; ain't g-g-g-g-gonna, and and - and –! D-d-d-don't say that! Don't say that!" Jeremy started pounding Jason's chest and crying.

Jason pulled him closer and held him while he struggled for self-control.

Josh refilled the coffee cups, handed Jason a handkerchief, and sat back down.

When Jeremy quieted, Jason wiped his tears away, wiped his face, and his nose. "We don't know, Jeremy. We're in one of the most dangerous businesses in the world, in a relatively uncivilized part of the world. When the – accident happened, I wasn't far away from it. You don't know how close it was, and all I could think was how unprepared you two were. If anything went wrong – for the two of you – it would be my fault. And how could I go to Mom and Da, if you two were made miserable because I didn't take care for you? Blow your nose."

Jeremy sniffled and did as he was told, and mumbled something.

"Besides, this conversation is more than that. We need to figure out how to handle accidents, injuries , and illness. What if I get hurt? What if Josh gets sick? Who is going to do what?"

"I don't get sick very often," Josh said, ready to help the conversation become more – well, more conversational.

"But you could," Jason replied. "If we prepare for the worst – or have a plan, as Josh would put it – then we'll have less to worry about on a day-to-day basis. Do you understand?"

Jeremy shrugged, then nodded.

"It's the same as we've been doing all day for the men, only just for us," Josh explained.

Jeremy nodded again, and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Da usta say that. An' he died anyway. He's still dead."

Josh snorted. (He couldn't help it.)

"Everything dies, Jeremy. When it's your time, it's your time. Most people don't know when it's going to happen, like Da did. Working the way we do, an accident to one of us is inevitable."

"To all of us," Josh agreed soberly,

" With the safety measures we've been planning, it should minimize any injury, and that's the best we can do. We have the others to act for as well as one another, so it's best to know what to do and how to handle emergent problems. Can you do this with us, Jeremy? Joshua and I can work things out, and include you later, if it's too much for you right now. It's your decision. Take a few minutes to think about it if you need to."

Jeremy took a deep breath and stepped away from Jason.

He looked from one brother to the other, studying their faces. He saw no derision or impatience in their expressions. Just compassion, patience, and concern.

He took another ragged breath, and said, "I c-can. I AM p-part of us, too. And I'm n-not a b-baby. I'm s-sorry I acted like one."

"No need to apologize. And if you should need to take a break from the talk, just tell us. It might do us all good. And if it's too much for you, say so. It's a heavy thought for your age. We can tell you, later, what we work out."

Jeremy shook his head. "No. I w-want to be p-part of it, of us. But m-maybe I c-can just l-listen for a while." He pulled out his chair and sat back down.

Jason smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Of course. Do you agree, Joshy?"

"Yes. And I think, maybe, we should put Jeremy in charge of getting things ready – bandages, potions, hot water, maybe even threading a few needles. It will give him something to concentrate on, and if I'm bleeding, I want Jeremy to put me back together. He sews a straighter line than you do."

"I'm not even upset you said that. What do you think of that idea, Jeremy?"

Slowly, Jeremy nodded. "That w-way, even if you are hurt, I w-will b-be hel-help-ping."

"Do you think you can do it?"

Jeremy again took time to think before answering. "I th-think so. I w-want to t-try."

"Good," Jason said, as Josh scribbled on his papers.

Jeremy flicked a grin at Jason. "We c-could p-practice," he suggested.

Jason's expression lightened. "Practice sewing me up? No thanks, I'd rather stay intact as much as possible."

"You could practice falling out of trees," Josh suggested.

"I'll pass on that, too."

Just like that, they were in harmony again, and a functioning brotherhood.

For now.