Post by amlapilusa on Aug 23, 2009 8:18:09 GMT -4
Thanks for the nice messages.....they are all appreciated!!
Onward......Adrianne
_____________________________________
Firestorm
Chapter 50
From Trey: He stayed in that dark place for a long time, feeling relaxed and comfortable. Maybe it was better here…..maybe at least here, there was no earthly pain for him to deal with…..
He slipped away, not yet deciding if he wanted to return or not…..he did have his reasons, and making the Barkley’s pay for his current predicament was at the top on his list. He sighed and closed his eyes.
“Will he live?”
The doctor took off his stethoscope, and placing the delicate instrument back into his black medical bag, allowed himself a moment of thought. “I honestly don’t know. His fever is still high, and even though I was able to get the bullet out, the wound is still draining. My guess is no, but I can’t say for sure. Not right now.” He closed the bag, snapping the top with a small, deliberate action. “His arm was a minor break, so that’s not even an issue.” He looked up at the woman, his eyes appreciating the beauty before him. “There’s still no clue as to who he is?”
The woman shook her head. “No, nothing. And Sheriff Porter said there’s been no news of anybody missing.”
“Stephie, I still think we should move him to my office in town. This way, if he does bring trouble, he’ll bring it to town…..not here.”
Stephanie Malone smiled as she readjusted the sheet up to Trey’s chin. “I think you and Sheriff Porter are being very sweet, and I appreciate that. But if you try to move him, you and I both know that he won’t make it. And that’s not fair to him….especially if he isn’t involved in anything bad, and we’re just jumping to conclusions.”
“But what if….”
The lady shrugged, as she brushed a wisp of brown hair back behind her ear. “There are lot of ‘what if’s’ in this world, Ken. I won’t live my life wondering what’s going to happen at any given turn. If he starts to get better, and you still want to move him, fine. But for now, he can’t do more harm than breathe.”
“Yes, I agree with that. But what if…” the doctor looked at Stephanie pointedly, his eyes telling her to keep quiet “….what if his associates come looking for him?”
Stephanie sighed. She had thought about that, too. “That’s assuming he has associates.” She smiled. “Let’s leave it for now, okay? You’re here everyday right now.”
Ken nodded. He stood up and gathered his bag and hat. “I’ll be back tomorrow. I wouldn’t leave you if it wasn’t for Anne Johnson…..with her baby coming anytime, I really need to be with her.”
Stephanie nodded as she waved the doctor along. “Of course…..I can handle it.”
“What about your visit to your sister?”
The one thing that Stephanie found so endearing about the small community she now lived in was the caring and camaraderie that was clearly evident in everyone that lived there. On the other hand, the one thing that she found so exasperating was that everybody knew everyone else’s business. She put her hands on her hips and tried her best to look angry. “Don’t you worry about my sister….she’ll keep until I can get there.”
“Just checking.”
She leaned out the door and gave the physician a small pat on his shoulder. “Just go, okay? Give Anne my best. You have the blanket I knitted packed? And the food basket?”
“Yes, yes, I did that already.” Ken smiled back as he waved to Johann, who was seated on the porch. He wanted to begin courting Stephanie…..maybe he’ll ask her to the church social coming up……and ask his sister to baby-sit Johann.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, unless Anne goes into labor. If I can’t make it, somebody will come by.”
“Fine….fine.”
From inside, Trey opened his eyes. He listened to the distant conversation……he was coherent enough to understand what they had said, and what they were saying…..he laughed a bit (unsure if he had laughed out loud or not) and it caused his middle to ache. They had a right to be leery of him…..he wasn’t dead yet.
“Time is on my side,” he sang softly.
**************************
Victoria watched as Brian examined Heath, the blond submitting to the examination for what he felt was the thousandth time. She held the boy’s hand loosely, not sure of what to make of this young man since the kidnapping…..he seemed older, and younger, all at the same time.
She was just getting to know him when Trey arrived at the ranch, turning everything upside down in the blink of an eye…..she watched in horror as he lay in a coma, fighting for his life…..and she watched in joy as he awakened, understanding that being part of a family meant he would never have to be alone again.
This child of Tom’s, she thought, was such a gift to come to them, when it quite obvious from the limited information that they had on Heath’s background, that he might have died either in childhood or the war. Growing up in poverty, Victoria knew the implications that many families faced……no food, poor shelter, and either limited or no medical care.
“Breathe in, Heath….that’s good…..now breathe out.” Brian had his stethoscope to Heath’s back, the physician doing an excellent job of taking Heath’s scars in stride. She had to, as well, not allowing the boy before her to become embarrassed or humiliated over something he couldn’t control. She squeezed his hand now, as she heard the uneven breaths coming from the boy…..and was gratified to feel his fingers gently tug back.
Brian began probing Heath’s neck…..two fingers of each hand gently felt for Heath’s glands…..then under each arm. “Almost done, Heath…...a few more checks and then I’ll give you the good news.”
Victoria smiled. “Good news?”
Brian’s heart fluttered at the matriarch’s soft voice. “Yes, good news.”
“When can I go home?”
Brian chuckled. “Let me finish first, Heath, then we’ll talk, okay?”
Heath nodded, his eyes half open…..he felt his stepmother’s hand in his and languished at the touch…..so much like his Mama’s……
Jarrod stepped into the room, and seeing Brian examining his brother, moved over to the vacant chair by the corner. “Everything okay?”
Heath opened his eyes, noted his brother’s presence, and half-closed them again. He felt tired…..and would have slept except the ache from his leg was pulsing in tight, agonizing ribbons. He wanted to shift, but was afraid that if he did, the pain would escape him…..and he didn’t want any more medication. Biting his lip, he felt a few beads of sweat form on his brow, and hoped that they wouldn’t be noticed. A small moan came out nonetheless as the doctor gently raised his cast to examine it.
A cold cloth was suddenly on his forehead, and it felt wonderful…..he opened his eyes a bit and saw his brother smiling down at him. “Heath, it’s okay little brother….just rest.”
“Thanks, Jarrod. M’kay, don’t need anythin’.” Heath’s voice wavered, the pain from his leg now spreading up his hip, meeting his chest.
Jarrod smiled and nodded, as Brian pushed a teaspoon into his mouth, the sour taste of the laudanum overpowering his senses. “No, m’kay….”
Another teaspoon was put in, and then a glass of water to his lips. “Just drink, Heath….you’re in pain. We’ve talked about this before, and you don’t have to suffer in silence.” Brian’s voice was edged with tension.
“Sweetheart, just relax, and don’t fight it. The more you push against healing the longer it’s going to take.”
“Just wanna…..go home.”
Victoria smiled at how young the blond sounded….she leaned over and kissed Heath’s forehead. “I know, we all do. But we can’t go anywhere until you’re a bit more healed.” She smoothed out his forehead with the cold cloth again, looking to Brian for an explanation.
“Well, he’s doing better…..but he still has bronchitis, and I would like to put the steam tent back up. The leg is healing, but we’ll have to put a more permanent cast on it…..I want to check out the leg’s skin before we do that.”
“And?” Jarrod prompted. “When can we take him home?”
“Home as in San Francisco house or Stockton ranch?” Brian asked.
“Heath thinks of the ranch as home, so that’s what I’m referring to as well.”
“At least another week…..I want the infection to be completely gone…..and his skin to be more healed. After that, he’ll be strong enough to travel, as long as you go by train. No stages for this young lad.”
Jingling spurs were heard in the outside corridor, as the rancher talked softly to the orderly at the door. The door opened slowly…..and Nick came in noting the crowd gathered in his brother’s room. “How’s he doin’?”
“Dr. Gerard says we can take Heath home in a week or so…..isn’t that good news?”
“Let’s be together on this….as long as his infection is completely gone.” Brian put his hand on Victoria’s arm, and then quickly removed it. “We’ll see how he does over the next several days.”
“He’s sleepin’ again?” Nick pulled up a chair to get into his favorite spot by Heath’s bed. He reached out to hold his brother’s hand, noting the small beads of sweat on the blond’s cheek and neck. He gently caressed the hand that he felt he would know in the dark.
“The good doctor gave him some medication for the pain, Nick.” Jarrod sat down on the edge of Heath’s bed, opposite to his broken leg. “He’s got the Barkley stubbornness in him ten folds over, that’s for sure. He truly hates to admit when he needs something to tide him over.”
Heath drifted, and dreamed.
He was seven, and had been working in the mines for a while now, bringing home extra money to help his mother and aunts put food on the table. He loved payday….the feeling of accomplishment at getting money from the paymaster at the mine was almost euphoric…..he stood in line proudly, and patiently waited while the man behind the desk counted out his money, handing it him the same way as he did with the other mine workers.
“Heath, my boy! How are you?”
“Good, sir.”
“You worked a full week, right?”
“Yessir. Thirty hours.”
Doug Greene shook his head as he marked down in the ledger Heath’s meager earnings. This week, all the men received a bonus for bringing in a load earlier than expected…..that meant a bonus for Heath, too.
“Your usual pay, Heath….” he counted out six dollars, and the put another four in his palm as well. “And everybody gets a bonus this week….includin’ you.”
Heath stood there with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. “Four dollars? Are you sure?”
Doug smiled. It was actually only supposed to be two dollars, but not matter how much he argued with the mine’s manager, the obnoxious man wouldn’t budge. The extra money was a collaborative effort from all the workers, each willing to give a little bit out of their own pay so that Heath could have an even ten dollars to bring home.
“I’m sure, boy. You put that money securely in your pocket, and you go straight home, y’hear me?”
Heath’s smile grew across his face, his eyes shining with anticipation of seeing a surprised look on his mother’s face. “You bet I will! Oh, boy! I ain’t never seen this much money in my whole life!” The blond quickly folded the bills and tucked them in his pocket, as he bounced away from the pay table. “Thank you, Mr. Greene! Thank you!” The men smiled at the youngster’s exuberance.
Heath began to run home…..through the small and familiar paths of the woods leading from the mine to the outskirts of Strawberry. He imagined himself flying as he did so, his happiness giving him the ability to soar over the ground, his body floating along as light as a feather.
He imagined what he could buy with that extra money….maybe an honest-to-God toy from the General Store! Or maybe some candy! Or maybe a new dress for his Mama! The possibilities were endless when you were rich!
Half-way home he stopped short, reality of his life settling in…..he took the time to put his regular pay in his pocket, but moving his extra four dollars to his shoe, slipping the folded bills into the bottom of his sock. He was supposed to walk home with his mother tonight, and that meant a visit to the hotel. He shivered just thinking about what might happen if his uncle or aunt caught wind that he made more money on him than his regular pay.
Feeling better that he smartly concealed his bonus pay, Heath began to run again on the wooded path, not wanting to have his mother wait an extra minute at the hotel than absolutely necessary. As he got closer to the center of town, he slowed down, the nerves in his stomach telling him that all was not well at his mother’s place of work this evening.
Shouts of anger were coming from the top floors, and he instantly recognized his mother’s voice to that of his aunt’s voice. He sheepishly approached the front of the hotel, his chest heaving from the run that he had just completed, and sat down on the bottom most stair. He waited a bit until a shadow fell across in front of him….and he instantly felt the bite of fear as the shadow took the form of his uncle.
Heath moaned in his sleep; his mind not wanting to relive this……he thought he heard his brother’s voice calling him…..Nick!.....oh, God…..wake me up……
“Your Mama has to stay late tonight, bastard. The sheets that were hung in the back are all dirty…..she has to redo them before tomorrow.”
Heath nodded, knowing fully well that it wasn’t his mother’s fault the sheets were not clean…..he just knew without even questioning it that Trey was somehow involved. Timidly, he glanced up at his uncle, and then reverted his eyes back down. “I’ll just say goodnight then, and be on my way home.”
“First, you give me that little bonus the miners got today.” Uncle Matt held out his hand, his fingers curling in the gesture of ‘give it to me.’
Heath’s anger flared between his shards of fear as his hands balled into fists. It was his money! He earned it! “Don’t know what you mean, Uncle Matt.” He kept his eyes down, so he didn’t have to look at what he knew his uncle was doing…..moving his tongue back and forth across his lips, the man’s face slowly getting red.
“Yes, you do, boy. I heard the miners all talkin’ about it at the saloon.” He leaned over, his hand now fluttering against Heath’s cheek. “Give it to me, or I’ll take it.”
Heath threw himself at his uncle, his balled fists catching Matt by surprise. “You ain’t gonna take nothin’!” Heath backed up, as he directed a hard, direct stare at his uncle, who at this point, was now smiling.
“Boy,” Matt chuckled, his small laughter filled with cynicism, “don’t you sass me none. I aim to get that bonus….it’ll make up for all the crap that I had to put with since you was born…..havin’ to take care of your Mama ‘n all. Now you give me that money, or like I said, I’ll take it.”
“NO!!” Heath turned to run, but miscalculated his uncle’s reach. “HELP!!! LET ME GO!!”
“I said give it to me, or I’ll take it!” Matt began dragging Heath toward the hotel’s front door, passerbys ignoring the screaming child pleading for help.
At this point, even if Heath wanted to give up the bonus money, he was too panic stricken to think. His young mind was flooded with what he might be facing, and he kicked and shoved with all his might to get away…..but his uncle’s grip was too strong. “Let me go!”
Angrier than he had a right to be, Matt pulled Heath through the lobby of the shabby and worn hotel, to the basement door, dragging the now crying boy behind him. “You think you’re gonna fool me, well, you gotta ‘nother thing comin’,” he grumbled, slapping Heath at every other word on his head and shoulders.
Heath fell limp as Matt opened the basement door. The steps were wobbly, hard and cruel as Heath was bounced from one stair to the next. “You are gonna give me that money, or you’re gonna be mighty sorry, boy.”
“Mama,” Heath whispered, even though he so wanted to shout it. His mother was so close…..she would get him away…..
“Your Mama is out back redoin’ all those sheets that she messed up. Now, you just give me that money, and you can go be with her.” Matt threw the little blond into the corner, his dirty and coal-dusted clothes fitting in perfectly with the crusty remnants of the basement.
Matt waited for a few minutes as Heath shivered and cowered in the corner, and then his patience ran out. He began to rip at Heath’s clothes, pulling on them, until buttons flew in all directions. “Where is that money, you little bastard! Where is it?”
Heath clutched at his clothes, the strips of flaying material that his shirt and pants were reduced to. “No, no, leave…..me…..alone.” Heath could only mumble between hitched breaths. He tried to make himself as small as he could, the dampness bringing out goose bumps on his pale flesh. He was embarrassed, but mostly scared, as the darkness of the room enveloped him, not letting him think correctly…..
Too dark…..too much like the mines…..
Matt swore as he looked at the now naked boy, except for his socks, and kicked him several times in the legs as he searched frantically for the money, only finding Heath’s regular pay. “Damn you, boy…..make me get all riled for nothin’…..NOTHIN’!!!!” Matt flung the remnants of the boy’s clothes back at him, as he walked over to the wall and found the leather strap. “You better remember where that money is real quick…..or….”
Heath woke up, screaming, his sore throat and aching chest holding him back to the pillows. Tension in his body angered his leg, which began to throb once more in protest of the small muscle movements. He felt strong hands on his shoulders…..and his brother’s voice finally coaxing him into doing what he needed to do….wake up…..
“Little brother, I’m here, you’re okay…...c’mon open those blue eyes for me, talk to me.” Nick tried to talk soft, but his own voice rose as he struggled to be heard over his brother’s cries.
A nurse poked her head in the door, the staff already getting used to the blond’s nightmarish dreams. “Do you need help?”
“No, but if you see my family, send them down here.”
“Will do.”
“Heath! C’mon boy, wake up, enough!” Nick shook Heath just a little, and was rewarded finally with blue slits…..he breathed heavy, the infection still effectively stealing his oxygen, as he worked his way through layers of history that he would have gladly forgotten.
“Oh, God, Nick….” Heath lifted a shaking hand to his forehead, the remnants of the dream still evident on his face.
“Yeah, this was a bad one, kid.” Nick quickly ran to the other side of the bed to wring a cloth with cold water.
“Alone?”
“Uh huh. Mother and Jarrod went out for a walk to get some air…..I think Mother wanted to do a little shopping for you actually…...clothes and such.” Nick gently wiped his brother’s face, always careful about the still-red skin. He noted that it was fading, however, and becoming a bronzy tone that made Heath look a bit like he was at the beach. “Just relax and breathe as easy as you can.”
The blond dropped his hand and felt the sting of the lash on his back….even after all these years, he could still feel it….he reached for his brother’s hand, wanting to be pulled back from that time…..wanting to forget it had ever happened.
Nick gladly took the shaking hand and held it, palm to palm, thumbs looping around each other. “Tell me what it was about.” He watched the blond’s face meld into a boy of six, and knew that it was from his childhood. He cursed his father for the millionth time, for leaving Heath to fend not only as a fatherless child, but at the cruel hands of his so-called family.
Heath looked up at Nick, tears easily falling down his cheeks. “It was Uncle Matt…..and….how he tried to take my bonus.”
Nick sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes narrowing in concentration as to what Heath was trying to tell him. He knew from brief experience that if gave his brother room, the information came more easily. “Bonus?”
“Yeah. The mine did well one week….” Heath licked his lips, tasting the salt, “…..and we were all given some extra money. Uncle Matt wanted mine.”
“What happened? He got it?”
“No…..hid it in my sock…..but……whip…..” and then Heath couldn’t talk anymore. The memory of his mother finding him, and carrying him home….how he missed work for almost two weeks as he healed, hardly able to walk…..how his mother received a similar beating for standing up to her brother…..was too much.
He passed out clutching hard to Nick’s hand…..as the tall rancher shed the same tears for a brother he couldn’t fight for all those years ago.
_____________________________
Matt Simmons smiled in the hallway, keeping to the shadows that the curtains and corners had to offer. He heard the bastard scream…..he heard the rancher send the nurse away……he knew that there would be a brief time when the blond would be alone…..
Still not knowing if Trey was dead or alive, or where he was, he planned to make sure the Barkley’s understood that he was to be taken seriously.
TBC
Onward......Adrianne
_____________________________________
Firestorm
Chapter 50
From Trey: He stayed in that dark place for a long time, feeling relaxed and comfortable. Maybe it was better here…..maybe at least here, there was no earthly pain for him to deal with…..
He slipped away, not yet deciding if he wanted to return or not…..he did have his reasons, and making the Barkley’s pay for his current predicament was at the top on his list. He sighed and closed his eyes.
“Will he live?”
The doctor took off his stethoscope, and placing the delicate instrument back into his black medical bag, allowed himself a moment of thought. “I honestly don’t know. His fever is still high, and even though I was able to get the bullet out, the wound is still draining. My guess is no, but I can’t say for sure. Not right now.” He closed the bag, snapping the top with a small, deliberate action. “His arm was a minor break, so that’s not even an issue.” He looked up at the woman, his eyes appreciating the beauty before him. “There’s still no clue as to who he is?”
The woman shook her head. “No, nothing. And Sheriff Porter said there’s been no news of anybody missing.”
“Stephie, I still think we should move him to my office in town. This way, if he does bring trouble, he’ll bring it to town…..not here.”
Stephanie Malone smiled as she readjusted the sheet up to Trey’s chin. “I think you and Sheriff Porter are being very sweet, and I appreciate that. But if you try to move him, you and I both know that he won’t make it. And that’s not fair to him….especially if he isn’t involved in anything bad, and we’re just jumping to conclusions.”
“But what if….”
The lady shrugged, as she brushed a wisp of brown hair back behind her ear. “There are lot of ‘what if’s’ in this world, Ken. I won’t live my life wondering what’s going to happen at any given turn. If he starts to get better, and you still want to move him, fine. But for now, he can’t do more harm than breathe.”
“Yes, I agree with that. But what if…” the doctor looked at Stephanie pointedly, his eyes telling her to keep quiet “….what if his associates come looking for him?”
Stephanie sighed. She had thought about that, too. “That’s assuming he has associates.” She smiled. “Let’s leave it for now, okay? You’re here everyday right now.”
Ken nodded. He stood up and gathered his bag and hat. “I’ll be back tomorrow. I wouldn’t leave you if it wasn’t for Anne Johnson…..with her baby coming anytime, I really need to be with her.”
Stephanie nodded as she waved the doctor along. “Of course…..I can handle it.”
“What about your visit to your sister?”
The one thing that Stephanie found so endearing about the small community she now lived in was the caring and camaraderie that was clearly evident in everyone that lived there. On the other hand, the one thing that she found so exasperating was that everybody knew everyone else’s business. She put her hands on her hips and tried her best to look angry. “Don’t you worry about my sister….she’ll keep until I can get there.”
“Just checking.”
She leaned out the door and gave the physician a small pat on his shoulder. “Just go, okay? Give Anne my best. You have the blanket I knitted packed? And the food basket?”
“Yes, yes, I did that already.” Ken smiled back as he waved to Johann, who was seated on the porch. He wanted to begin courting Stephanie…..maybe he’ll ask her to the church social coming up……and ask his sister to baby-sit Johann.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, unless Anne goes into labor. If I can’t make it, somebody will come by.”
“Fine….fine.”
From inside, Trey opened his eyes. He listened to the distant conversation……he was coherent enough to understand what they had said, and what they were saying…..he laughed a bit (unsure if he had laughed out loud or not) and it caused his middle to ache. They had a right to be leery of him…..he wasn’t dead yet.
“Time is on my side,” he sang softly.
**************************
Victoria watched as Brian examined Heath, the blond submitting to the examination for what he felt was the thousandth time. She held the boy’s hand loosely, not sure of what to make of this young man since the kidnapping…..he seemed older, and younger, all at the same time.
She was just getting to know him when Trey arrived at the ranch, turning everything upside down in the blink of an eye…..she watched in horror as he lay in a coma, fighting for his life…..and she watched in joy as he awakened, understanding that being part of a family meant he would never have to be alone again.
This child of Tom’s, she thought, was such a gift to come to them, when it quite obvious from the limited information that they had on Heath’s background, that he might have died either in childhood or the war. Growing up in poverty, Victoria knew the implications that many families faced……no food, poor shelter, and either limited or no medical care.
“Breathe in, Heath….that’s good…..now breathe out.” Brian had his stethoscope to Heath’s back, the physician doing an excellent job of taking Heath’s scars in stride. She had to, as well, not allowing the boy before her to become embarrassed or humiliated over something he couldn’t control. She squeezed his hand now, as she heard the uneven breaths coming from the boy…..and was gratified to feel his fingers gently tug back.
Brian began probing Heath’s neck…..two fingers of each hand gently felt for Heath’s glands…..then under each arm. “Almost done, Heath…...a few more checks and then I’ll give you the good news.”
Victoria smiled. “Good news?”
Brian’s heart fluttered at the matriarch’s soft voice. “Yes, good news.”
“When can I go home?”
Brian chuckled. “Let me finish first, Heath, then we’ll talk, okay?”
Heath nodded, his eyes half open…..he felt his stepmother’s hand in his and languished at the touch…..so much like his Mama’s……
Jarrod stepped into the room, and seeing Brian examining his brother, moved over to the vacant chair by the corner. “Everything okay?”
Heath opened his eyes, noted his brother’s presence, and half-closed them again. He felt tired…..and would have slept except the ache from his leg was pulsing in tight, agonizing ribbons. He wanted to shift, but was afraid that if he did, the pain would escape him…..and he didn’t want any more medication. Biting his lip, he felt a few beads of sweat form on his brow, and hoped that they wouldn’t be noticed. A small moan came out nonetheless as the doctor gently raised his cast to examine it.
A cold cloth was suddenly on his forehead, and it felt wonderful…..he opened his eyes a bit and saw his brother smiling down at him. “Heath, it’s okay little brother….just rest.”
“Thanks, Jarrod. M’kay, don’t need anythin’.” Heath’s voice wavered, the pain from his leg now spreading up his hip, meeting his chest.
Jarrod smiled and nodded, as Brian pushed a teaspoon into his mouth, the sour taste of the laudanum overpowering his senses. “No, m’kay….”
Another teaspoon was put in, and then a glass of water to his lips. “Just drink, Heath….you’re in pain. We’ve talked about this before, and you don’t have to suffer in silence.” Brian’s voice was edged with tension.
“Sweetheart, just relax, and don’t fight it. The more you push against healing the longer it’s going to take.”
“Just wanna…..go home.”
Victoria smiled at how young the blond sounded….she leaned over and kissed Heath’s forehead. “I know, we all do. But we can’t go anywhere until you’re a bit more healed.” She smoothed out his forehead with the cold cloth again, looking to Brian for an explanation.
“Well, he’s doing better…..but he still has bronchitis, and I would like to put the steam tent back up. The leg is healing, but we’ll have to put a more permanent cast on it…..I want to check out the leg’s skin before we do that.”
“And?” Jarrod prompted. “When can we take him home?”
“Home as in San Francisco house or Stockton ranch?” Brian asked.
“Heath thinks of the ranch as home, so that’s what I’m referring to as well.”
“At least another week…..I want the infection to be completely gone…..and his skin to be more healed. After that, he’ll be strong enough to travel, as long as you go by train. No stages for this young lad.”
Jingling spurs were heard in the outside corridor, as the rancher talked softly to the orderly at the door. The door opened slowly…..and Nick came in noting the crowd gathered in his brother’s room. “How’s he doin’?”
“Dr. Gerard says we can take Heath home in a week or so…..isn’t that good news?”
“Let’s be together on this….as long as his infection is completely gone.” Brian put his hand on Victoria’s arm, and then quickly removed it. “We’ll see how he does over the next several days.”
“He’s sleepin’ again?” Nick pulled up a chair to get into his favorite spot by Heath’s bed. He reached out to hold his brother’s hand, noting the small beads of sweat on the blond’s cheek and neck. He gently caressed the hand that he felt he would know in the dark.
“The good doctor gave him some medication for the pain, Nick.” Jarrod sat down on the edge of Heath’s bed, opposite to his broken leg. “He’s got the Barkley stubbornness in him ten folds over, that’s for sure. He truly hates to admit when he needs something to tide him over.”
Heath drifted, and dreamed.
He was seven, and had been working in the mines for a while now, bringing home extra money to help his mother and aunts put food on the table. He loved payday….the feeling of accomplishment at getting money from the paymaster at the mine was almost euphoric…..he stood in line proudly, and patiently waited while the man behind the desk counted out his money, handing it him the same way as he did with the other mine workers.
“Heath, my boy! How are you?”
“Good, sir.”
“You worked a full week, right?”
“Yessir. Thirty hours.”
Doug Greene shook his head as he marked down in the ledger Heath’s meager earnings. This week, all the men received a bonus for bringing in a load earlier than expected…..that meant a bonus for Heath, too.
“Your usual pay, Heath….” he counted out six dollars, and the put another four in his palm as well. “And everybody gets a bonus this week….includin’ you.”
Heath stood there with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. “Four dollars? Are you sure?”
Doug smiled. It was actually only supposed to be two dollars, but not matter how much he argued with the mine’s manager, the obnoxious man wouldn’t budge. The extra money was a collaborative effort from all the workers, each willing to give a little bit out of their own pay so that Heath could have an even ten dollars to bring home.
“I’m sure, boy. You put that money securely in your pocket, and you go straight home, y’hear me?”
Heath’s smile grew across his face, his eyes shining with anticipation of seeing a surprised look on his mother’s face. “You bet I will! Oh, boy! I ain’t never seen this much money in my whole life!” The blond quickly folded the bills and tucked them in his pocket, as he bounced away from the pay table. “Thank you, Mr. Greene! Thank you!” The men smiled at the youngster’s exuberance.
Heath began to run home…..through the small and familiar paths of the woods leading from the mine to the outskirts of Strawberry. He imagined himself flying as he did so, his happiness giving him the ability to soar over the ground, his body floating along as light as a feather.
He imagined what he could buy with that extra money….maybe an honest-to-God toy from the General Store! Or maybe some candy! Or maybe a new dress for his Mama! The possibilities were endless when you were rich!
Half-way home he stopped short, reality of his life settling in…..he took the time to put his regular pay in his pocket, but moving his extra four dollars to his shoe, slipping the folded bills into the bottom of his sock. He was supposed to walk home with his mother tonight, and that meant a visit to the hotel. He shivered just thinking about what might happen if his uncle or aunt caught wind that he made more money on him than his regular pay.
Feeling better that he smartly concealed his bonus pay, Heath began to run again on the wooded path, not wanting to have his mother wait an extra minute at the hotel than absolutely necessary. As he got closer to the center of town, he slowed down, the nerves in his stomach telling him that all was not well at his mother’s place of work this evening.
Shouts of anger were coming from the top floors, and he instantly recognized his mother’s voice to that of his aunt’s voice. He sheepishly approached the front of the hotel, his chest heaving from the run that he had just completed, and sat down on the bottom most stair. He waited a bit until a shadow fell across in front of him….and he instantly felt the bite of fear as the shadow took the form of his uncle.
Heath moaned in his sleep; his mind not wanting to relive this……he thought he heard his brother’s voice calling him…..Nick!.....oh, God…..wake me up……
“Your Mama has to stay late tonight, bastard. The sheets that were hung in the back are all dirty…..she has to redo them before tomorrow.”
Heath nodded, knowing fully well that it wasn’t his mother’s fault the sheets were not clean…..he just knew without even questioning it that Trey was somehow involved. Timidly, he glanced up at his uncle, and then reverted his eyes back down. “I’ll just say goodnight then, and be on my way home.”
“First, you give me that little bonus the miners got today.” Uncle Matt held out his hand, his fingers curling in the gesture of ‘give it to me.’
Heath’s anger flared between his shards of fear as his hands balled into fists. It was his money! He earned it! “Don’t know what you mean, Uncle Matt.” He kept his eyes down, so he didn’t have to look at what he knew his uncle was doing…..moving his tongue back and forth across his lips, the man’s face slowly getting red.
“Yes, you do, boy. I heard the miners all talkin’ about it at the saloon.” He leaned over, his hand now fluttering against Heath’s cheek. “Give it to me, or I’ll take it.”
Heath threw himself at his uncle, his balled fists catching Matt by surprise. “You ain’t gonna take nothin’!” Heath backed up, as he directed a hard, direct stare at his uncle, who at this point, was now smiling.
“Boy,” Matt chuckled, his small laughter filled with cynicism, “don’t you sass me none. I aim to get that bonus….it’ll make up for all the crap that I had to put with since you was born…..havin’ to take care of your Mama ‘n all. Now you give me that money, or like I said, I’ll take it.”
“NO!!” Heath turned to run, but miscalculated his uncle’s reach. “HELP!!! LET ME GO!!”
“I said give it to me, or I’ll take it!” Matt began dragging Heath toward the hotel’s front door, passerbys ignoring the screaming child pleading for help.
At this point, even if Heath wanted to give up the bonus money, he was too panic stricken to think. His young mind was flooded with what he might be facing, and he kicked and shoved with all his might to get away…..but his uncle’s grip was too strong. “Let me go!”
Angrier than he had a right to be, Matt pulled Heath through the lobby of the shabby and worn hotel, to the basement door, dragging the now crying boy behind him. “You think you’re gonna fool me, well, you gotta ‘nother thing comin’,” he grumbled, slapping Heath at every other word on his head and shoulders.
Heath fell limp as Matt opened the basement door. The steps were wobbly, hard and cruel as Heath was bounced from one stair to the next. “You are gonna give me that money, or you’re gonna be mighty sorry, boy.”
“Mama,” Heath whispered, even though he so wanted to shout it. His mother was so close…..she would get him away…..
“Your Mama is out back redoin’ all those sheets that she messed up. Now, you just give me that money, and you can go be with her.” Matt threw the little blond into the corner, his dirty and coal-dusted clothes fitting in perfectly with the crusty remnants of the basement.
Matt waited for a few minutes as Heath shivered and cowered in the corner, and then his patience ran out. He began to rip at Heath’s clothes, pulling on them, until buttons flew in all directions. “Where is that money, you little bastard! Where is it?”
Heath clutched at his clothes, the strips of flaying material that his shirt and pants were reduced to. “No, no, leave…..me…..alone.” Heath could only mumble between hitched breaths. He tried to make himself as small as he could, the dampness bringing out goose bumps on his pale flesh. He was embarrassed, but mostly scared, as the darkness of the room enveloped him, not letting him think correctly…..
Too dark…..too much like the mines…..
Matt swore as he looked at the now naked boy, except for his socks, and kicked him several times in the legs as he searched frantically for the money, only finding Heath’s regular pay. “Damn you, boy…..make me get all riled for nothin’…..NOTHIN’!!!!” Matt flung the remnants of the boy’s clothes back at him, as he walked over to the wall and found the leather strap. “You better remember where that money is real quick…..or….”
Heath woke up, screaming, his sore throat and aching chest holding him back to the pillows. Tension in his body angered his leg, which began to throb once more in protest of the small muscle movements. He felt strong hands on his shoulders…..and his brother’s voice finally coaxing him into doing what he needed to do….wake up…..
“Little brother, I’m here, you’re okay…...c’mon open those blue eyes for me, talk to me.” Nick tried to talk soft, but his own voice rose as he struggled to be heard over his brother’s cries.
A nurse poked her head in the door, the staff already getting used to the blond’s nightmarish dreams. “Do you need help?”
“No, but if you see my family, send them down here.”
“Will do.”
“Heath! C’mon boy, wake up, enough!” Nick shook Heath just a little, and was rewarded finally with blue slits…..he breathed heavy, the infection still effectively stealing his oxygen, as he worked his way through layers of history that he would have gladly forgotten.
“Oh, God, Nick….” Heath lifted a shaking hand to his forehead, the remnants of the dream still evident on his face.
“Yeah, this was a bad one, kid.” Nick quickly ran to the other side of the bed to wring a cloth with cold water.
“Alone?”
“Uh huh. Mother and Jarrod went out for a walk to get some air…..I think Mother wanted to do a little shopping for you actually…...clothes and such.” Nick gently wiped his brother’s face, always careful about the still-red skin. He noted that it was fading, however, and becoming a bronzy tone that made Heath look a bit like he was at the beach. “Just relax and breathe as easy as you can.”
The blond dropped his hand and felt the sting of the lash on his back….even after all these years, he could still feel it….he reached for his brother’s hand, wanting to be pulled back from that time…..wanting to forget it had ever happened.
Nick gladly took the shaking hand and held it, palm to palm, thumbs looping around each other. “Tell me what it was about.” He watched the blond’s face meld into a boy of six, and knew that it was from his childhood. He cursed his father for the millionth time, for leaving Heath to fend not only as a fatherless child, but at the cruel hands of his so-called family.
Heath looked up at Nick, tears easily falling down his cheeks. “It was Uncle Matt…..and….how he tried to take my bonus.”
Nick sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes narrowing in concentration as to what Heath was trying to tell him. He knew from brief experience that if gave his brother room, the information came more easily. “Bonus?”
“Yeah. The mine did well one week….” Heath licked his lips, tasting the salt, “…..and we were all given some extra money. Uncle Matt wanted mine.”
“What happened? He got it?”
“No…..hid it in my sock…..but……whip…..” and then Heath couldn’t talk anymore. The memory of his mother finding him, and carrying him home….how he missed work for almost two weeks as he healed, hardly able to walk…..how his mother received a similar beating for standing up to her brother…..was too much.
He passed out clutching hard to Nick’s hand…..as the tall rancher shed the same tears for a brother he couldn’t fight for all those years ago.
_____________________________
Matt Simmons smiled in the hallway, keeping to the shadows that the curtains and corners had to offer. He heard the bastard scream…..he heard the rancher send the nurse away……he knew that there would be a brief time when the blond would be alone…..
Still not knowing if Trey was dead or alive, or where he was, he planned to make sure the Barkley’s understood that he was to be taken seriously.
TBC
