Acceptance

by Christy

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

Part 1

Victoria Barkley listened to her sons arguing about one of the new stallions who had broken loose from the corral by jumping over it. The two men had taken their argument out on to the verandah of the family mansion. Victoria couldn’t help hearing the harsh words from the parlor where she had been reading a book. Putting the book down on a table, she got up off the red velvet settee and walked over to the open French doors that led to the Verandah. It was a very hot day with barely a breath of air to be had in the San Joaquin Valley where the Barkley’s had lived and prospered for over a quarter of a century. Finally, unable to stay out of the argument, despite her best intentions, Victoria stepped onto the verandah and waited until she was noticed.

“Nick, you aren’t listening to me,” Heath Barkley told his older brother. The golden haired cowboy, his young face taut with frustration tried to get a word in edgewise as his brother yelled.

“I am listening to you, Boy. You’re the one who doesn’t understand what it takes to run a ranch like this. There’s no room for foolish errors. Letting that stallion jump out of the corral was a waste of time and money we do not have.”

“What was I supposed to do? Jump after him and catch him in mid-stride,” Heath shot back. “He’s a stallion, Nick. You bought him yourself, remember?”

“Yes, I remember. He’s got some of the best breeding in the country in him and now we’ve got three hands we can’t spare out looking for him.”

“Fine, I’ll go and find him myself. But let me tell you, you can’t hogtie a stallion to a stall. He’s got to be broken gentle, not the way those men were going about it.”

“Oh, now, don’t give me that,” Nicked yelled. Heath threw up his hands, done with the argument. He turned to leave his darker haired brother and resume his duties. He started to stomp off when he noticed Victoria standing, a silent witness to the men’s shameful exchange. He avoided Victoria’s eyes as he started to brush past her.

“Ma’am,” he greeted. “If you’ll excuse me, I got to catch me a stallion.”

“Heath!” Victoria called in her quiet manner. “Wait.” Heath would have continued on his way if it had been anyone other than Victoria Barkley. If it was one thing he had learned in the three months he had been the Barkley ranch, it was not to ignore his new mother. He turned around, blushing from his face to his neck wishing with all his might that she of all people had not heard the exchange between him and Nick.

“Nicholas, what do you have to say?” Victoria invited.

“I think I just did.”

“Really?” Nick cringed inside. He knew that tone, and he knew his mother was not happy with him. The tall gruff cowboy who ran the ranch with an iron but fair hand would rather have faced a herd of wild horses than the small woman who stood before him. Victoria Barkley probably stood no more than three or four inches over 5 feet, but she packed a wallop with her maternal influence. She refused to think for her sons, but when they did something she didn’t like, she wasn’t afraid to let them know it.

“What is this nonsense about a stallion that has you two practically at each other’s throats?”

“It’s not nonsense,” Nick objected.

“It’s a fuss about nothing,” Heath replied. He dug his hands in his pockets in self defense.

“Nothing?” Nick bellowed. “Boy, where are your priorities?”

“Ma’am, I’ve had about all this I can stomach. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got real work to do.” Victoria watched helplessly as Heath Barkley walked off towards the long low building of the Barkley stables. She turned to Nick.

“Go after him, Nick,” she ordered.

“What for? I came in for lunch.”

“Well you’re not getting anything from me or Silas. Working this out with Heath is more important than lunch.”

“Mother, he’s a good man, I’ll grant you that, but if I can’t trust him with the horses, how am I supposed to trust him on the cattle drive next week. We have to drive those cattle, nine hundred head of cattle down to San Diego. That’s 700 miles of some of the meanest land in the country. Heath has no idea what it is to be responsible for all of the men and the cattle and still get the job done right.”

“Forgive me, Nick, but I don’t think you give Heath enough credit. Why he works harder than any two of the hands put together.”

“And I don’t?” came the indignant reply.

“I didn’t say that,” Victoria answered in a calm tone that infuriated her son. She took Nick’s arm and led him in to the relative coolness of the house. Standing in the parlor, she faced Nick with all the power of her fifty-odd years. Never mind that her white hair was coiffed perfectly at the nape of her neck and her figure was still willow slim. Never mind that she had the face of an angel, just like her daughter, and that no one would guess that a woman dressed in the finest white and blue cloth was made of invisible steel. But that was exactly how to describe Victoria Barkley.

“Mother, I don’t have time for this. We have to get that stallion back.”

“Heath will get the stallion,” Victoria said with confidence. “Nick what are you afraid of?”

“Me? I don’t know what you are getting at.”

“Oh, of course you do, Nick. Don’t play the fool with me, not with me.”

“Mother, for heaven’s sakes.”

“Nick, Jarrod and I have discussed this, so I suppose I might as well say what I’ve been thinking. Do you realize you have undermined Heath at almost every opportunity?”

“What?” Nick’s indignation reached from the top of his head all the way down to his big feet. Victoria didn’t budge. Nick clenched his fists in anger.

“Most especially with the men. If Heath has to reprimand one of them, you tell them it’s all right. Yesterday he fired Alan Woods. I heard this morning you hired him back.”

“Yes I did. We need every hand we’ve got for that cattle drive. I’m damned if I’ll lose a man just because Heath can’t handle him.”

“Didn’t Jarrod talk to you about that?”

“Yes he did.”

“And he reminded you that what you need to treat Heath with the dignity and respect he deserves?”

“A man isn’t just given respect. It has to be earned.” Nick reasoned, daring his mother to argue with his logic. Victoria rolled her eyes in frustration.

“Heath earned our respect when he saved your sister’s life and mine, do you remember, Nick?”

“But he hasn’t earned the men’s respect yet, and I’m not going to make allowances for him. Mother, I’m treating him the same way Father treated me when I learned to run this ranch. There wasn’t much room for mistakes in those days and there isn’t now.”

“Oh Lord,” Victoria sighed. “How many arguments did I have with your father over that? Now you listen to me, Nicholas. If you want Heath to earn respect with the men, you have to help him, not hurt him. The men take their cue from you. Treat Heath with respect and the men will follow your lead. Just because your father did something one way doesn’t mean you have to follow suit.”

“I am my father’s son,” Nick challenged again. Victoria put both of her hands on her slender hips and challenged Nick back.

“You were your father’s son,” She argued. “Now you are mine.” The intent was clear. Nick Barkley might have had more to say if the ground beneath him hadn’t begun to shake, throwing Victoria slightly off balance. Nick caught her with his firm hands, but the ground continued to move beneath them.

“Earthquake,” Nick cried with chilling accuracy. Mother and son raced out of the house together. In the front of the house, Jarrod met them. He had been in his study when the quake hit.

“Where’s Heath and Audra?” Jarrod demanded, always concerned for his family.

“Audra is at the orphanage, and Heath is probably still in the barn,” Nick answered. As one the family raced towards the long low Barkley barn and the bunkhouse dining room where their men would have been eating lunch. Ciego, their foreman was getting men out of the bunk house while they found that Heath and several other hands were getting the horses out of the barn. Nick raced over to his brother, falling in beside him. Suddenly one of the men yelled a loud warning. In the dining area, fire had broken out. The family could see smoke pouring out of the door and the chimney.

“Heath, Nick! Fire,” Jarrod yelled. Victoria ran to the water pump as the ground shook again. Victoria tripped and fell, hitting her head on the edge of the well. The crack of her skull hitting the well went unheard in the commotion around her. As the pain exploded in her head, the older woman hit the ground unconscious.

“Mrs. Barkley!” Ciego yelled. Heath was already inside the burning dining room when Jarrod and Nick heard Ciego’s voice. His tone made them stop in their steps. Turning around, both men were horrified to see their mother lying on the ground.

“Dear Lord,” Jarrod breathed. Nick was off before him, kneeling at Victoria’s side. He lifted her in his arms, the blood from her head wound dripping to the ground, and her arms falling flaccidly beside her body.

“Get her away from anything that could fall on her,” Jarrod instructed. “Ciego get some blankets from the bunk house. Then get the carriage and one of the horses. We have to get her to town to a doctor. Nick, you all right?” Nick, cradling his mother protectively was helpless as flames burst through one of the rear windows of the dining room. Jarrod followed his brother’s gaze towards the fire.

“Jarrod, Heath and some of the men are in there,” Nick ground out. Jarrod Barkley was not a man to panic, but in those few seconds the bile rose in his throat, and he wondered if he would vomit at the horror that was unraveling around him. Then he collected himself, knowing this crisis had to be dealt with. He ran for the dining room just as several men burst through the front door with Heath bringing up the rear. All of them, including Heath were coughing because of the smoke. They either sat down or knelt trying to catch their breaths. Only Heath leaned against a fence refusing to give in in front of the men. Jarrod reached him in a minute.

“Heath, for the love of God. Are you all right?”

“Fine, Jarrod,” Heath answered while still coughing. “We’re okay.”

“Mother’s been hurt,” Jarrod said. “We need to get her to town to a doctor and find Audra. Do you want to stay here and get everything under control?”

“Yes. I can manage. Go.” Heath didn’t hesitate. He moved to action, hurrying to Victoria’s side. Nick was still cradling her in his arms. Kneeling down, the two brother exchanged identical looks of devastation.

“What happened?” Heath demanded.

“She hit her head.” Nick explained.

“Get her to town. I’ll handle the men,” Heath ordered. Nick didn’t argue. Ciego brought a carriage fully hitched, and some blankets and a pillow from the bunkhouse. The men were still fighting the fire in the dining room. Jarrod, Heath and Nick got their mother into the carriage between them, half sitting, half lying her against Nick in the back seat. Jarrod got into the front.

“If the dining room burns, don’t let it get to the bunkhouse,” he instructed Heath.

“Don’t worry about us, Jarrod, Just get her to the doc.” Heath replied. Heath watched for only a moment then rushed back to the men. He joined them in fighting the fire until it was under control. Hours passed in what seemed like minutes. For a time, it appeared the fire would spread to the bunkhouse. Heath ordered the men to concentrate the water on the side of the dining room closest to the bunkhouse, keeping the fire more or less under control there. When the building finally collapsed it burned itself out, and the bunkhouse was saved. Heath and Ciego inspected the rest of the out buildings. A few of the sheds had collapsed and one wall of the barn. The bunkhouse was singed by flames and some of the bunks were broken. Working alongside the men, Heath helped to repair those bunks, then instructed Ciego to help the four men who had been injured in the fire and by falling debris to bed. Ciego was instructed to use whatever he needed from the house to care for the men. None of their injuries was life threatening, Heath thought. He was about to inspect the house when a man from the sheriff’s office came riding on to the ranch. He found Heath by the verandah.

“Heath,” the man called out.

“Yes, Tony. What can I do you for?” Heath asked having met the man several times over the past few months. He stood, tall, proud and certain of his duty, every inch a Barkley. Tony did not dismount from his horse.

“Jarrod sent me. He said if everything was under control here, he needs you in town.”

“Is it Mother or Audra?” he demanded. Heath had used the damage from the quake to cover his worry for his mother and sister, but Tony’s words sent trembling anxiety rifling through his already exhausted body.

“Your mother is all right. She’s already chomping at the bit to get out of bed. Dr. Merar has set up a tent hospital and won’t let her move. It’s Audra. She’s missing.”

“Let’s go.” Heath wasn’t a man for many words. He hurried back to the barn and saddled one of the horses who had returned to the barn after it was shooed off during the quake. While he saddled he talked with Ciego about the ranch. Since the dining room was destroyed, they decided to use the main kitchen for making meals and the men could eat in the bunkhouse. He told Ciego to make sure the main house was secure before using the kitchen. If the structure was unsafe, he was to send a man to town and they would get supplies to cook over a campfire if needed. Ciego was courteous and appeared satisfied with Heath’s input.

“I hope you’re all right on the road, Mr. Heath. Hope you bring Miss Audra and Mrs. Barkley home safe too.”

“Thank-you Ciego. Silas is still up at the house. He’ll help you make sure it’s safe up there. I appreciate your help.” He patted Ciego on the back, then mounted up. Joining, Tony, Heath felt a second wind. He didn’t look back as he tore off down the road. His only thought was for his family and his sister. The fight with Nick wasn’t quite forgotten, but its importance had faded. What did managing the ranch mean if the family that ran it was destroyed by something happening to Audra?

“Where are you, Sis?” Heath wondered to himself. He didn’t take time to ask Tony. Jarrod would tell him. But even Heath was certain that if Audra was in trouble from the quake, his beautiful sister was on borrowed time. Heath couldn’t get to town fast enough.

Part 2

Jarrod and Nick Barkley’s ride into town with their mother lying unresponsive was nothing less than a nightmare. When they got to town they found that damage from the earthquake was severe in some places while other more sturdy or newer buildings were scarcely touched. They stopped at Dr. Merar’s where a note on the door told them he had set up a tent hospital at the center of town. Jarrod pulled the carriage up to the makeshift hospital, and then helped Nick get Victoria out of the carriage. Nick enfolded his mother gently in his arms, and carried her quickly inside the tent.

“Howard!” the black haired cowboy barked. Dr. Howard Merar was working over another patient when he heard Nick’s ragged voice. “Howard, we need you.” The doctor pulled a blanket over his patient and let him know he’d be right back. He hurried over to Nick and Jarrod. The doctor’s blue eyes widened at the sight of his old friend Victoria Barkley lying so flaccid in her son’s arms. He hesitated only a second, his heart thumping, then reverted back to his healing role.

“Put her over here,” he instructed motioning to one of the empty cots that were being set up by volunteers. His wife, Emma came over to assist them. While Nick and Mrs. Merar laid Victoria in bed, Jarrod gave the doctor a brief report on his mother’s injury.

Nick walked back to his brother. Dr. Merar already looked exhausted. His grim countenance did nothing to set either man at ease. Dr. Merar spoke short and matter-of-fact, letting Nick and Jarrod know the facts all at once.

“Okay, Boys. I know you’re upset. I’ve got at least ten people here injured already and probably more on the way. Let me examine Victoria and I’ll let you know what’s going on.”

“She hasn’t moved since she fell, Howard,” Nick said urgently. “Shouldn’t she have awakened by now?”

“Nick. Give me a minute,” Howard reminded him. The doctor bent over his patient and started to assess her condition. While Nick watched, Jarrod addressed the doctor’s wife who was assisting him.

“Emma, has anyone been to the orphanage? Audra is there, I think.”

“Audra?” Mrs. Merar asked. “I haven’t seen her. I heard the orphanage was severely hit. They’ve moved the children to the school for now. The church isn’t habitable either.”

“We’ll go to the school then. Knowing my little sister, she’s probably still trying to reassure the children. She’s not one to be frightened by a little earthquake.” Jarrod answered with evident relief.

“I’m sure you’re right, Jarrod,” Mrs. Merar replied, smiling hopefully at the young lawyer. Jarrod tried to keep the humor in his heart and soul. If Audra was at the church, then the family was safe. Now if his mother would wake up, then all would be well.

Jarrod could only hope as Dr. Merar turned to face the two brothers.

“Doc?” Nick asked before Jarrod could. The sound of Victoria’s voice startled them all, empowering them to surround the injured woman as she came around.

“Jarrod? Nick? Heath, what…what’s going on?” Victoria Barkley opened her eyes. Jarrod bent over his mother, taking her hand in his, and squeezing it lightly.

“Well, well, look who decided to deign us with her presence?” he teased. “You look quite refreshed Lovely Lady.”

“Jarrod, don’t be silly,” Victoria chided. She started to move, but as soon as she stirred, she moaned in pain.

“Mother?” Nick cried.

“Nicholas, keep your voice down,” Victoria ordered, her voice slightly altered by the world spinning around her. “Howard, what happened?” Dr. Merar pulled a chair up to the bed. He further examined his patient to complete his neurological assessment of her condition. After he was finished he sighed.

“Howard, if you beat around the bush…” Victoria started.

“Now, now, Victoria. You’re the patient. Tell me honestly. How do you feel?”

“Like I hit my head. I remember now. We had an earthquake. Oh my God. Nick, Jarrod where are Heath and Audra? The dining room was on fire.” Again the petite white haired woman endeavored to sit up. Nick and Jarrod started to move towards their mother, until they realized Dr. Merar had the situation under control. He gently pushed her back down on the bed.

“Victoria, I swear, if you move again without my say so, I’ll have Nick sit on you.”

“But my son and daughter…”

“Mother, Heath is at the ranch, holding down the fort. He and the men will make sure the ranch doesn’t burn. Audra is at the school with the children from the orphanage. You are the one we are concerned about.”

“I need to see Audra, and Heath.” Victoria said. The urgency in her voice wasn’t missed by her sons. They exchanged glances.

“Nick and I are on our way over the school, Mother. We’ll bring Audra and Heath by as quickly as we can. You need to get some sleep.”

“I won’t rest until I see my children,” the mother returned with an intensity that Nick and Jarrod couldn’t help but understand. Their mother was devoted to all the children. She shared their lives on a daily basis. Her children depended on her strength, her courage and her grace. Each of them would have done anything for her, just as she would for them.

“We’ll bring Audra back as fast as we can. I’m sure she’ll be as worried about you as you are about her, As for Heath, I’ll send someone out to the ranch. I’m sure he’s fine.” Jarrod replied. He bent down to kiss his mother on the forehead.

“Don’t you worry, Mother. Audra’s probably trying to cook for those poor kids. She’s probably reveling in being needed by all those little people.” Victoria managed a tight smile for her son, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Fatigued and in more pain than she let on, the woman squeezed Jarrod’s hand back. Nick also kissed his mother, and said a few gruff words.

“You be good for Dr. Merar, Mother. Or we’ll end up tying you to the bed, just the way you would Heath or me. How many times have you threatened me with that now, hmmm? We’ll be back before you know it.”

“Hurry, Nick,” Victoria urged. “Please.” The heartache in her voice was distressing. Together they left the tent with Victoria watching after them, her heart denying what her soul was telling her. Something was wrong with one of her children. She wasn’t sure which one but she knew something was very wrong. She wanted nothing more than to race after Nick and Jarrod, to help them in any way she could. Only the pain in her head stopped her. She was no good to them in this condition. She could only hope and pray her brain was suffering from the effects of her concussion and the premonition she felt so intensely was wrong. It had to be, Victoria told herself. She couldn’t bear it if anything happened to either one. Since Heath had come to them, he had become his own person with her. She respected him. She loved him just as she loved Jarrod, Nick and Audra. She prayed until she fell into a restless sleep, her mind searching for her children even as she slept.

* * * * * * * *

Audra Barkley’s heart was beating rapidly. Lying unconscious she didn’t know she was fighting for her life. The heat, the dry air, the very essence of the world around her was not conducive to her saving herself on her own. She lay where she had fallen during the quake. She was so close yet so far…

* * * * * * * *

“What do you mean you don’t know where Audra is, Father Eric?” Nick Barkley demanded of Stockton’s one and only Catholic priest. Around them, twenty-five children ceased their play. Some of them were seated at the school desks that the town children usually used. Others played in the corners of the classroom. At the mention of Miss Audra’s name, they all were quiet. Father Eric exchanged looks with his assistant, Sister Anne. He led Jarrod and Nick out the back door of the school house so they could talk in private. Jarrod held Nick back whispering to him. Nick pulled away from his brother, stomping after Father Eric in a temper. Jarrod sighed then followed the two men outside where the air was still hot and breathless.

“Nick, Jarrod, I’m sorry. Audra wasn’t at the orphanage when the earthquake hit. She left about ½ hour before the quake.”

“Did she say where she was going, Father?”

“No, only that she had some errands to run.”

“How was she acting?”

“Jarrod, I don’t know what you want me to say. I was visiting a member of our church, actually hoping they might want to adopt three of the children. I didn’t see Audra after I left. Sister Anne has told me all I know.”

“This doesn’t make sense,” Nick raged. “She wasn’t on the road when we came in. Where could she be?”

“Maybe she went for a ride,” Jarrod surmised. “Nick, I’m going over to the sheriff’s to see if anyone has seen her. Can you check with the dress shop and the general store?”

“Anything to keep myself from going crazy. You better ask the sheriff if anyone can be spared to fetch Heath. We’re going to need him. Maybe seeing him will help Mother to calm down.”

“Until the entire family is together, Nick, she won’t be satisfied and neither will I,” Jarrod shot back, barely controlling his own temper.

“You think I will?” Nick bellowed. “Our sister is out there. Anything could have happened to her.”

“I know, Nick. I’m sorry. I know you’re as worried as I am. In this heat, if she’s outside, time is of the essence. I’ll meet you at the tent hospital in an hour.”

“What are you going to tell, Mother if we don’t…find her?”

“I don’t know, Brother Nick. I don’t know.” Jarrod and Nick patted each other on the backs, and then set off to find their little sister with Father Eric calling after them.

“Jarrod, if there’s anything we can do, let me know.” Though Jarrod didn’t answer, Father Eric knew the man heard. He went back inside the schoolhouse. Getting Sister Anne and the children together, they all bowed heads in prayer for Audra Barkley. Their angel of mercy was lost. The Father above knew where she was. He was the one to keep her safe till she could be rescued by the family who loved her.

Opening her eyes, she wasn’t immediately cognizant of where she was. Feeling the hard ground beneath her and the sun beating high above her, her mind wondered. Unconsciously she started to roll over to get up. Her scream echoed in her ears as pain overwhelmed her mind. Fear entered her heart when realization hit. She was injured in some way. Her sensibilities returning let her know where the pain originated from, her ribs, her left arm, and her head. Looking around, she took in her surroundings. What had happened? Where was she? She had to get home. Mother and the boys would be worried if she didn’t. Attempting to get up again was futile. Once more she inadvertently cried out. It was no use she had to admit. She had only one other tactic to try and get help. She screamed as loud as her parched throat would let her.

“Help me. Help! Help!” The cry wasn’t loud. It didn’t carry. She was so hot, and the pain was worse than anything she had ever felt. She wanted her mother. She wanted her brothers. Oh God, was she going to die, she wondered. Not here. Not like this. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. She just wouldn’t…

Victoria Barkley sat up in bed in a cold sweat. Looking around the tent that was now almost fully occupied with injured citizens, she held back the cry of terror that threatened to overcome her. Instead, she held the edges of the cot so hard, her knuckles turned white. Gingerly she balanced herself upright, fighting her pain and dizziness. She had heard her daughter. Audra needed her. She had to get to her youngest child. Nothing could stop her now, she told herself. Standing unsteadily, her body rebelling against what the brain was telling her to do she started towards the opening of the tent. Where she was going and how she was going to get there, even she didn’t know. She only knew she had to get there. She had to save her daughter.

A crash alerted Emma Merar and her husband to Victoria’s plight. They reached the Barkley matriarch at the same time.

“Victoria, what are you doing?” Dr. Merar demanded. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in bed?”

“Audra’s in trouble. She’s out there and she needs me!” Victoria fought the man weakly, but didn’t have the strength to sustain the fight. Disregarding her fists in his chest, the good man picked the woman up in his arms. She was light and seemingly exhausted which worried him. The fact she was warm wasn’t necessarily surprising. They were all scorching with this blistering weather. The tent kept out the direct sunlight, but not the smothering air. Emma quickly fixed the wrinkled sheet on the cot and straightened the blanket. When Victoria was laid down, she started to cry.

“Audra…Nick…Jarrod…Heath…they’re my children. I need my children.”

“Victoria, look at me,” Dr. Merar ordered, but Victoria continued to mumble inaudibly as if delirious. He felt her forehead to find she was hot. He lifted her against his shoulder, listening to her heart and lungs with his stethoscope. Her breathing was just slightly labored. She had no wheezing or apparent cough, but she was already burning with fever. He gently laid her back down. She cried, the tears falling down her cheeks as she called for her children, but she didn’t try to get out of bed again. The doctor felt a rage of frustration come over him. This could not be happening.

“I’ll be damned?” he said out loud.

“Howard?” Emma Merar asked her husband.

“I think she’s caught Pneumonia. That’s the fastest case I’ve ever seen.”

“Is it possible?”

“In her condition, anything is possible. We have to get one of her sons here to take care of her.”

“They’re out looking for Audra,” Emma objected. She was a taller woman than Victoria with graying hair, and a plump frame. She wore a durable work dress made of sturdy calico with a white apron over it. The apron was dirty from hours of exhaustive nursing at her husband’s instructions. Her hair was in disarray and she was wet with sweat as was her husband.

“Dear God, what next,” Howard breathed. “Keep her comfortable. I’ll see what can be done. Call someone for help if she tries to get out of bed again” He hurried away, instructing other volunteers in their work with family members who had been injured in the quake. On her cot, Victoria felt the coolness of water on her face as Emma tried to bring her fever down. Victoria wasn’t concerned about herself. She wept as she begged Mrs. Merar to help her find her daughter. She had to find her child.

“Help me,” Victoria heard Audra cry. What had happened to her youngest child, she wondered over and over again. Where was she? Victoria Barkley was a strong woman. She was always able to rationalize when one of her children was hurt or missing. She was always able to hold on to her faith and hope. But in her delirium Victoria had no coping mechanisms. Her fear ate her up as the horrible thought of losing her child consumed her as much as the fever. The mother’s scream couldn’t be stopped as it filled the tent bringing tears to more than one person’s eyes at the agony they heard in Victoria Barkley’s cry.

“Audra! Audra! Where are you Darling? Come back! Come Back! Oh, God, where are you my girl? Where are you?”

Part 3

Heath Barkley was riding down the road towards Stockton at a fast clip. However he kept his eyes on the countryside around him. He didn’t know yet where Audra was. Had she been on her way home? Had she gone for a ride? He couldn’t leave any rock unturned if his sister was lost out here somewhere.

“Tony, did Jarrod say where he thought Audra might be?” Heath asked as they hurried towards town.

“No, Heath. He didn’t know. Nick was checking different places in town. They were going to reach out from there.”

“She could be anywhere then,” Heath muttered. Looking up at the brutal sun beating down upon him, he silently cursed the heat. As if things weren’t bad enough.

“Tony, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Why don’t you go on into town? I’m going to search out here. She could have gotten this far, don’t you think?”

“Like I said, Heath, I dunno.”

“Well, I’ve got to do something.”

“Jarrod told me to bring you to town. Your mother wanted to see you.”

“My mother would want me to find Audra,” Heath informed the man with a certainty that didn’t allow for argument.

“It’s not good to be out in this heat too long, Heath.”

“My sister could be out in this heat,” Heath ground out.

“I’ll go into town and bring some men back. Heath, I’m not kidding though. Use the water from your canteen sparingly and meet me back here in an hour.”

“Fine, Tony, Fine.” Heath waved the man off and rode onto the range. Trying to ignore the sun, Heath could barely control his weary frustration. Audra was strong, but she was also his little sister. In the months he had been on the ranch, he had learned to treat her with the gentle teasing manner Jarrod and Nick used. At the same time he was closer in age to her. She turned more frequently to him than she did to Nick or Jarrod sometimes. Heath didn’t know how to explain it; only that Audra tugged at his heart in a way that made him want to see her always bright and filled with innocent happiness. He enjoyed her company most when they were riding the range together, racing each other across the range until Heath usually won. Afterward, while the horses rested, they would sit under the trees and watch the clouds go by, picking out shapes together, laughing at their silly imaginations. Audra had a special place she would go to do just that, watch the clouds and daydream. Heath headed there now, his hopes at possibly finding her at odds with the fact that she could have gone anywhere. In an earthquake, she could have fallen into a crevice that closed or been thrown into a canyon where they might never find her. On top of that the heat could already have killed her.

“Hang on, Audra,” he whispered. “Please hang on, Sis.” Whipping his horse up to gallop across the range, he was almost to Audra’s secret spot when his horse hit a new crevice that had probably been formed by the quake. Heath felt the horse go over and the snap of the animal’s leg as he hit the ground rolling as he always did when he fell. Full of scrapes and lacerations, Heath didn’t even feel the discomfort as he came back to his horse. The animal’s whinny was tragic to listen to. The blond cowboy shook his head. Around the man and his horse was a vast emptiness of land that bristled under a heat that was explosive. Heath felt as if the world had exploded in a way, and now this new catastrophe. Being Heath, he knew there was no reason to make a fuss. There was only one thing to do. Taking his rifle out of his saddle bag, he aimed the gun at the horse’s head. Apologizing silently, he pulled the trigger, putting the beast out of its misery. Saddened by his deed, Heath took his canteen and a blanket off the dead animal. Even though he was upset, he didn’t look back as he advanced towards the spot he thought his sister might be. Nothing could stop him from getting to Audra, nothing.

A sudden gunshot blasted Audra awake. Someone was close. Or was she dreaming? Her entire body was engulfed in a pain that was drowning her. She had never been in such a precarious position in her life. She was so thirsty, her throat felt as if it were on fire. Hysteria threatened to overcome her common sense. She had to get help. She had to before…before she gave up.

“Help me!” she cried again. “Help!” She spoke or thought she had, but she didn’t hear her voice. Putting her hand to her throat Audra tried to cry out but there was nothing there. Nothing at all.

“Oh, Mother,” She whispered to herself as she felt her spirit struggling to survive. “I don’t want to die.”

Jarrod Barkley sat by his mother’s side in the tent. Fine perspiration lined her graceful forehead. He wiped her face with a cool cloth, worrying about the fever that consumed her. When he left her with Nick originally, she had been in pain, but she seemed to be improving from her head injury. He couldn’t quite figure out how she had become so ill so quickly despite Dr. Merar’s explanation about the Pneumonia.

“Jarrod?” Tony’s voice asked. Jarrod Barkley looked up to see Fred’s deputy, the man Fred had sent out to the ranch to get Heath.

“Tony, where is my brother?” Jarrod demanded. “I thought he was coming in with you.”

“He elected to stay out on the range. Heath thought he might know where Miss Audra was.”

“He thought? He stayed out there alone in this heat? My brother is either very brave or very foolish. At the moment I don’t have time to figure it out. Did you see Nick on the road?”

“Yes. He’s on the way back to the ranch to get some men. I told him where I left Heath, so he’s going there after he gets to the ranch. I told Heath reinforcements would be there within the hour. Nick said he’ll fan the men out and send some into town. She has to be somewhere, Jarrod.”

“The problem is,” Jarrod answered with a short fuse, “we don’t know where!” Seeing Tony’s face, Jarrod took a deep breath and started over. “I’m sorry, Tony. I don’t mean to take out my frustration on you. I appreciate your help.”

“I wish it was more, Jarrod. I’m sorry. I have to get back to the sheriff’s office.”

“Thank you, again, Tony.” Jarrod watched the man and then turned his attention back to Victoria as she moaned in pain. He hated to see her labored breathing. She wasn’t lucid, only muttering something he did not understand. Suddenly she sat up in bed, crying out again for his little sister. She was looking at something, something he couldn’t see.

“Audra Barkley, you are not going to die. I will fight for you darling. Hold my hand, Audra, hold my hand.” She extended her arm as if to grasp her daughter’s hand while her son watched in shocked amazement. Others in the tent couldn’t help overhearing or seeing Victoria communicating with a child who wasn’t even there. It was a chilling apparition.

“Mother!” Jarrod cried. “Mother, Audra isn’t here.” The logic in Jarrod’s mind reached out to his parent. “Mother, you’re ill yourself. You need to concentrate on yourself.” Victoria let Jarrod give her some water, then gently place her back on the bed. Her gray eyes met her son’s.

“Where am I?” she managed to ask of her eldest son. He took a cloth from the basin on the ground and wiped her face.

“We’re still in town. You were injured in the earthquake.”

“Audra’s hurt?”

“I don’t know, Mother. She’s missing. Nick and Heath are looking for her.”

“She’s dying, Jarrod,” Victoria breathed.

“Mother, you don’t know that. She could just be lost or…”

“Jarrod,” Victoria gasped. “Find her before its too late.” Her tears fell down her regal cheekbones. Jarrod couldn’t help but take his mother in his arms, hugging her close. He closed his eyes in pain as he held her frail body in his arms. The world around him was crumbling. A thundering roar of fear threatened to overwhelm him. He got on the cot and let Victoria’s head just rest on his chest. Jarrod had a feeling that his mother might be making a pact with the devil, willing to give her own life to save her daughter. He had to keep her from dying. That was his responsibility now.

“Mother, listen to me,” he ordered in the firmest lawyer’s voice he knew. “I don’t care what you do to help Audra, but you have to fight for your own life here, okay. Wherever you think you are, whatever you think you have to do, do it without leaving us. We can’t go on without you. Not yet. We need you, Mother, all of us. Nick, Heath, Audra and I need you.” He clutched her closely. Her body was flaccid in his arms. He didn’t know if she was sleeping or unconscious. Only her labored breathing told him she was still alive. He raised his eyes heavenward.

“Dear God, save my sister and mother. Please bring them back to us. Please.”

Sweat poured down Heath’s face as he traversed the range in swift time. Could he have been wrong he wondered? He ached to see his sister sitting under one of the sparse trees or seeking cover in a cave in the nearby canyon. After searching each little place she had shown him, he came up empty. Tripping over some fallen branches from a tree, he fell to the ground with a thud that seemed to take the breath out of him. He opened his canteen, and took a swig of water. It had been full when he left the house. Now it was ½ full. If he drank it all he would be in trouble. With his horse dead there was no way to get home. But there was no time. If he was feeling the heat so badly, what was Audra doing? In a last ditch effort, he called out for his sister.

“Audra! Audra where are you? Audra! Answer me, Sis!” His words evaporated in the empty air. He stood under the shade of a tree and tried to get his bearings. How much further could he go? The answer was he would go as far as necessary. He had to find Audra or his mother would never forgive him. Oh, she would. Victoria Barkley wasn’t a woman to carry a grudge, but Heath knew the woman would never be the same. He spoke before he thought.

“Where would she go, Mother? I know she’s here. She has to be. Where would she go?” Heath walked out onto the range again. Suddenly he froze. Twenty feet in front of him, he thought he saw his mother standing. He looked behind him, then to either side. When he looked ahead again, he knew he was hallucinating. Now he saw Audra and Victoria standing hand in hand. They were walking away from him, both of them wearing the clothes they had had on before the earthquake. He ran after them.

“Mother, Audra,” he called out. They disappeared as he came on a ridge. What was wrong with him, he asked himself. Nick would think he was crazy. Looking across the range, he wondered again how he could have been so wrong. Audra wasn’t here. She was probably somewhere in town, needing his help. He was a fool to be out here. Still he fought the fire that was starting to burn within him to find his sister. From the ridge, his heart caught when he saw a body lying twenty feet down. He had never felt such grief except perhaps when his mother died. Could he be too late? Audra! He started down the steep hill. The dirt shuffled beneath him. He lost his footing at times, sliding down the hill. Then he would get his bearings and move again, not appreciating how impossible it would be to get Audra up the hill by himself. He dropped the canteen and it fell down the hill, coming to land by her side. Fortunately it was closed. Heath Barkley stared for a second, and then moved even faster down the hill. Finally he came to kneel by her side. He shook his head in disbelief.

“Audra? Sis?” She had landed on her back, her left arm twisted beneath her. Touching his hand on her neck he realized she was very hot. He searched for a pulse in her neck. When he found one he almost cried in relief. Still he could tell she was gravely injured and dehydrated.

“Audra?” he cried. “Audra, answer me.” He gently took her in his arms, holding her unconscious body to him.

‘Audra!” He didn’t scream. He didn’t yell. Heath Barkley used his body to provide some shade for his sister. He unbuttoned her blouse, spraying a little water from the canteen onto her hot skin. He let her rest against him, wishing he could get her to drink some water. He put the canteen to her mouth, but saw she wasn’t going to be able to help herself.

“Come on, Sis, you can do this,” Heath encouraged despite him self. It was no use. She couldn’t drink and he was afraid she would choke if he forced the issue.

“Audra, please,” he begged. Still there was no response. Heath took his gun from his holster and fired it into the air three times, hoping to bring help to him. He cradled his sister close. He spoke constantly to her, encouraging her to wake up.

“Come on, Sis. Can’t you wake up, for me? I’m not going to let you go, Audra. I’m not. I’m not going to face Mother unless you are with me. I promise you, Sis. We’re going to get through this. I love you, Sis.”

She was so unresponsive. Heath was terrified as Audra’s breath came in short audible gasps. Again Heath shot his gun into the air. Someone had better help them, he told himself. The blond cowboy didn’t intend to die here, but at least if he did, maybe his body would shield Audra long enough for her to live. She had to live. She just had to…

Part 4

Heath’s blue eyes were glazed with the heat. It seemed like forever since he had fired his last bullet. His body still shielded Audra. His throat was parched. He had used all the water he had to keep his sister cool as long as he could. The only relief he had was that the sun was setting. In the darkness, the air would be cooler, but it would also be more difficult for them to be found. Audra hadn’t stirred since he located her. Only her soft gasps of air gave him the reassurance that she was still breathing. He was exhausted from a day that never seemed to end. Only once before had he been this hot and thirsty. He remembered those days long ago, when he had been stranded on the desert with no water and no way to get help thanks to the cowardice of one man who had left him and his friend to die. Now his and Audra’s lives were on the line. Audra felt even warmer than he did. They said you could last a few days at least in the desert, but Heath didn’t think he could last another day. He was certain Audra couldn’t.

“Heath.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper but music to her brother’s ears.

“Audra?”

“Mother…” she gasped.

“Mother is waiting for us, Sis. She’s just waiting to see you. You gave us quite a scare.”

“Tell her…love…tell…” Heath saw how difficult it was for Audra to speak. She still hadn’t moved, only spoken. The terror he had felt before returned. Heath spoke to Audra roughly, using a tone he used only when he was angry.

“Audra, if you want to tell Mother something, you’re going to have to do it yourself. I’m not doing you any favors like that Little Sister. You are going to see her and you are going to tell her you love her yourself cause you are not going to die. Do you hear me?” When there was no reply, Heath pinched Audra on the cheek, hating to hurt her, but gratified when she jumped and moaned a little.

“Audra answer me!”

“Heath…” Her voice was lost to the wind that was picking up as the coolness settled around them. She was unconscious again, but this time her breathing was a little less erratic as if she knew to fight. Heath’s back was killing him. He hadn’t moved in an effort to keep the sun off of Audra as much as possible. Now that the sun was down, he leaned against the hard rock behind him, closing his blue eyes as the temperature around him dropped. Where were Nick and Tony anyway? He hadn’t really told Tony to come this far east, but Nick wouldn’t have stopped looking, would he? Had he come by and not seen the two of them down here? That thought sent stabs of anxiety through the young man. He tried to think of better times, of the night the Barkley family adopted him, of riding with Audra or working with Nick on the ranch, and fishing with Jarrod. He thought of the kind things Victoria, his mother, did for him without his asking, her calm acceptance of him, listening to his concerns about the ranch, helping him deal with Nick, and just being there. He was glad she hadn’t been terribly injured in the quake. Seeing her lying in Nick’s arms in the carriage had been almost as disturbing as watching his own mother die. Everything was so bleak at that moment, just as it was now. Heath was losing hope, even while he refused to let Audra give up.

“Heath! Heath, where are you, Boy?” Heath startled, sat up and wondered if he was having auditory hallucinations.

“Heath! Boy if you don’t answer me, we’re going to have a good set to when I find you.” Nick’s voice bellowed in the night. Heath cleared his throat. Could he yell loud enough? Could he pretend to be like Nick and just holler for all he was worth? Well, he had to try, or die here like a shriveled rat. He took a deep breath and gave it all he had left in himself.

“Nick!” he shouted. “Nick.”

“Heath! I hear you, Boy. Come again?”

“Nick, down here!” Heath felt a second or third or fourth wind, whatever it was come over him. He leaned down to Audra, whispering in her ear with exuberant delight.

“They’re here, Audra. They’re here. You hang on, Sis. Hang on.” Nick seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was carrying a lantern which gave an eerie light in the black inkiness. He put the lantern down and rushed to his brother and sister with a whoop.

“Heath! You found her!”

“What took you so long?” was the grumpy response which Nick could tell was relieved and happy at the same time.

“Well you led us on quite a chase, Boy. We found your horse, but weren’t quite sure which direction you headed in. I thought of all the places Audra likes and finally remembered this one.”

“Audra’s hurt. She needs a doctor, Nick,”

“So do you, Brother. You look like heck.”

“Tired,” Heath answered.

“We’ve got a wagon up on top of the ridge. You can both rest comfortably.”

“She needs water,” Heath said.

“Juan! Get me some water, quick,” Nick ordered loudly, cursing himself for his stupidity. Of course they needed water. Typical of Heath to only be thinking of Audra. He grabbed the canteen Juan brought him, and gave it to Heath. Heath moved a little, pulling Audra to a sitting position. She moaned at the movement.

“No, Heath,” she objected.

“Audra, drink some water. Please,” he begged again. He had kept her cool with the water from his canteen. Maybe that had helped her come around. Whatever it was, she was able to work to obey him. He managed to get a small amount of the precious liquid into the young woman while some dribbled down her chin. When he was satisfied she had taken all she could, he drank long and hard from the canteen. The life-sustaining fluid gave him new energy. Still he let Nick pick up their sister. Juan helped them up the hill, keeping Nick steady on the slippery slope of rock. Heath stood up, following them half-way up, but then slipped and fell backward, rolling all the way down the hill. He landed with a grunt hearing Nick’s cry.

“Heath!” At first he felt as though he couldn’t quite move. Forcing himself, he stood again, just as Nick and Juan reached him.

“Heath! Did you hurt yourself?”

“Only my pride, Nick,” came the sturdy reply.

“Heck with your pride. Let Juan and me help you, Brother.” The three men walked together up to the wagon. When Heath’s feet gave out beneath him, Juan and Nick dragged him up the rest of the way. He felt his brother help him into the wagon, so that he was lying on a soft blanket with a bedroll for a pillow. He couldn’t remember when anything had felt so good; unless it was the first night he spent at the Barkley mansion. It was like coming home again. He felt the wagon moving. Opening his eyes, he could see Nick sitting beside him, tending to Audra. She was partially blocked from his view by his brother.

“Nick! Is she all right?” Heath asked his brother. “Did you check her over?”

“I don’t know, Heath. She’s barely breathing, but the water helped I think.”

“I tried to keep her cool. I used our water.”

“Yeah, I can see that. You sure are something, Heath.”

“How’s Mother?” Heath demanded.

“She’ll be all right, Heath. Don’t you worry,” Nick said. Heath didn’t like the sound of his brother’s voice. Something else was wrong with her, with the woman who had become his second mother.

“Nick, tell me.” Nick didn’t answer at first. Heath used what little energy he had and walloped him on the shoulder. Nick turned to him with a temper that quickly dissipated at the sight of the man who had probably saved his sister from certain death.

“Would you settle down? Audra’s liable to hear. I’m not sure how Mother is doing right now. I only know she’ll be fine. She has to be.”

“Yes, yes she does,” Heath agreed. During the long ride back to town, Heath could hear his sister mumbling. Mostly her words were inaudible until she spoke up.

“Mother, I’m coming. I’m coming, Mother!” Nick’s body stiffened. Heath felt the tension from his brother as well as the unspoken question. Were they both gone? His mother and sister taken in one full swoop? He couldn’t take it, and if he couldn’t he knew Jarrod and Nick would go crazy with grief. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be.

“Nick! Nick, talk to me. Is she all right?” Nick Barkley turned to his brother, his face unreadable. He gave Heath no comfort at all…

* * * * * * * *

Jarrod Barkley stepped out into the night. While the air was still dry, a cool breeze brought imminent relief from the smothering inferno they all had suffered through on this day of days. Some of the volunteers had lifted up the rear of the tent to let in the cool air. Several people had received medical treatment and gone home or to the hotel where the homeless were temporarily welcome till they could make a camp near their shattered dwellings or find a place to stay. Stockton was taking care of its own. Ciego had come into town briefly to let Jarrod know the house was secure, and the damage to the ranch was mostly to the out buildings. Jarrod thanked him and sent him back to the ranch to ensure everything continued to run well. Now while his mother slept in a feverish haze, Jarrod paced back and forth waiting for his brothers and sister. Where were they, he wondered in frustrated agony.

“Jarrod!” Dr. Merar’s voice called out. Jarrod rushed back into the tent. Dr. Merar was bent over Victoria. When Jarrod reached him, he gave the man a look that cut him to the quick.

“Mother?” he demanded. “What is it?”

“She’s barely breathing, Jarrod. Her fever is climbing. I’m out of options.” For the hundredth time that day, Jarrod Barkley felt completely helpless.

“What can I do?” he cried. “We have to do something, Howard. She’s my mother!”

“I know, Jarrod. Keep on wiping her down with the water. Talk to her, Jarrod. Keep her here until Nick comes.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Jarrod answered, giving into his worst fears, knowing how dangerous the range could be, and how late his brothers and sister were. “What if they’re too late?”

“Don’t give into that kind of thinking, Jarrod. You’re made of sterner stuff. I’ve seen it when you’ve been shot. Nothing gets to you Barkley’s. Remind Victoria of that.”

“A bullet got to my father, Howard,” Jarrod reminded the doctor glumly. “I know, I know, a freak event.” Dr. Merar shook his head, unable to laugh but still appreciating Jarrod’s dark sense of humor. Of all the Barkleys, it was Jarrod who seemed to be the most serious. Yet, even at a time like this, he could crack a joke. That spoke of the courage the man possessed. Dr. Merar wasn’t surprised when Jarrod very carefully moved his mother, and then climbed onto the cot behind her. As he had earlier, he let her head rest on his chest. The change in position seemed to alleviate the woman’s breathing a bit. As close to death as Victoria was, Jarrod was unwilling to let her go. Dr. Merar didn’t believe there was any hope. She’d be gone by morning, he was certain. The mask of death he had seen so often was already taking over her beautiful features. It was only a matter of time. Maybe being with her son would make Victoria’s passing a little easier…if such a thing was possible.

“Mother,” Jarrod spoke. He used a cloth to wipe her forehead as he held her, and then washed her chest to keep her cool. “Do you hear me? You have to hear me.” Jarrod’s anguish was palpable. Dr. Merar walked away to tend to other patients. The beds near Victoria had been emptied. No one else was as seriously ill as she was, though there had been two deaths earlier in the day. He and his wife wanted to give the dying woman and her son some privacy. Jarrod reached deep within to hold his mother close and to keep her from giving in to the angel of death.

“Mother, do you remember when I was a little boy, before Nick was born? I do. I remember how you told me that I was going to have a little brother or sister. You spent a great deal of time with me, even though Father needed your help in building the house and running the ranch. You insisted that I needed as much attention as the ranch did because you were afraid I would be jealous of the new baby. You spent hours reading to me and the baby, teaching me my alphabet that I would repeat back to the baby inside of you. I felt like I knew Nick before he was born. You told me I could help decide the new baby’s name and that the baby would be mine to help grow and take care of. Well, your strategy worked. When Nick was born I took the job of being big brother very seriously. Nick was never easy to handle, but he liked to tag after me. So when Father went to Strawberry four years later, we were already fast friends. I was glad Nick turned to me that summer, glad when he called me Pappy. I knew then that I had lived up to the responsibility you gave me when he was born. I have a responsibility to Nick, and Audra and Heath right now, Mother. I have to help you fight to live. I don’t know what happened to Audra, but I know she wouldn’t want you to give up. Please, Mother, please don’t fail me now. Please don’t leave your children. You taught us all to cherish each other. Did you forget how much we cherish you?” Tears fell down Jarrod’s cheeks as Victoria’s breath touched his own chest.

“Mother,” he started again, just as he heard a wagon pulling up outside. Voices reached his ears, one of them loud and demanding. Jarrod Barkley’s eyes leaped when Nick rushed into the tent carrying Audra in his arms.

“Nick!” Jarrod called out. “Howard!” Nick came over to the cot next to Victoria’s. He softly deposited his sister onto the narrow bed. Dr. Merar was by the bedside instantly. Jarrod’s eyes took in his sister’s still figure by the lantern light that filled the tent. He looked up at Nick.

“What happened to her? Is she all right? Are you? Did you find Heath out there?” It was perhaps one of the only times in his life when Jarrod Barkley could not control his speech or his thoughts.

“Nick, help me,” Dr. Merar urged. Nick wasn’t able to answer Jarrod’s questions as he helped the doctor work over his sister. Jarrod looked towards the door. His relief knew no bounds when he saw Juan helping Heath walk into the tent. He deposited Heath on a cot on the other side of Victoria. Sitting on the side of the cot, forcing himself to sit up, Heath Barkley stared at Jarrod and Victoria in shock.

“Jarrod. Is she sleeping?” Jarrod could tell his brother’s heart was in his mouth as he spoke. He didn’t want to frighten him, so he nodded. Her breathing did seem easier. He bent down and whispered to her.

“They’re here, Mother, Nick, Heath and Audra. They’re all here.”

“Audra!” Howard Merar called out. “Audra, answer me.” Her moan was all the man needed. Gently he and Nick lifted her. She cried out in pain as her left arm was moved. Nick took his canteen and gave her some more water. She tried to drink some. Clearly it was difficult for her.

“No, please,” she begged. “Please let me go.” Nick, Jarrod and Heath all heard the plea. “Mother…Mother’s waiting for me.”

“No, Audra!” Heath cried. Dehydrated, filthy from his ordeal, and almost shattered by his mother and sister’s obvious straits, the blond cowboy still managed to get up. He went over to Audra’s cot. Just as he had on the ridge, just as Jarrod was doing with their mother, he sat on the cot and took Audra in his arms. He and Nick continued to coax her to drink. Dr. Merar stood up. His eyes met Jarrod’s. He shook his head.

“She has a broken left arm, and some broken ribs as well as heat stroke. I’m afraid there’s very little we can do for her.” Nick who was still trying to get Audra to drink looked from Jarrod to Heath. Each held a woman who meant everything to the three men. He let his gaze meet Dr. Merar’s. As one, they felt a despair that threatened to destroy them. He spoke to Howard sharply, but not intentionally cruel.

“If you think you can’t do anything more for them, then leave it to us. We aren’t like you. We won’t give up.”

“Nick,” Jarrod warned.

“Don’t Nick me,” the dark cowboy hollered. “I am not going to sit by and let Mother or Audra…”

“Nick, lower your voice,” Jarrod ordered. “Your anger isn’t helping. I know you are upset, but we have to concentrate our efforts on helping them. We can’t panic. Do you understand?”

Nick clenched his fists. He nodded.

“I hear you, Pappy,” he answered. Jarrod smiled sadly at the nick name he had just talked to his mother about. He looked over at Dr. Merar.

“Just tell us what to do, Howard.”

“I’ll set Audra’s arm. Hopefully she won’t feel the pain too much. Are you sure you want me to put her through that?” Dr. Merar said. “You could allow her to go peacefully.”

“No!” Heath put in. “No.” He cradled Audra in his arms. Tears glistened in his blue eyes. He didn’t even know why Victoria was in the condition she was in. Heath Barkley only knew that the two women who had given him all the love they had in their hearts were a hare’s breath away from leaving him forever. He wanted to scream. He wanted to yell at the injustice. Instead, like his brothers, he prepared for a long sleepless night. Without saying a word, they were all agreed that they would fight this monumental battle, a battle against the finality of death for the lives of their mother and sister. They would fight with everything they had. The question was, could they win?

Part 5

Victoria Barkley was hot. She didn’t understand why the heat seemed to be eating her alive. She had always managed to stay cool even in the most horrible weather. On a daily basis, she used powders and lotions to keep her skin soft and dry. During the summer, especially times like these, she might feel hot, but she never let her family see her sweat if she could help it. While she wasn’t a vain woman, Victoria always wanted her children to benefit from a grace and style she had learned from the quiet example of her own mother. Now it seemed as if flames were licking at her arms and legs. She wanted to put the fire out, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t.

“Mother, Mother,” Jarrod’s voice called to her. “Wake up, Mother.” Victoria heard he eldest son, but couldn’t understand. Why did Jarrod sound so far away?

“Mother, Audra is here. We’re all here,” Nick Barkley informed her. “You wanted to see Audra and Heath, right? You can see them if you just open your eyes.

“Audra,” she breathed. Her daughter needed her. Victoria could feel her child near by, as if she were waiting for her. A wisp of wind cooled her forehead just for a minute. The gray eyes that twinkled with laughter, that spoke in silent encouragement, that gave such delight to all who knew her, opened but didn’t see.

“Jarrod,” Nick cried. Sitting between Audra’s cot and Victoria’s, the young man was watching both his mother and sister. Heath was wiping Audra down. He couldn’t help heeding Nick’s voice just as Jarrod did. The sons of Victoria Barkley gazed into Victoria’s glazed eyes. Heath’s heart thumped in his chest. He had seen the same look in his mother’s eyes just before she left him. Dr. Merar was right, he thought. He was going to lose another mother if they didn’t fight back.

“Audra, you have to help her,” Heath whispered to his sister. “You both have to come back to us.”

“What did you say, Heath?”

“Oh, nothing, Jarrod.”

“How’s Audra?”

“I don’t know. She’s just sleeping. She’s still burning up.”

“Jarrod, we can’t go on like this,” Nick groaned.

“I know, Brother Nick, I know. But I don’t know what to do.”

“This is a nightmare,” Nick muttered. The boys continued to work at wiping down their mother and sister, trying hard to keep Victoria and Audra’s fevers down. They weren’t succeeding and they knew it.

“We’re going to lose them,” Nick mumbled.

“Don’t say that,” Heath ordered. The sharp tone of his voice startled Nick and Jarrod. “Don’t even think that. You don’t want to feel that kind of grief. Why don’t we help them more? Why don’t we pack them in ice?”

“I asked Dr. Merar,” Jarrod replied. “He said that it could be dangerous given how high their fevers are. If their hearts stop or are damaged, there will be no hope.”

“So? There’s no hope now, Jarrod,” Heath said, his voice rising a little the way it did when he was riled. Jarrod and Nick already recognized that tone in their brother’s voice. It was one you didn’t mess with, one Heath seemed to have inherited from their father, one that sounded like Jarrod.

“Don’t you see. If we do nothing, they won’t be here when the sun rises. Look at Mother. She’s barely holding on. Audra isn’t far behind. When I almost died, Nick fought to the last minute, and beyond to save me. There’s three of us. How can we do any less for them?” Silence hung in the air for just a minute. Jarrod gently laid Victoria on the bed. She felt him get up, and wished he would come back, but her pleas for his presence went unanswered, because the words were never said.

“I’ll get Juan. We can get the ice from Dr. Merar’s cellar. I know he keeps ice there for situations like this. Nick, you and Heath need to get Mother and Audra undressed. Can you do that?”

“I’ll get a rope from my horse and put it up across the tent. We can put a blanket over the rope. We’ll leave their underclothes on to give them some dignity. When they wake up, I don’t want to face their wrath.” Nick’s relief at doing something showed through his humor.

“Hurry, Jarrod!” Heath urged. He wasn’t feeling any humor, only pure desperation. Nick took a few minutes to get the rope he spoke of. In a flash he had secured the rope to a few of the posts to separate his mother and sister from the others so they would have some privacy. Heath kept on talking to his sister.

“Audra, wherever you and Mother are, you have to help us here. You have to come back. You have to.”

“Heath,” Nick’s ragged cry came.

“What Nick?” Heath was busy taking off his sister’s skirt and blouse. He left her chemise and slip on.

“I’m sorry for doubting you. I’m really sorry.”

“Are you apologizing to me or to our mother?” Heath asked. His blue eyes met his brother’s. “Don’t worry about it, Nick. Not now. I never want to talk about it again.”

“But Heath…”

“Just finish what you’re doing Nick. We have to hurry.” Heath’s logical reply was again similar to Pappy’s. For the first time in his life, Nick obeyed his brother. He undressed Victoria, leaving her underclothes on for dignity just as Heath had with their sister. Nick realized he had never seen his mother or sister lying so helplessly. The anticipation of possibly losing them was tearing him up inside. He fought back the grief and anger he felt, relieved when Jarrod and Juan rushed into the tent. They carried two burlap bags full of ice.

“We took almost all there was,” Jarrod said. “This will have to do for both of them.”

“Nick and I can put the ice around Audra. Jarrod, do you know how to put the ice so it helps to bring their temperatures down?”

“I do, Little Brother,” Jarrod answered in his quiet manner. If Heath noticed that it was one of the few times Jarrod had called him Little Brother, he didn’t take the time to comment. The four men worked quickly and efficiently. First they had to chop the ice into smaller pieces which they did with ice picks Jarrod had brought along with the ice. Then they had to put the ice on and around Audra and Victoria in certain places to get the most effect, under their arms, their necks and then around their bodies and on the sheets. The cots would be soaked with the cool water, but there was nothing for it. Heath had done this for friends many times before. He knew exactly what he was doing. Nick followed Heath’s example. Jarrod had helped care for men during an epidemic of fever when he was in college. When the men were finished, Dr. Merar came over to check on their work. He nodded his satisfaction.

“Perfect.” He said. The doctor didn’t say anymore, but even Jarrod could tell Howard Merar admired their tenacity. As Dr. Merar had said before. They were Barkley’s. They didn’t give up easily, especially when it came to the people they loved most.

“Now what?” Nick asked.

“Now, we wait,” Jarrod said. The three sons of Victoria Barkley and Audra’s brothers gathered around the two cots.

“They look as if they’re sleeping,” Nick said. “If only it were that simple.”

“Audra is going to be so mad we got her undressed,” Heath teased a little.

“So is Mother,” Jarrod added.

“Maybe, but only on the surface,” Heath went on. “She knows what you have to do in desperate times. I don’t think I’ve ever been this desperate except once.”

“Heath, you do beat all.”

“That he does, Brother Nick, that he does.”

“It’s that Barkley iron will you know,” Nick said. “Stubborn mule that he is.”

“Probably what Mother saw when she realized who he was the first day he came to the ranch.”

“Hey!” Heath cried indignantly, but smiling sadly. “Boy Howdy, you two are brutal.”

“Get used to it, Boy,” Nick told him. Heath had hated that word not too long ago. Now as Nick spoke, he felt the respect and caring that Nick had. Boy sounded like a fine name for him. He shook his head.

“Just don’t forget…I can beat you anytime, Nick.”

“Yeah? Well, we’ll just see about that.”

“Yes, we will, won’t we, when all this is done with and Mother and Audra are home again.”

“When or if,” Nick answered reminding them all what was happening in those minutes. The ice was melting. Jarrod, Nick, and Heath all turned their attention to using pieces of ice to wet Victoria’s and Audra’s faces. A half hour went by, then an hour. They replaced the ice with what they had as it melted. Since there was no more, they had to stop when it was gone.

“Mother?” Jarrod said softly. “Mother.” Jarrod Barkley took his mother’s wrist and tried to find a pulse. “MOTHER!” His yell brought Nick and Heath to Victoria’s bed. To Nick and Heath’s surprise, he slapped his mother across the face, not once but twice.

“MOTHER, wake up!” Jarrod’s voice carried through the tent to people who were praying for both the women, although Jarrod didn’t know that. When Victoria didn’t respond, he hit her again. On her cot, Audra suddenly called out as well.

“Mother, no! Stay, please. Please stay!” Heath turned, shocked by his sister’s voice. It was stronger than it had been. He touched her forehead and realized her fever had broken. Her eyes were open and she was trying to sit up.

“Audra! Sis, lay down.”

“MOTHER!” Audra cried out again. Jarrod put his fingers to Victoria’s neck. Nick was about to grab his mother and shake her when Jarrod let out a sigh.

“She’s got a pulse,” he said. He felt her forehead and her hands.

“Mother, you’re going to be all right,” Jarrod whispered in exhaustion. “The fever’s gone.”

“Dr. Merar,” Nick hollered.

“Oh, Nick,” Victoria’s voice sighed. “Must…you…be…so…loud?”

“You bet I must, Mother,” Nick shot back, laughing almost hysterically. Jarrod bent down and kissed his mother. Heath made Audra lay back down on the bed.

“Sis, you sure know how to scare a poor ole cowboy.” Audra gave her brother a whimsical smile, then felt her bed.

“Why am I so wet?” she managed to ask. “It’s freezing.”

“You bet it is, Sis. That ice just saved your life.” Audra shook her head.

“It wasn’t the ice Heath. It was you,” The young woman said. Heath didn’t answer. Dr. Merar came over to examine the women. While he did, Heath, Nick and Jarrod hugged each other.

“We did it,” Nick exalted. “Do you know what we did?”

“We saved our family,” Heath answered before Jarrod could speak. Jarrod put his arm around his youngest brother.

“That’s right, Heath, our family.” The silent communication between all three brothers was intrinsic to the relationship they had formed over the past twenty hours. They faced Dr. Merar as he came to them.

“They’re both awake and lucid,” he commented. “Victoria doesn’t have any wheezing and no difficulty breathing. That ice sure did the trick. We need to get them clean and dry. Since they’re awake, I expect you don’t mind if my wife and Mrs. Werner help them get into fresh nightgowns and we’ll put them on some other cots.”

“Sounds like a plan to me, Doc,” Jarrod agreed. “Can you look at Heath here? He was in pretty rough shape when he came in and he’s been working with us non-stop to help Mother and Audra.”

“I’m fine, Jarrod,” Heath assured him. “All I need is some rest. I think we all can use some of that.”

“True enough, but humor Pappy,” Jarrod requested fondly. “Let Howard look you over.”

“Jarrod!”

“Now, Heath, you have to get used to Ole Pappy,” Nick scolded. “He’s the boss.” Heath rolled his eyes at Nick’s teasing tone. Mrs. Merar and Mrs. Werner, a friend of Victoria’s pushed the men over to the other side of the blanket. Dr. Merar made Heath sit down so he could look him over. Jarrod and Nick hovered over their brother until Dr. Merar assured them that Heath was basically okay. He’d be fine if he got some rest, some food in him and some water. The sun was coming up as Dr. Merar spoke.

“Food?” Heath asked. “You mean steak and eggs, right with some muffins and good strong coffee?”

“I mean just that,” the doc agreed to Heath’s delight.

“Dr. Merar, I hate to interrupt Heath’s dreams, but how long before we can take our mother and sister home?”

“The best thing would be for them to just be quiet and rest for a few days.”

“But surely Mother and Audra would be more comfortable in their own beds,” Nick objected in his strenuous manner.

“I suppose they would. Why don’t we ask them what they would like?”

“You don’t have to,” Heath put in. “Mother and Audra deserve to be home. They’ve been through enough.”

“I’m for it,” Jarrod said. “It can’t be that difficult to get them home, Howard.”

“I kind of figured you would object to them staying here. If you put them in a wagon, and keep them warm and comfortable, they should make it home, but I want them both to stay in bed for at least a week. They’re going to need round the clock care.”

“They’ll get it, Howard,” Jarrod said. “Don’t you worry about that.”

“I won’t. You know your mother and sister have always come through in a pinch taking care of you boys. The way you three took care of them in return is just…inspiring.”

“Don’t let that get around, Doc,” Nick replied smiling through his fatigue.

“No fear, Nick. You’d make an ugly nurse,” Heath cracked. The brothers’ laughter resounded through the room, letting loose all the worry and anxiety they had felt through the day and night.

“Brother Heath, I like your thinking,” Jarrod grinned which only made the men laugh harder. Heath felt his brothers patting him on the back. He relished their love and caring. When Mrs. Merar and Mrs. Wentworth came around the blanket, they both were smiling.

“How are they, Emma?” Jarrod asked.

“They’re both clean and dry and they’re sleeping. Be quiet, especially you Nick. They need their rest.”

“Amen,” Nick sighed. Together, the men walked around the blanket and encircled the two beds. The sight of their mother and sister sleeping naturally, their faces peaceful, their hair combed and wearing light nightgowns, was like a miracle to all of them.

“Heath, you saved their lives,” Jarrod said.

“Boy Howdy, Jarrod, we all did. It was a group effort.”

“No, Heath,” Nick put in. “You saved Audra by keeping her cool, and when we thought we would lose them, you’re the one who insisted on using ice. That’s the third time you’ve saved one or the other or both.”

“Nick, never mind.”

“Never mind, he says,” Nick answered. “Boy, you deserve not only our respect, but the respect of every man in this valley.”

“Nick, you’re embarrassing him,” Jarrod told him.

“Tough luck, Brother Jarrod. That’s what brothers are for to harass and embarrass.”

“Whoops. Gotcha there, Heath. He’s got you there.” Heath simply gave a crooked grin. He sat down on the cot next to Audra’s. Before he knew it he was laying down and was sound asleep. Nick and Jarrod, both almost as tired sat on the cot by their mother.

“You think he’ll feel accepted now, Jarrod?” Nick asked. He waited expectantly for Pappy to answer. Jarrod nodded his heart full at the sight of his family around him.

“One way or another, Nick. One way or another. Now go get some sleep before you fall down.”

“Me?”

“You. Go!” Nick smirked then laid down on the next cot. Before long all the Barkley’s were sleeping getting ready for a future that could have alluded them if it hadn’t been for one person, if it hadn’t been for Heath.

Epilogue

One week Later

“Heath! Heath, where are you, Boy?” Nick Barkley bellowed as he walked into the foyer of the Barkley home. He threw his hat on the table in the parlor, then started to yell again until he saw Heath standing quietly at the head of the stairs.

“Heath, what are you doing up there? We’ve got a cattle drive to get ready for. Don’t you know this is a working ranch, Boy?”

“Well, Nick, I figured the sun setting was a good sign that the day was finished, at least this one. Sides, I’ve got me two pretty women to escort to dinner.” Nick froze at the sight of his mother and sister, both dressed in their favorite dresses, joining Heath. He let them put their arms through his, escorting them leisurely down the stairs. It was an image Nick knew he would never forget.

“Well, well, well,” Jarrod said coming out of the study. “Look who is up and walking around.”

“If I stayed in that bed one more minute, I thought I would scream,” Audra protested. “Now I know why you boys are so cranky when you are sick.” She gave an exaggerated shudder while Victoria kissed both Nick and Jarrod. She looked Nick up and down in her usual motherly manner.

“Ready for dinner, Nick?” she teased.

“Me? Well…if I can quick go and change.”

“Don’t worry, Nick. This is one dinner that the entire family is going to be present for,” Victoria answered. Her hand rested on his shoulder. Nick bent down and kissed his mother’s cheek in return as the family watched, then raced up to the second floor taking the stairs two at a time. Jarrod offered his arm to his mother. He was dressed in his usual lawyer clothes after a day spent in the office in town. Heath had changed in to clean clothes that were still casual. Heath wasn’t one for fancy digs he always said. He grinned down at his little sister.

“Sis, would you do me the pleasure?” he asked gallantly.

“Certainly, Heath,” Audra replied, her laughter echoing through the house. The family was just sitting down at the table when Nick came racing in to the room. Silas was about to put soup into the bowls that sat on the fancy china at each place. He came to an abrupt stop, then approached the table with dignity, sitting down next to Heath. Audra was sitting across from Heath with Jarrod and Victoria on either end of the table.

“Nick, Heath,” Victoria started, “Since this is your last night at home, before the drive, Audra and I wanted to share your dinner. I wanted to tell you how proud of you both I am, of all three of my sons.”

“Mother, this isn’t necessary,” Nick said, shifting uncomfortably, while Heath concentrated on staring at the soup that Silas put in his bowl.

“Nick, did you hear what Heath did in the dining room the day of the earthquake,” Victoria asked her son. Nick looked from his mother to Heath and back again.

“Mother, please,” Heath begged. “Leave it be.” Victoria smiled, shaking her head just the least bit.

“No, Heath. You and Nick are going to depend on each other a great deal in the next few weeks. Nick needs to know what happened that day. Ciego told me that Heath made the men swear they wouldn’t tell anyone. Ciego overheard the story in the bunkhouse the night of the earthquake.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“It is a big deal,” Victoria insisted. She looked at Nick, her gray eyes imploring her dark son to listen, not just to the story she was telling, but the moral of the tale.

“When the fire broke out, Heath ran into the dining room to get the men out who were still in there. The fire was in the back and it was spreading. Heath got all the men to run towards the front of the dining room. They were starting to be overcome by the smoke. Heath ordered them to get down on their knees and they crawled out of that building. Heath made sure every one of those men was out before he saved himself. If Heath hadn’t been there, Nick…those men, including your brother, would have died.” Jarrod and Audra’s faces reflected their admiration for Heath. Nick stared at Heath who was trying manfully not to return the gaze.

“Why, Heath? Why wouldn’t you tell me?” Nick’s incredulous voice asked him.

“It wasn’t anything,” Heath denied. “Nick, drop it.” Nick shook his head.

“Boy, I tell you…I guess I’ll have a lot to prove to you on this cattle drive.” Heath’s discomfort turned to relaxation as he grinned devilishly.

“Well I couldn’t agree more on that, Brother Nick,” He laughed. “I’ll enjoy watching you.”

“Like I’d give you the chance. You’re going to be so sore when you’re done at the end of the day.”

“We’ll just see about that.”

“Yes, we will.” Nick’s voice boomed, but the awe in his voice was evident to everyone at the table. Nick would never again question his brother or his brother’s actions. He had finally accepted his brother, not just for being his brother, but for being a man who would be his friend and partner in running the ranch. All his life he had wanted a brother. An emotion he had never felt before washed over him. Nick Barkley knew he would never doubt Heath again. He only hoped he never gave Heath reason to doubt him.

“Shall we say Grace,” Victoria suggested tactfully.

“I’d like to say Grace,” Heath offered. The entire family stared at him. It was the first time he had ever offered to say a prayer before a meal.

“What?” he asked pretending confusion. Audra didn’t miss his wink at her, her face alight with the happiness that was reflected in her brother’s own blue eyes.

“Go ahead, Heath,” she invited impulsively. Heath grinned at the sister he had saved, grinned at her impetuousness and her energy. Seeing her sitting, all dressed up in her frippery and finery was like a dream come true. He bowed his head in thanks.

“Dear Lord,” he started. “Thank you for the bounty we are about to receive. Thank you for bringing this family to me. I’m one lucky man if I do say so myself. I reckon you gave me the greatest gift a man could ask for. So Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

“Boy that was some prayer,” Nick smiled. Heath nodded. His eyes went to his mother. He saw her pride, along with her love. What he didn’t know was the lesson his mother had accepted. Victoria could have refused to allow Heath into her life. She could have resented his presence, and made him miserable. Instead by accepting her husband’s son into the family, by being the mother he so sorely needed, Victoria’s selflessness had been returned tenfold in the greatest gift of all, the gift of a son named Heath.

THE END