FENCES

Parts 5-8

by Jojo

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 5

Heath woke the next morning to find himself alone in Nick’s bed. The sun looked to be in the right place so he knew he hadn’t slept in and he wondered if Nick had gotten any more sleep last night. Heath also wondered if Nick was regretting what happened last night. He hurried to his room to get some clean clothes before heading to the bathroom to clean up. He went downstairs to find everyone at the table except Nick. He said his good mornings to the family and sat down to eat.

“When did you get back Brother Heath? I didn’t hear you come in last night and I was working in the study until quite late." Jarrod asked.

“We got back early last night but I sure was bushed. I came in through the kitchen, had something to eat and headed straight up to bed." Heath answered unsure whether he should mention what happened with Nick or not. God only knew how much he valued his privacy so hated to infringe on Nick’s. But on the other hand, Nick obviously was in need of some kind of help. He decided to test the waters first. “Is Nick up and gone already?”

“Yes, he was down earlier son and looked better rested than he has for awhile. That leg of his must have finally eased up. He said he had to talk to the men and then he was taking Silas on some errands. He also said that you could either rest up today or help move some of the herd back to the area that didn’t flood." Victoria relayed to Heath.

His leg was it? So that’s what he told them Heath thought. Maybe now that if we’re back on track, I can talk to him and get him to discuss his dreams with Mother or Jarrod. I sure don’t know what to say. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll just wait and talk to him tonight Heath decided.

Nick had gotten the best night’s sleep he had enjoyed for almost a week now. After Heath had come to his room, he felt secure enough to drop into a deep sleep. He woke up refreshed and hurried downstairs to talk to Silas before the family came down. Silas was eager for Nick to speak with Sally May before he changed his mind and astonished Nick at the speed in which he made the arrangements for the day. While Nick went out to talk to his foremen, Silas had breakfast on the table, spoke to Victoria requesting time to do his errands, put another batch of bread in the oven and tidied up the kitchen. He was waiting for Nick at the stables before Nick finished his breakfast. Silas even had Ciego hitch up the wagon so when Nick came out, they were ready to go without delay.

“So Silas – you gonna tell me where we are going and who we are going to see now? I need to know where to steer these horses you know." Nick asked Silas with his eyebrows raised.

“Her name is Sally May and she’s been going to my church just as long as I have. She just lives about ten minutes East of my church on the old mill road. She lives there by herself now. Her husband passed on about ten years ago and all her children have either joined him or moved on. I tries to get over and give her a hand once in a while but she don’t cotton to charity as she calls it so sometimes I just go to visit and keep her company. That’s how I heard her tell of her gift and her mama’s. I told her about you too Mr. Nick just to see iffen she would be willing to talk to you. She was right nice about it too. Sally May said to bring that boy over and she would do whatever she could to help. I’m mighty glad you decided to come with me this morning. Yes sir, mighty glad." Silas smiled up at Nick.

“Well don’t go dancing a jig yet Silas. I said I was willing to meet her but I’ll wait and see what’s what before I start telling her my life story. Don’t know if this going to help any but I figured at this point I don’t have anything to lose. I can’t keep going on the way I’ve been going lately Silas. But you’ll be happy to know that I think I got things squared away with Heath last night. I admitted that I have been a horse’s ass lately and he just told me that he understood and stayed with me all night. I have sorely missed that boy and I am not going to do anything to push him away again. Finally learnt my lesson on that one." Nick admitted. The only reason he was doing this was keep both his sanity and his brother.

Silas thought the day couldn’t get any better. He knew those boys needed each other and were both at loose ends without one another. And Mr. Nick was here – on his way to Sally May’s. He felt that if he could just talk about what he was experiencing that maybe, just maybe he could find some peace with it. And Sally May was a good listener. A good talker too for that matter. Maybe she could steer Nick on a path he could live with.

Nick soon turned the wagon into the yard Silas indicated and saw all the work that needed to be done around there. His first instinct was to look in the back of the wagon to see what kind of tools and supplies were there that might be used to make some improvements. If there was one thing he hated, it was to see a fine place like this run down the way it was.

Sally May came out to the porch to greet them. She was a tiny woman – even smaller than his mother. It was hard to figure her age though. Could’ve been anywhere between fifty and seventy he figured. But the one thing that drew Nick to her was her air of serenity. You could just feel it radiating from her. Nick helped Silas down from the wagon and went up the porch stairs to greet her. He noticed that they sure needed repair. It was a miracle that it held his weight he thought. Best get those fixed before I leave, he decided as he stood before her.

Silas made the introductions and watched the two of them size each other up. He knew Mr. Nick was hesitant about this meeting and hoped now that he had met Sally May that he would relax a bit.

“Come on in now you hear. I’ve got the coffee ready and some cookies just out of the oven. You look like a boy who put away a few and then some. Come on, come on now. Don’t be standing out here. We got lots to talk about and not a whole lot of time." Sally May fussed at Nick grabbing his arm and leading him into her house.

“Well if it’s no trouble ma’am. I sure could use another cup of coffee this morning. “ Nick walked in and smelt the most delicious aroma of freshly baked cookies and something else. What was it? Chocolate he thought. Nick had an enormous sweet tooth but best of all he loved chocolate. This might not be too bad after all. He could drink his coffee and eat a few cookies and then offer to do a few repairs in kind. Then maybe Silas and him could leave if he didn’t feel right being here.

“You’re not leaving until we talk Mr. Nick so just relax and sit a spell while I gets us settled with that coffee. Silas -–after coffee why don’t you see if you can find a chicken around for lunch? Me and Mr. Nick probably do best on own if he’s going to open up at all. He don’t seem too comfortable right now and I don’t think that’ll change if he has an audience." Sally May chattered as she went to the stove to get the coffee pot.

Nick gave her a startled look that she seemed to read him so easy. He took his hat off and sat at the table to see what else was going to happen. Sally May poured out the coffee and then placed a plate of cookies in front of him. He thought they were raisin cookies until he took his first bite. They had bits of chocolate in them and melted in his mouth on impact. He had never tasted cookies so fine and said so.

“My mama used to make these cookies when I was a little girl. My master was from the south of France and had a terrible craving for chocolate. She used to try out all these different recipes to make him something special and of course, we got to try them out before she served them. Got me hooked on it right then and there. I can go without most things but I gotta have my chocolate cookies every now and then. Glad you like them." Sally May smiled at him recognizing a fellow chocolate enthusiast immediately.

Silas and Sally May made small talk between them with Nick being uncharacteristically silent. It was a cross between not knowing what to say and having a mouth full of cookies that kept him from talking. Before he knew it, the plate of cookies was empty and Sally May and Silas had not had one yet. Nick felt a little embarrassed that he had cleaned up the plate by himself but he just couldn’t help himself. It was like being let loose in a candy store with no one to stop him from taking all he wanted.

Silas stood up and said, “Well, I’d better go look for that chicken. Doesn’t look like you got that pen fixed up and lord knows where they be at now. Maybe I can tinker at it this morning too.”

“Well now son, Silas done told me about your situation but I really need to hear it from you. Don’t be shy now. Sally May won’t judge you none. I can see you are uncomfortable with your gift. You are a big strong cowboy who only believes in what he can see and you is having a hard time with what you can’t. That’s okay Mr. Nick. I ain’t going to preach no religion to you and I can’t tell you I have all the answers you are seeking either. But I can tell you that I understands and maybe give you a few pointers on how to deal with this gift of yours and maybe how to use it instead of it using you. I know’d you’d like to have a mite more control than you do now. Wouldn’t you?” Sally May asked gently.

Nick did not know where to start but the more control thing sounded good to him so he thought maybe this might be alright after all. He finally started talking and told her about his experiences with Heath and to some extent, Jarrod. Sally May prompted him when he hesitated, sympathized at his agony of indecision and shared some of her experiences. Nick never noticed Silas returning and when he started cooking lunch. He never noticed his coffee cup being refilled or that Sally May just kept putting more food in front of him when he finished a plate. It was after lunch that Sally May realized that Nick needed some time to himself before they continued and asked if he would mind giving Silas a hand with a few chores while she cleaned up the kitchen. Nick readily agreed and went outside to get to work. The first thing he was going to do was fix the porch steps and off he went looking for tools and supplies. Silas stayed behind with Sally May to help clean up and see how things were going.

“Don’t worry none Silas. Mr. Nick and I are getting along real fine. You was right though – that boy sure has the gift real strong and it’s getting stronger. He just don’t know what to do with it yet. He’s a mite stubborn too boot so it could take awhile for him to come to terms with it. But he will. You’ll see.”

Nick worked around the house for a couple of hours thinking about what Sally May and he had discussed that morning. He felt himself relax a bit at the thought that she didn’t think he was going crazy. She really understood. She sure made good cookies though. It was worth the visit just for that.

Sally May watched as Nick went from project to project around her house. She saw that although he was deep in thought, he kept a steady pace of work going. Sally May had felt the energy just quivering through him this morning. She could tell he was a man who needed to move. Even when he was just sitting and talking, some part of his body was moving – either waving his hands or tapping his foot. She wished she had half his energy and blessed his mama for not trying to stifle the boy. She had a pang of sympathy for her though as she imagined he had been a hard child to keep up with. She went out on her porch and noticed the steps were like new again.

“Mr. Nick – you come back in now you hear. Time for a break. Coffee’s ready and you’ll find the pump at the side of the house to clean-up. Come on – come on. Nothing needs to be finished today. Everything that’s broke been broke for a long time." Sally May cajoled Nick into the house. “Now sit a spell while I get your coffee. Probably could use a few more cookies after all that hard work too, couldn’t you. Big man like you needs lots of nourishment, I expect.”

Nick eyed the plate of cookies coming his way greedily barely noticing that Silas wasn’t joining them. Sally May watched dig into her cookies and start to relax.

“Silas been asking you to come see me for over a month now but you wouldn’t come. Why now Mr. Nick?” Sally May probed as she could feel it in her bones that he needed to talk about what finally pushed him in her direction.

Nick looked thoughtful for a moment then looked like he came to a decision and started speaking. He told her about his dream, as much as he could remember anyway. He shared his interpretations and how he kept doubting his intuition about it. He described the fear and the shaking that were the aftermath of the dream and how he usually could not sleep once he woke up. And finally he told her about Heath coming to his room last night and staying with him and how he finally fell into a deep sleep for the first time in a week.

Sally May just listened and patted his hand from time to time. She felt this dream was very important but did not have a clear answer for him. When he finished, she looked sadly at him and said, “Well, Mr. Nick that sounds like a powerful dream alright but I am sorry to tell you that I don’t have an answer that will make you rest easy. There are a few possibilities here that could be true and to be honest, I don’t know for sure what one it is. Could be that you was feeling real bad about the situation between you and your brother and you felt you should be punished for it. And you was doing to yourself in your sleep. The mind is a mysterious thing and sometimes does things to us that we are unaware of. Another possibility is that this is something that might be going to happen to you. Sometimes someone with your gift can see things that might gonna happen.”

Nick interrupted with, “What do you mean, might gonna happen?”

“Well, fate is a tricky thing. Sometimes a thing can be prevented by a decision an individual makes." Seeing Nick’s confusion she tried to explain. “ Let’s say you was dreaming that you were riding your horse and he fell on you and broke your leg. Now let’s say the next day you were riding along and came to a path where you took the right fork and rode to your destination safe and sound. Might be if you took the left fork, the horse might have fallen on you and broke your leg. You can’t be sure you see. Everything around us is constantly changing and these elements can change your destiny also.”

“But how will I know? How can I see this dream more clearly? If I could, would it help me determine if this is just guilt or avoid the danger I feel is near?” Nick asked urgently.

“Well now it might. Don’t you ever wonder why you only see these things when you is asleep? It’s because that’s when you is most receptive. My mama used to be able to put herself into a wide awake kind of sleep and then she could see things more clearly. But I done think you’ve had enough for today though Mr. Nick. Why don’t you come back tomorrow and let’s try it? Also, we could find out if the dream disappears now that you and your brother have mended your fences.”

Although Nick was impatient at the thought of waiting, he realized she was right and was surprised at how much time had passed. He thanked her and said he’d be by the next day. He found Silas sitting on the porch shelling peas and said it was time to go. Silas bid goodbye to his friend and got into the wagon with Nick already to leave.

Victoria eyed Nick playing with his food at dinner and wondered if he was upset about something. “Nick dear, is everything alright with your dinner? Can I get you something else, son?”

Nick, who had been deep in thought, had to fight his way back to his current surroundings. He was about to answer her when Silas did.

“I expect Missus Barkley that Mr. Nick is just full. He came and helped me at my friend’s today and Sally May done fed him all day long. Why Mr. Nick ate about three dozen cookies just before we left and that was his second plateful today." Silas smiled at Nick.

“Three dozen cookies Nick? How could you eat three dozen cookies at once?” Audra asked incredulously.

“Well you oughtta have tasted them before you ask that question. You wouldn’t have believed them. They had these big bits of chocolate in them and just melted in your mouth. Besides, I was working hard repairing her property while I was there. I need to fill up to have energy you know." Nick bantered back.

“Is Sally May that friend from your church you told me about Silas? The one who’s all alone and doesn’t want to accept any help?” Victoria asked.

“Yes ma’am – that’s her. I done asked Mr. Nick if he could see if he could find a way to help her out without her going on about charity. After he done polished off that first plate of cookies, he made a deal with her. He asked if she would part with that recipe that she done been keeping to herself all these years in exchange for him doing some repairs for her." Silas nodded discreetly at Nick.

Nick picked up on the decoy Silas was setting up and replied, “You did get that recipe, didn’t you Silas? I wasn’t kidding you know. I could live the rest of my life on those cookies. I told her I’d be back in the morning to finish some things off as she didn’t have all the tools or supplies I needed.”

“Don’t worry Mr. Nick – I got it. Might make me a batch once I get the supplies I need from town.”

“Just you write them done for me and I’ll ride into town tomorrow afternoon after I am finished at Sally May’s. Wouldn’t hurt to get some extra for her either. That way, she can always have some ready when I need to head over there." Nick returned to Silas who nodded back.

“Maybe I should come and help you tomorrow Nick” Heath broke in.

“No way – you would just make my share of the cookies smaller. You can wait until Silas make a batch here to taste them. Besides, one of us should be here tomorrow to greet the pickers for peach orchard. They should start arriving over the next couple of days." Nick smiled wickedly at Heath as Heath made a face back at him.

Well, look at that thought Jarrod. Nick and Heath seemed to be right easy with each other. With all this talk about cookies, he hadn’t noticed the lack of tension between them. He looked over at Victoria and saw that she noticed it too. He wondered what brought this about. Heath went straight to bed last night after returning from the mine and Nick was away from the ranch all day. When did they have time to talk?

Nick looked over at Heath and asked, “Do you want to ride over the winery with me after dinner? I need to talk to Jerimiah about his schedule now that he’s back as I’ll be gone most of tomorrow too.”

“Sure – that would be right fine Big Brother. Promised Jerimiah that I’d bring by some books for him. Might as well do it tonight,” Heath smiled back at Nick. Heath felt like he couldn’t stop smiling. Nick hadn’t left today to avoid him. He just had other plans. And he was making time to spend alone with him tonight to show him that. Boy howdy, Heath thought, I finally got my brother back.

After dinner, the three remaining family members went into the study for coffee. Jarrod sat down and was the first to voice his observations at dinner.

“Looks like Nick and Heath are finally back on track. Though I do wonder what brought this about. I wasn’t here just before Heath left for the mine but as you didn’t mention anything in San Francisco, I thought that there was no change. Was I wrong?”

“Oh Jarrod, you’re right. They were back to normal weren’t they? I forgot all about it for a minute there,” Audra spoke up happily.

Victoria spoke thoughtfully, “No – you’re right Jarrod. The atmosphere is definitely changed from before Heath’s trip and I have no idea why it’s changed but I’m grateful for it all the same. I felt like jumping up and hugging the two of the them when I saw them smiling at each other. I didn’t want to fuss though, as it might be too fragile to withstand any interference yet. I guess you were right and time did what we couldn’t. But I can’t help but wonder what the catalyst was. Maybe we will find out that in time also.”

Nick and Heath rode in companionable silence on their way to the winery. They stopped briefly as Nick spoke to Jerimiah and Heath gave him the books he promised. Jerimiah could see that they were impatient to be on their way and noted the closeness that had previously been absent. He felt happy for the two of them as he thought they were two of the finest men he had ever met. As they left, they turned in unison towards the North ridge reading each other’s mind. They took care of their horse and settled down to enjoy their favorite view.

Neither spoke for awhile until Nick said, “Sally May isn’t just a friend of Silas’s. She has dreams like mine and knows something about it. Silas tried to get me to go see her right after you returned but I kept putting him off. I finally went to today cause I figured I have to start learning to live with it.”

Heath spoke carefully. “How’d it go? Did you find out anything useful?”

“Well, I don’t know if I’d call it useful but it sure felt good to talk to somebody that knows what I’m talking about. Not just trying to understand, you know but really knows. I reckon it’s like you trying to talk to me about Carterson. I ain’t ever been through what you been through and I can’t really understand it like you talking to a fellow inmate. I can try but I don’t think I can ever truly understand, you know what I’m trying to say?”

Heath sighed and said, “Yeah, Big Brother. I surely do. That’s one of the reasons I don’t talk about it much other than the fact that I spend everyday trying to forget it ever happened. What about your dream? Did you tell her about that?”

“We talked some but Sally May said she didn’t know for sure what it was about. Said it could be about me feeling guilty bout how I’d been treating you and maybe now it might go away now that we were square with one another. We are square aren’t we?” Nick asked anxiously.

Heath gave Nick his best smile and said fervently, “I surely do hope so Nick. Like I said last night, I sure have been missing my brother something fierce. I was kinda nervous this morning though when I woke and you weren’t there. Thought you might be trying to avoid me again. Was real glad to hear you weren’t. Did Sally May say anything else?”

Heath saw Nick shrug and seemed to hesitate on whether he should say anything else. Heath waited patiently and was rewarded when Nick sighed heavily and said, “Yeah, well, she said it could be something that might happen and if my intuition was correct, it was something that could happen to me." He went on to explain her theory on might have beens and how it didn’t necessarily mean that it would happen.

Heath looked worried now and hoped that the first theory was the correct one. “Did she tell you if there was a way you would know for sure? Is that why you are going back tomorrow?”

“Don’t think there is a for sure exactly but she did say that if I didn’t have the same dream tonight that it might have been just my own guilty conscious prodding me. Sally May wants me to come back tomorrow to show me something her mama used to do to try to figure things out. Sorta going to sleep and staying awake at the same time. I feel right comfortable with her so I might give it a try. We’ll see. I didn’t promise anything. “ Nick sighed again and hooked his arms behind his head to gaze up at the stars.

Heath did the same while wondering what he could do, if anything, to help. Maybe he should suggest that they sleep right here out under the stars tonight. That way he could see if Nick had a good night’s sleep or not. Nick seemed to be opening up to him and he might let him closer still if he approached it in the right way. He couldn’t bear the thought that Nick might be suffering because of him. The silence stretched between them but it was not uncomfortable. Each was deep into their own thoughts and just felt good that they were in each other’s company.

Finally, Heath asked, “It’s so peaceful here under the stars. Sure don’t feel like riding back to the house. Why don’t we just spend the night here?”

Nick looked over at Heath knowingly and replied, “Nope, I sure don’t feel like moving myself. You sure you want another night of interrupted sleep if I start hollering again. You don’t have to babysit me you know. You need your beauty sleep more than I do anyways." He teased Heath.

“Don’t know about that, Big Brother. Those looks of yours are fading every day. You know that at your age, you need all the rest you can get." Heath teased back.

“Yeah, right. I got more energy than you when I’m sleeping than when you are awake. Let’s go get our saddles off the horses and bed down." Nick said as he rose eagerly to go look after his horse.

Later that evening found Jarrod sitting in the parlor sipping a brandy while gazing into the fire. He was deep in thought when his mother came down the stairs. She watched him lovingly. She noticed that he looked rather lonely and decided to join him.

“Jarrod, don’t tell me son that you are waiting up for those two. You know that it is more than likely that they are going to sleep out beneath the stars tonight." Victoria chided gently.

Jarrod looked up at his mother and smiled. “Yes lovely lady – I do realize that. I was really just thinking about Nick. To be more exact Nick’s and my relationship lately.”

“What do you mean son? You and Nick have been getting along fine, haven’t you?” Victoria queried.

“Getting along – yes but not with the same closeness we used to have. I guess I just noticed that he hasn’t called me “Pappy” in a long while. I started thinking back to when he stopped and you know what? I think he stopped right after he helped me clear Julia Saxon of that murder charge. “ Jarrod said stroking his chin.

“Jarrod, I know he was very rude when you first brought her here but he came around in the end, didn’t he? You would have a much harder time clearing her without his help." Victoria replied. She was wondering if Jarrod was feeling a little like the odd man out now that Heath and Nick were bonding again.

“Yes, he did help Mother but at what cost, I wonder? Do you know that I discussed the case with a colleague in San Francisco? He was utterly amazed that Nick helped me. Peter had met Nick when they were both in the army. He said Nick was a natural leader that took care of his men and had their unwavering respect. He told me that if he was in Nick’s place that he would have told me to go to hell and that I must be some kind of persuader if I could talk Nick into helping that woman. He said if he had lost as many men as Nick did because of the information she gave the other side, he wouldn’t have hesitated to punch me in the nose for even suggesting he help her in any way. As usual, I was so busy trying to do the right thing that I completely ignored Nick’s feelings in the matter.”

Oh Nick, Victoria thought, we all do tend to ignore your feelings, don’t we. We’re so quick to pin it on your temper that we don’t really try to look what’s behind it. She had never looked at the situation from Nick’s point of view and felt a little ashamed that it took a stranger to point it out.

Victoria patted his arm and said, “You are not the only one guilty of that son. I think that we are so used to Nick’s outbursts that we tend to dismiss them out of hand. You know there isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you, don’t you?”

“Yes Mother, I know that. I guess I have been going over the things he has done for me in the past and he definitely has demonstrated his love and loyalty. But between that mock court martial and the Julia Saxon incident, I think I have lost his trust. He used to come to me with his problems and inner most thoughts. He mostly keeps them to himself now and I only find out about them when he lets something slip in a moment of stress. You know he told me once that I was always trying to do what’s right but that I sometimes lost seeing that it might be not right for our family. And as far as Nick is concerned, this family comes first. I don’t suppose he thinks that he comes first with me anymore or he would have come to me and discussed his experiences. Even when I did find out about them, I haven’t been help either have I?” Jarrod looked remorseful at the situation he found himself in.

Victoria looked sadly at her oldest son. She loved all her children dearly but Jarrod was the closest to her in temperament and outlook. She could feel his regret that he had let his brother down. Jarrod took his role as the oldest very seriously. He had taken on the responsibilities of the family patriarch after Tom had been killed. She had to make him realize he could not be all things to all people.

“Jarrod, none of us are all seeing and all knowing. You cannot expect to lead the life you do and still be able to be here for everyone all of the time. We cannot expect that of you. I am very proud of what you have accomplished son and you have the right to practice law however you choose. I know you have been thinking of going into politics one day and you will be away even more. I can’t say that I won’t miss you but you are destined for other things than this ranch. You and I have both known that since you were young. I know you sometimes think that you disappointed your father by not following in his footsteps and maybe he was for a moment but he was also very proud of you and what you were doing with your life. He said he had the best of both worlds with one son who might one day become a respected politician and one to run the ranch. You have your own destiny to fulfill and you can’t take on everyone in this family’s problems on your shoulder alone. We have to take some of our own responsibility for our lives also." Victoria said forcefully.

Jarrod looked over at the woman he admired more that anyone on this earth. He knew she was trying to ease his mind but he still felt like he had let his brother down somehow. He vowed that he would find a way to regain Nick’s trust that he felt had deservedly lost.

* * * * * * * *

Heath heard Nick thrashing about and went right to his side. He sighed deeply as he had hoped the nightmare would now disappear. He held down Nick’s arm’s and spoke gently to his brother.

“Nick – Nick wakeup. It’s Heath. You’re dreaming. It’s just a dream. Come on now. You wake up you hear. “ Heath shook him slightly and saw his eyes open. “That’s right. Wake up Nick. I’m right here beside you. Come on now. It’s Heath – no one else here but me.”

Nick looked at his brother and shook his head as if to clear it. He sat up and started shaking just like he had the night before. Heath sat down beside him and put his arm around Nick. They just sat quietly until the shaking stopped. Nick pulled out a flask and took a long swig. He offered it to Heath who shook his head in refusal.

“Was it the same dream Nick?” Heath asked anxiously.

“Yep – exactly the same as far as I can tell. Don’t really remember all that much except those hands grabbing at me and lots of pain. You know me Little Brother, I’m not scared of shadows and I hate to admit it but this dream has me nearly wetting my pants. Don’t know why either. I was hoping it would disappear after last night." Nick took another healthy sip from the flask. “I’m okay now. You go on back to sleep. I’m okay now.”

“Well, if I’m going back to sleep it’s only if we sleep back to back again. I sure don’t want someone sneaking up on us. Come on – you lie back down now." Heath gently eased Nick back to the ground and went to get his bedroll . He laid down beside his brother who he hoped would go back to sleep. He felt the shudders running through him until they finally stopped. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this. What if Sally May was right and something terrible was going to happen to Nick? But what? Heath knew better than anybody that trouble could be waiting for you just around the corner without any provocation on your part. These kind of things usually happened to him not Nick. Please God he prayed not Nick.

Part 6

Nick did manage to go back to sleep and woke up feeling refreshed and ready to challenge the world again. He did not really remember if he had the dream again or not but as he looked over at his brother still sleeping at his back, he guessed he probably did. Well, he’d just have to wait and see what Sally May could show him today.

He nudged Heath with his knee to wake him and bellowed, “HEY SLEEPYHEAD. Get up. The day’s a wasting. Come on Heath – let’s get going.”

Heath opened one eye and glared at Nick. How come he looked so rested and cheerful? He didn’t get anymore sleep than I did, thought Heath and yet he looks like he slept like a baby. Heath could never figure where Nick got that well spring of energy from but of all the Barkley traits that was one he sure wished he had inherited. Especially on mornings like this.

“I’m awake. The whole county is probably awake now too. Just give me a minute to catch up with you." Heath grinned up at Nick.

Nick slapped Heath on the backside with his hat and started to tend the horses. Soon they were saddled up and riding back to the ranch. Nick hurried through breakfast and rushed off to see Sally May. Heath lingered at the table for a bit, savoring the cup of coffee he had just poured.

“Well, Brother Heath – looks like you and Nick are back on your previous footing. What was the catalyst that brought this about?” Jarrod asked curiously.

Heath hesitated to relate the full details so settled for saying instead, “Stopped by his room the other night when I came back. Guess he was finally ready to talk. We both did some apologizing and acknowledged that we missed each other is all. Did some more talking last night and I’m sure relieved to have my brother back." He smiled at Jarrod.

“We’re glad too sweetheart. It’s been on everyone’s mind for the last couple of months. I knew that stubborn son of mine would eventually see the light. The two of you have so much in common not only at the ranch but your values and ethics. You balance each other out in a way that no else can. I’m still unsure whether Nick is comfortable with his “experiences” yet though. Did he talk about that with you?” Victoria queried. She thought she detected some evasion on Heath’s part when answering Jarrod’s question. She rather doubted that they had got anywhere near the whole story. Yet, she knew Heath wouldn’t divulge anything that he thought was private between him and Nick. She would have loved the details but would settle for some assurance that Nick was dealing with his inner turmoil successfully or if not, could they help him in some way.

Heath hesitated again. To tell them about the dream or not to tell them. He couldn’t make up his mind. Maybe he could just tell part of it and wait and see what happened today at Sally May’s. “Talked some. Nick’s coming to terms with it but still has a ways to go to be what you’d call comfortable. I’d best be getting out to the men now or they’ll think I’m taking a holiday today." He made his escape as quickly as he could without out and out running from the table.

Jarrod watched Heath’s departure with a thoughtful expression. Like Victoria, he knew that Heath was being evasive but that was his way. He did not share his own private thoughts very often so he was unlikely to share someone else’s either. Jarrod had tried to tell Heath before that silence was not always the answer and that the family could sometimes benefit more from knowing the details of a situation than being left in the dark. But Heath continued to keep his own counsel especially if he was unsure that the results would be worth breaking someone’s trust. He must feel that his relationship with Nick was still too tenuous to break his silence and possibly alienate Nick again. He looked over to see his mother deep in thought also and wondered how she read the situation.

“Well, Mother – what do you think? I can see you are not totally satisfied either.”

“No, son – I am not satisfied but I am relieved to some extent. If Nick is confiding in Heath then at least now he has a good sounding board. My main concern was that Nick was so alone and cut off from everybody in family throughout this whole mess. Maybe once he lets Heath in, he will realize that we only want to help also. I do wish your friend would return though. It would be good to get some advice from someone that can look at this situation objectively and it might be easier for Nick to talk to someone who he thinks won’t judge him. Oh, I know that we try hard not to son, but we do and our opinion means the world to Nick. I think he sees this situation as a weakness in him and you know how he would hate for us to view him in that way. Of course, he doesn’t realize that we already know that the tough exterior he shows the world is just a cover for the very sensitive soul he really is." Victoria shook her head sadly at her eldest son knowing after their conversation last night that he was still feeling guilty that Nick didn’t come to him. She was proud that her sons took their responsibilities to heart but sometimes their code of ethics took deep digs at that very same heart.

* * * * * * * *

Nick had just polished off another plate of cookies at Sally May’s and was now sipping on his second cup of coffee. He had not yet volunteered any more information to her and she was letting him relax before she started asking any questions. She knew somehow that he had had the dream again and was worried about telling her. She also knew that when he left her yesterday, he was hoping that now that he had mended his fences with his brother that the dream would disappear. That left her second guess. And a guess was all that it was. She had to make him realize that today also.

“Well now Mr. Nick you done finished up all my cookies. Don’t you think it’s about time you told me what happened last night? Come on now – you know Sally May is here to try to help. Can’t do that unless you tell me what’s going on." Sally May patted his hand and waited for him to speak.

He looked up at her and she could see the turmoil in his soul through those hazel eyes. Taking a deep breath, he told her what had happened last night. She could see that he was disappointed that he had the dream again and had left her house yesterday hoping that he would not. She could also see that he was ready to try anything now to get it to stop. She only hoped that she could make him see that his gift was also a blessing if he could accept and manage it.

“You know my gift used to scare the bejesus out of me when I was younger even though I had my mama to learn from. It’s not an easy path you and I are sometimes on. But it can be a blessing you know. I done saved my husband and children from disaster too many times to count because of this gift. From what you told me, the same has happened to you too. Sometimes you gots to take the bad with the good in this life and this is one of those times. But for now, why don’t we see if we can get to root of this dream? You ready to try out mama’s way?”

“Do you ever do it?” Nick asked curiously.

“Couple of times. But I don’t got the gift as strong as you. I usually only gets feelings. Only a few times has it been dreams. My mama now, she got lots of dreams like you. She took them seriously too. She got real good at being able to know what they were about. Said your first instinct was usually the right one. I think you gots good instincts too but you is too unsure of yourself to listen to them. Come now, lets just try mama’s way when she needed more information." Sally May cajoled as she went to stand behind Nick.

“Might as well. Got nothing to lose at this point, do I? Feel kinda silly though – a grown man being scared of nightmares like a little kid."

“These are not childish nightmares, Mr. Nick. You and I both know that. You got no need to feel silly. You just trust Sally May only wants to help. Now I want you to take some deep breaths. Yeah, just like that. I want you to think of special place that makes you peaceful like no other. Maybe it’s a hidey hole in the attic. Maybe it’s a special place on your ranch. Think real hard about that place. Picture yourself there." Sally May’s voice was very soft and gentle as she continued to speak. Knowing this man was the outdoor type, she figured his special place would probably out on the ranch somewhere.

“You can feel the warm sun on your face and a gentle wind blowing in the air. You feel totally relaxed here. This place replenishes your soul when you need it. There isn’t any place on earth that makes you feel so in touch with the core of Nick Barkley." Sally May continued to speak softly, describing Nick’s special place and how it made him feel. She could see him starting to really relax and kept asking him to take deep breaths in between her crooning. She kept this up for about ten minutes when she noticed that he was finally in the trance-like state she wanted.

“Mr. Nick – you are awake but now in that between the world of sleep and wakefulness. Nothing can hurt you there. The real world doesn’t exist and your dream world is like watching a play on the stage. You can see what’s a happening but you are not there up on the stage. What do you see Mr. Nick? Tell Sally May everything that you can see." She softly encouraged keeping her voice very low.

Nick started talking in a low monotone voice. “I’m driving a wagon towards the ranch and then suddenly these men appear out of nowhere. There’s six – no at least eight of them surrounding the wagon. They pull me off and I start fighting to get away but there’s too many of them. One takes a rifle butt and hits me in the ribs. Another one hits me on the side of the head and I go down. They’re dragging me towards the trees and tie my wrists to a low hanging branch. I can’t see their faces though. It’s all blurred like someone smudged a drawing. There’s a couple of them standing in front of me now and talking but I can’t make out what they are saying but it feels like they are taunting me. I don’t know what they want or why they are doing this. I don’t have my shirt on anymore. I don’t know when they took it off. I feel a whip hitting my back and can hear them laughing and laughing. The whip keeps coming – over and over again. One of them comes up to me and lifts up my head by grabbing my hair. I still can’t hear what he is saying but it sounds threatening. He lets go of my head and my eyes drop down to his waist where I can see a silver belt buckle shaped like a V. Out of the side of my eye, I can see a man coming close with a tree limb in his hand. He takes the tree limb and swings it with all his might and hits my right leg. I feel it break. He then walks around to the other side of me and does the same on my left leg. All I can hear is laughing and I am feeling such unbelievable pain throughout my body. They go away now and I am left hanging by my wrists on that tree. All is quiet now. There’s no more." As Nick finished, he started shaking just like when he woke up from the dream.

Sally May gently soothed him and rubbed his shoulders until he calmed down again. She spoke in the same soothing manner that put him into this state and slowly talked him back to her kitchen again. She was very worried. Sally May had come to care for this man and if she interpreted his dream correctly, he was in for a very bad time of it. How could she warn him without making him question every move he made? He couldn’t live his life like that and who knew when this event would occur – if it would. She saw him looking at her with a question in his eyes and knew she would have to tell him what she thought.

“Do you remember what you said?” she started off with.

“Yeah, it was like you said. It was the same as watching a bunch of actors on the stage and I didn’t feel anything. But I remember it all. What does it mean though? Is this going to happen to me? I don’t like not knowing. Don’t like it at all." Nick barked gruffly as he rose up from the table and starting pacing.

He didn’t let Sally May answer before continuing, “Can I prevent this from happening? Can’t say I want to go through that. Those men seemed might angry at me. I can’t think of anyone I’ve made that mad in a long time.”

“You are not going to like my answer, Mr. Nick. I don’t know for sure if this is going to happen but I have a strong feeling that it is. I would walk softly right now and be careful of what you say and to whom. You may be able to avoid it now that you know what could happen. Think carefully of what you say to someone that might make them very angry. I think that if this is going to happen – it will be soon.”

“Well, I can’t go pussyfooting around people all of my life. It’s not my way. I sure can’t run my life or the ranch wondering if every move I make might tic someone off. “ Nick declared.

“If you leave here with nothing else, I wants you to remember what we did today. Going to your special place and all. If what you described does happens to you, go to that special place like just like I showed you. “

“What do you mean go to that special place? Why – what’s that gonna do? I’m still gonna end up hanging on a tree, aren’t I” barked Nick.

“If you are at that special place, Mr. Nick, at least you won’t feel what they do to you. This works when you are pain too. I did it every time I birthed one of my children and it made a world of difference, let me tell you. Just remember to use it anytime you are in situation where you are in a great deal of pain and are helpless to change the situation. Take them deep breaths and put yourself at your special place and no matter what they do to you, you will not be there with them. You will be feeling the sun on your face and gentle breeze blowing through your hair. This is the other side of your gift. Not many people are able to do this but after what I seen this morning, I know you will be able to do it. Just concentrate real hard and ignore everything else. Keep trying everyday too. Maybe more details will come to you and you will be able to avoid whatever trouble is coming your way. I’m sorry I can’t do more for you, son, I really do.”

“You’ve done more than I expected, Sally May. You really have. I need to do something now though and think this through. I gonna go out and do some work for awhile." Nick rose and put on his hat. His long strides took him outside quickly and he grabbed some tools from the wagon and headed over to the chicken coop.

Sally May watched him for awhile saying a little prayer that Nick would not be hurt the way his dream predicted. She had heard stories about him from Silas over the years and knew that he was one fine man. She knew how he taken over running the ranch at such a young age and had the responsibility of trying to fill his father’s shoes before he should have. That Barkley family might be right wealthy but they sure had their share of troubles over the years. She prayed that they wouldn’t have another tragedy to deal with soon. She sat down to concentrate just the way she showed Nick. She hoped she could see what would happen to him.

Two hours later, she called Nick to come in for lunch. She had her air of serenity cloaking her again. Nick washed up at the side of the house and sat down at the table. She put a plate in front of him and waited for him to start before she started talking again.

“I tried to use my gift this morning while you was out working, Mr. Nick. I couldn’t see very much but I do know that you will get through this. Might be a tough road but you will get through it. I could feel the love of your family surrounding you and they will bring you the added strength you will need. You are luckier than most in that regard, that for sure." Sally May smiled gently at him hoping she reassured him at least a little bit. She couldn’t help remembering what he described in his dream though and if he was remembering too, she thought that this was indeed a small comfort.

“I know how lucky I am to have the family I do. That’s the one thing that you done for me. I’m absolutely sure that this is about me and not one of them. That relieves me mightily let me tell you. It would be a lot worse for me if it were Heath or Jarrod that this might happen to and I couldn’t prevent it. You’re right – I can take it, they can’t. Jarrod would never survive something like that. He’s not used to dealing with pain and Heath’s the opposite. He’s had too much to deal with. Don’t know how much more that boy could take. He’s about the strongest man I know but everyone’s got their breaking point. Don’t want to him find out where his is. If there’s any justice in this world, he’ll get a chance to live the rest of his life in peace.”

Sally May thought again what a fine man this Nick Barkley was. Here he was facing what was possibly a terrible experience and he was glad it was him and not one of his brothers. Yes, Miz Barkley, she said silently to the mother of this boy, you done raised him to be a good man. Not many she had known in her lifetime would be thinking of others at a time like this. They would be thinking about themselves, that’s for sure. She hoped his family realized how very special this man was.

“Well, Sally May, I best be heading into town now. I got a list from Silas of the ingredients he needs to make those cookies of yours. I have to tell you again – they’re the best cookies I’ve ever tasted in my life. Silas and my mother are both good cooks but they’ve never made anything that comes close to those cookies of yours. I want to thank you again, Ma’am for all you tried to do to help me. I know that this hasn’t’ been easy on you either and I much appreciate the time you’ve spent with me." Nick said gallantly before taking his leave.

“You’re welcome anytime, Mr. Nick. Anytime, you hear. Sally May don’t do much sleeping anymore so don’t you be worried about disturbing me none. You want to talk – I’ll be here. But you remember what I showed you. Remember it well. You’re a good man, Mr. Nick and I’ll keep you in my prayers.”

* * * * * * * *

When Nick arrived in town, he went straight to the dry goods store to purchase the items on the list Silas had given him. He thought about going to the saloon for a drink but thought better of it. He couldn’t count the number of fights he had had there and today probably wouldn’t be a good day to have another one. He was going to the feed store when the sheriff stepped out of his office and called him over.

“What’s up Fred? Catch those thieves yet?” Nick asked amiably.

“Need you to come into my office for a moment Nick. Got some men in there that are looking for someone you might know. They don’t have the proper paperwork to be lawmen and they’re not bounty hunters but they said if they do locate their man, their sheriff would send a telegram confirming that they are deputized." Fred told Nick before they entered his office.

There were four men standing there. One of them had his back turned to Nick while he was looking over the wanted posters on the wall. They looked over at Nick as he strode into the room. He looked them over also and concurred with Fred’s deductions. These men did not have the look of a bounty hunter. They looked like fellow ranchers or perhaps vigilantes.

“Name’s Nick Barkley. Fred said you were looking for someone I might know. Who’re looking for?”

“Big colored fellow by the name of Simon. He raped Gil’s wife and left her with child. Once she gave birth she lost her mind and killed herself after confessing what had happened. We’re going to bring him back for trial back home. Heard tell you hired a fellow who could be him recently." Replied the man standing in front of him. He watched Nick intently as he spoke.

Nick thought quickly. This was a lynching party if ever he saw one and it was Jerimiah they were referring to. He had to stall them someway until he could talk to Jarrod and get back to the ranch. There was no way he was going to hand Jerimiah over to this crew.

“Nope – never heard of a Simon. We have a colored fellow by the name of Silas but he’s been with us since I was about eight years old. What’s this Simon look like?” Nick said pleasantly.

“He’s a real big man. Bigger than you or me. He seems real quiet and hard working but don’t let that fool you. If you got any women folk back at your ranch, you best let us have him right now. He likes white women that are young and pretty. Wouldn’t want that to happen to anyone in your family, now would you?” the same man answered Nick.

“Nope sure wouldn’t want that to happen to my family but we don’t have anyone by the name of Simon that we have hired recently. How long you been searching for this fellow?” Nick continued stalling.

“Oh we’ve been trailing him for about six months or so now. Came real close a couple of times but he always lit out just before we got to him. You sure you don’t have this fellow on your ranch." The man queried Nick again.

“Well now, I did hire a colored gardener about six months ago but that doesn’t fit with your story. Nope – Jerimiah has been working with my mother on her flowers since the spring. He’s a big fellow too but from what you said, I don’t think he’s the one you’re looking for. Wish I could help though, don’t take to any woman being raped." Nick said still trying to keep his voice as pleasant and helpful as possible. He didn’t want these fellows to see that he was covering up the truth. He glanced over at Fred and asked, “You see any strangers in these parts lately that would fit these gentlemen’s description, Fred? We sure don’t want anything to happen to any of the women folk around here.”

Fred knew what Nick was trying to do and it put him between a rock and a hard place. He didn’t hold with vigilantes either but if this Jerimiah was guilty of raping a woman, did Nick really want him out at the ranch. He knew Nick would kill him with his bare hands if he hurt Audra or Victoria. Fred thought that Nick must be pretty confident that this Jerimiah was not the one they were looking for as he would never endanger his mother or sister.

“Can’t say that I have. We’ll keep a look out for him though. I agree with Nick – we sure don’t want any of the women around here hurt." Fred looked Nick in the eye as he spoke to let him know that he wouldn’t give up Jerimiah either. But Fred planned to ride out to the ranch later and ask Jerimiah a few questions of his own just to ease his mind.

“Well gentlemen, I’ll just take my leave then. I promised my brother that I would stop by his office today to sign some papers and I’d best get along there. Hope you find your man soon. No, I sure don’t take to a woman being hurt. Good luck to you." Nick told the roomful of men as he left the sheriff’s office.

“Well, sheriff – is he telling the truth? Makes me mighty suspicious that he didn’t even offer to let us look this gardener over.”

“You don’t know Nick Barkley. He isn’t used to having his word questioned. Most people hereabouts know what a straight shooter he is. Probably never even thought about it." Fred answered quickly.

The man who had had his back turned throughout this conversation finally turned around. He looked thoughtfully at Fred and finally nodded his head to the rest of the men. They headed for the door and the man turned back once to nod his head at Fred before he left. Fred was glad they were gone. He hoped it was for good and they would now head out of town. He couldn’t help but admire that belt buckle that fellow was wearing though. Looked like it was hand crafted by an expert. He wondered what the silver V stood for.

Part 7

Nick hurried over to Jarrod’s office hoping he was in Stockton today. Jarrod’s secretary smiled at him as he came rushing through the door. She wasn’t startled by Nick anymore. She knew he was always in a hurry and waved him into Jarrod’s office right away. He nodded at her and went straight through the door.

“JARROD. We might have some trouble on our hands. Fred pulled me into office to meet some fellows who had been asking questions around town about a big colored fellow. Want him for raping one of their wives. I tried to stall them but I think they’ll head out to the ranch to check out Jerimiah."

Jarrod stood up and asked worriedly, “Are you sure Jerimiah isn’t the one they are looking for? He’s alone with Mother and Audra quite frequently. Shouldn’t you have at least asked them to check him out?”

“No way was I gonna let them come up to the ranch without talking to Jerimiah first. They have the look of a lynching party. I think they’d just as soon hang any large colored man. Besides, I know it wasn’t Jerimiah. Raping a woman is about as low as a man can go and Jerimiah ain’t the type. That I know for sure. Can you talk to Fred and find out where they are from? See if you can get any more information from the sheriff there? They weren’t real big on details and I didn’t want to ask too many questions and get them suspicious. I didn’t even get their names." Nick asked anxiously.

“Yes, Brother Nick I can do that but what are you going to do in the mean time?”

“I’m going to head home as fast as possible and get Jerimiah out of sight. I also want to put the men on alert about talking to strangers. We need to contain this as quickly as we can. I don’t want those vigilantes to get their hands on Jerimiah. There’s no way in hell they’d bring him back for trial.”

“Well if he is the one they are after, we might not have any choice Nick. You know that.”

“We have a choice alright. If they do identify Jerimiah as the one they are after, I don’t believe he did it. He’ll need you to defend him. If you want this done all legal like, then you can escort him as his attorney but those men are not getting their hands on him." Nick repeated forcefully.

“Let’s just take it one step at a time. Okay Nick. I’ll go see Fred and you head home. I meet you back at the house just as soon as I can. Just be careful." Jarrod said soothingly.

Nick left the office hoping Jarrod could find out more information. He headed for the wagon and hurried out of town. He did not see the men coming out of the saloon and heading for their horses at the same time.

A few miles out of town, Nick felt one of the back wheels wobbling. He pulled the horses to a stop and got down to inspect the wheel. He found the some of the spokes had broken off and went to the back of the wagon to see what he had there that might repair it. Fifteen minutes later, he was on his way again. Coming around a curve, he saw the men from the sheriff’s office with a few others standing with their guns pointed at him.

Nick felt a shiver go up his spine. This was his dream. He just knew it in his bones. He had to do something to get away from these men. Instead of slowing down, he flicked the reins for the horses to go faster. He spotted some cover on his left and jumped out of the speeding wagon. He rolled under the brush and pulled out his gun. The men had fled out of the way of the horses and were now taking cover themselves.

“Come on out Barkley. We just want to talk to you. Besides we got you out numbered eight to one.”

“You can talk from there. It don’t look like real friendly talking to me when you had your guns drawn." Nick replied frantically looking around to see if he could find an escape route.

“We didn’t know who was coming. Can’t be too careful you know." The man who appeared to be the leader shouted back.

Yeah right. Good advice – be careful. Nick found himself sweating as he remembered his dream. He had to find a way out of this and fast. He started backing up slowly into the woods, trying not to make a sound. He had his gun drawn and kept on the alert for any movement nearby. The trouble with this location was though it hid him from them, it also provided cover for them. Suddenly, he heard a noise to his left. He crouched down low and kept his gun pointed in that direction. He didn’t want to fire until he was sure. He might give his position away if he fired at nothing. Now there was a sound of a twig crackling under a foot step on his right. He kept backing up slowly, turning his head behind him from time to time. If he could just get deep into the woods, he had a chance to lose them. He knew this area like the back of his hand. They didn’t. Now there was a sound behind him. He swiveled around to look and still couldn’t see anything. There were sounds coming from both sides of him now too. He it looked like they were trying to surround him. Maybe if he went back the way he came, he could fool them.

“Barkley – drop it. We have you surrounded now. We don’t want to kill you if we don’t have to but we will if you don’t drop it now. Come on now – we just want some answers to a couple of questions.”

“Well if all you want to do is talk, why are you going about it like this?” Nick stalled.

“Cause we don’t think you were real honest with us back in town. Spoke to some of your hands in the saloon Barkley and it sounds like this Jerimiah fellow hasn’t been with you all that long. Maybe a couple of months – not as long as you said.”

With the leader shouting, Nick didn’t hear the two men who crept up behind him. Suddenly, one of them snapped his whip and took the gun out of Nick’s hand. Nick immediately sprung up with his fists flying. He took down one of them and was throwing a punch at the other when he felt hands pulling him off. He went berserk as he kept remembering what happened next in his dream. He fought off those hands and kept fighting. He felt a rifle butt hit him in the ribs but he kept fighting them off. The rifle butt that hit him in the head brought him down to his knees but he still wouldn’t stop. They finally overpowered him and dragged him through the woods.

“Vern, this fellow sure is tough. Wouldn’t mind having him on my side. You sure we are going to be able to get him to cooperate?”

“Everyone can be broken, Ted, everyone. We just have to find his breaking point. Now we might not have to if he’s smart and cooperates. You gonna cooperate, Mr. Barkley? Sure would be easier on everyone if you do especially yourself." Vern said pleasantly. “Tie him up here. Josh and Tim – go back and pull that wagon under cover. Then bring ours horses back here. We don’t want anyone investigating until we got what we came for.”

Nick could only see out of one eye as the other one had blood dripping into it from the hit to his head. He felt like they broke a couple of ribs too. Oh God, he thought, this is what I have been dreading for the past week. Sally May was right when she said it would happen soon. Didn’t expect it to be today though. He should have been more careful. Now what did she say about that special place. He had to try to go there. He knew what was coming next and he knew he could get through it if he was able to just concentrate the way Sally May had shown him.

“Now Barkley,” the man interrupted Nick’s thoughts, “You gonna cooperate and tell us about this Jerimiah you have down at the ranch? You tell us all about him and we will escort you back to the ranch in one piece.”

Nick stayed silent trying desperately to block out that voice and concentrate. There was no way he way going to lead these men anywhere near the ranch.

“Come on Barkley. We’re pretty sure it’s Simon you have at your ranch. Why would you want to protect him? He’s nothing but a rapist. Don’t you want to protect your family? Heard tell that you have a pretty sister back at the house. You wouldn’t want her to be next do you? Once a rapist – always a rapist.”

“Vern – he’s not gonna talk without some persuasion. Let me loosen his tongue for you. Won’t take long.”

“Now come on now Barkley. You ain’t one of those nigger lovers are you? That’s all we’re talking about here. Some nigger that you barely know. Is it really worth it?”

Is it really worth it? Nick asked himself. Yes – I’d rather die like man than hand over Jerimiah to this scum. Who knows what else they might do at the ranch? They might take out their anger at his mother and Audra. He hoped Jarrod would get home soon and put everyone on the alert. Besides, he felt comforted by Sally May’s words this morning. He would get through this. He would.

“Okay Jackson – don’t look like Mr. Barkley is a very smart man. See if you can teach him anything.”

Jackson smiled evilly at Nick and cracked his whip at the ground in front of him. Nick didn’t move. He was concentrating again and this time it was working. When the whip hit his back, he didn’t even flinch. He wasn’t there anymore – he was on the North ridge with Heath.

Vern was getting annoyed. This Barkley fellow acted like nothing was happening. Maybe this guy was just really slow like those fellows back in the hills. Didn’t he realize that they meant business here? He couldn’t understand why he did not seem to feel that whip coming down on his back. He’d let Jackson swing that whip a lot longer than he had planned and still no reaction. Finally he raised his hand to signal Jackson to stop. He walked up to Nick and pulled his head up by his hair. He could see that he was still conscious but he’s eyes weren’t focusing on Vern.

“This isn’t working. He’s not gonna talk and he sure as hell isn’t going to take us onto that ranch now. Let’s just leave him here and when he doesn’t come home tonight maybe they’ll send out a search party or two and we can have free access to the ranch." Vern ordered.

“Stubborn son of gun ain’t he. Sure makes me mad though. Thought for sure he was gonna break. Maybe I’ll just break him anyway." Jackson said as he searched the area around him for a piece of wood. He found a good size tree limb on the ground and patted it against his hand. “Yes sir, I’m sure gonna break something." He swung the branch with all his might against Nick’s right leg. He heard the bone crack. Nick moved but he still did not speak. Jackson was getting really angry now. He went over to Nick’s other side and swung the bat again listening as the left leg broke also.

Nick finally broke his silence only saying one word before he lost consciousness. ‘HEATHHHHHH!”

* * * * * * * *

Jarrod had wired the sheriff in North Carolina and had received some gruesome details from him. Apparently, Vern Michealson’s wife was found dead with a colored baby laying on the floor nearby. The baby looked like it had it’s skull bashed in. Vern and some of his friends had not been seen since.

He hurried back to the ranch to tell Nick. He hoped Nick had hidden Jerimiah well as these men did not seem like the kind to fool around with. He handed Jingo over to Ciego and rushed into the house. Victoria, Audra and Heath were in the parlor, obviously having the ritual drinks before dinner.

“Heath – where’s Nick? Did he manage to get Jerimiah hidden? Why is there no lookout in the yard?” Jarrod asked anxiously.

“Nick – why I haven’t seen him since this morning. And the last time I saw Jerimiah, he was just going to gather up his tools and go on back to the winery. What’s going on Jarrod?” Heath replied back concerned at Jarrod’s words..

Jarrod recounted his last conversation with Nick. While he was speaking, Heath got a funny feeling in his stomach. He felt something was really wrong. Nick should have beat Jarrod home ages ago. All of a sudden he heard Nick’s voice yelling his name sounding like he was in agony. He dropped his glass and stood stock still for a moment. Everyone turned to look at him.

Heath blurted out, “Nick’s in trouble. Bad trouble. Jarrod you go find Jerimiah and get him hidden. I’m going to ring the bell and get the hands organized. I’ll take out the first search party and you take the second. I’ll send someone in for the sheriff and Dr. Merrar. We also need to set up some protection for the ranch." He finished his sentence as he ran out the door.

The rest of the family stood as if they were in a trance. Jarrod broke the silence first and said, “Mother – Audra – go to the gun room and get the rifles out. Keep a couple for yourself in case you need them. I’m going out back to see if I can find Jerimiah." As he also ran out of the room, they could hear him calling for Silas.

“Oh Mother – what is going on? Do you think Nick’s alright? What should we do?” Audra asked very frightened.

“Well the first thing we are going to do is follow Jarrod’s instructions. Come along now and help me get those rifles out and loaded." Victoria said briskly. She was desperately worried about her son but she knew that action was called for now and she knew she had to keep Audra busy. She didn’t want her daughter to realize how desperate things actual were. She had a bad feeling about this. She saw the look on Heath’s face when he dropped that glass. He went white as a ghost. No - she had a bad feeling about this and bowed her head for a moment asking God to watch over her sons.

* * * * * * * *

As Heath rang the fire bell, the men came running from all around. Heath organized the men quickly and then ran back into the house to get the rifles. He felt a sense of urgency. He knew Nick was in bad trouble. He kept hearing Nick’s voice calling his name. Boy howdy, Heath thought if this is what felt it like for Nick everytime I was in trouble, it was no wonder he was so ticked at me when I got home. He felt another shiver run down his spine and knew that time was running out. He ran to stable where Ciego already had Charger and several other horses saddled. He saw Jarrod moving quickly from the back of the house.

“Jarrod, I going to take Davey’s crew and start up the main road from town. I have men posted around the house and McColl and Smitty have already left for town to get the sheriff and the doctor. Did you find Jerimiah?” Heath spoke quickly from a top his horse.

“Yes, I had Silas hide him for now. I’ll take the rest of the men up the other road. If you find him, fire three shots, then wait and fire three more. We’ll meet up if we hear the signal. Be very careful Heath. This might be a trap. “ Jarrod warned his brother.

“You too Big Brother – you too." Heath echoed as he set Charger into a gallop along the main road. His eyes frantically searching for any sign of his other brother. Heath could feel his heart beating too quickly as he rode. He kept remembering Nick’s dream and Sally May’s interpretation and felt fear like he had never known before. Finally, he saw the tracks where several horses had gathered and raised his hand to slow down the men. He jumped off Charger and went to have a closer look. He saw up ahead where the brush was disturbed and walked over to examine it. His eyes down, he bent closer to see where the trail was going. He signaled the men to dismount still not saying a word. He wanted to have the weapon of surprise on his side if they came upon those men.

He indicated to the men to fan out and with their guns drawn, they quietly went into the woods. Heath found signs of a struggle and a man being dragged. He pointed to the tracks and beckoned the men to follow him. He was still watching the ground when they came upon a small clearing. He saw the wagon first and then his eyes found his brother.

His heart stopped for a second as he took in the sight of Nick hanging from the tree branch. There was blood running down his face and his legs were hanging at a funny angle. Heath threw caution to the wind as he ran as fast as he could to reach Nick.

“Oh God – no. Nick." He sobbed as he reached his brother. He put his hand on Nick’s neck to feel for a pulse and his heart rejoiced when he found one. He also saw the damage that had been done to Nick’s back and felt the nausea rise in his throat. He’d seen many a man whipped at Carterson but nothing had ever affected him the way this did.

“He’s alive. Stu look in the wagon and see if there are any blankets or a tarp. Davey run back to the horses and gather as many blankets as you can. We’re going to have to cut him down real careful like. Both of his legs look like their broken and possibly his ribs. Bring any canteens you can find also." Heath barked out the orders motivating the men to move quickly as they had frozen at the sight before them.

“We’re here for you now brother and we’re gonna get you home real soon – real soon, you’ll see. The doctor will probably beat us home and he’ll be waiting for you. He’ll get you patched up and you’ll be just fine, you’ll see. You gonna be just fine." Heath didn’t know if Nick could hear him or not but he kept crooning softly to him all the same.

As soon as the men got back, Heath wrapped Nick’s legs in a large blanket to stabilize them. He had a couple of the men raise Nick off the ground and had two more support him while Heath cut off the ropes from around his wrists.

“Gently now. Try to carry him on his good side there. I’ll get up into the wagon with Davey and Stu. You hand him up real careful now. We gotta try not to disturb his legs too much and keep him on his side. We don’t want to get any dirt on that back of his if we can help it.”

The men handled Nick like he was made of porcelain as they handed him up into the wagon. Heath sat at the back of the wagon and had Nick propped between his legs with his head on his chest.

“Hand me those canteens and extra blankets. I gotta see if I can start cleaning him up some." Heath asked Davey. His hand trembled as he poured some water onto his handkerchief and started wiping the blood from Nick’s face. He saw his eyes start to flutter open and gave a sigh of relief that he was still with him.

“Heath” he weakly groaned.

“Quiet Nick. We’re taking you back to the house. Dr. Merrar should be there waiting for us. Oh no, would someone fire off the signal to Jarrod? I clean forgot about it as soon as I saw you Nick.”

“Knew you’d find me Little Brother. Called you. Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, Nick. I heard you. Never been so scared in my life. Knew you were in real bad trouble." Heath answered as he gently wiped the blood off of Nick’s face. He just wanted to wrap his arms around him and hold him tight but looking at his poor beaten body, he didn’t want to cause him any more pain by touching him any more than necessary.

“Was just like in my dream. Real glad we had last night. Should’ve apologized sooner. I ahhhhhhhhh." Nick finished on a groan when they hit a large bump. He had lost consciousness again. Heath didn’t know how he was hanging on the way he was but he hoped that stubbornness of Nick’s would prevail.

They were almost back to the ranch when he saw Jarrod galloping towards the wagon. Heath told the driver not to slow down and keep moving towards the ranch as fast as they could go. Jarrod turned Jingo around to ride beside the wagon. He looked down at the bloody body of his brother in Heath’s arms and knew of moment of pure panic.

“Heath – is he, is he still alive?”

“Yeah, Jarrod – just barely I think. He was conscious for a moment there but not now. It’s real bad Jarrod, real bad. I think both his legs are broken, his back is a mess, his head is bleeding and probably has a couple of busted ribs and that ‘s what I could see right off. No telling what kind of internal damage they could have done." Heath spoke through his teeth. He was so angry. How could men be such animals? How did God allow things like this to happen? And to Nick. Why Nick? He wanted to kill those men so badly. They didn’t deserve to live if they could do this to a man and then just walk away like it weren’t nothing.

The ranch finally came into view and they saw Victoria run out into the yard as they approached. Jarrod jumped off Jingo and ran to hold her before she could get a good look at her son.

“It’s pretty bad, Mother. He’s taken quite a beating. But he’s still alive and that’s something. Is Dr. Merrar and Fred here yet?” Jarrod asked his mother as he still tried to shield her from seeing Nick.

“What, oh yes they’re here. I had Silas fix up the downstairs guest room in case we needed it. Move out of the way Jarrod. I need to see him." Victoria pushed past her eldest son to look in the wagon. She immediately put her hand up to her mouth to stifle the cry that screamed that wanted to come out. She looked up into Heath’s eyes which mirrored her horror and panic.

“Okay men” Heath ordered, “We gotta get him out just as carefully as we got him in this wagon. Davey and Stu – you come on up now. Jarrod, you and Pete hold him sideways by his feet, Stan and Tim, hold him around the hips. Be careful of his back now." Heath kept issuing orders until they finally rested Nick down gently on the bed in the main floor guest room.

Dr. Merrar came in as soon as all the men left the room. He took one look at Nick and said, “Heath, we’re going to have to lift him up so he’s in a sitting position but not leaning back. Those ribs look like they could poke through at any time and I can’t wrap them until I’ve taken care of his back. Come sit on the bed real close. Jarrod can you come to the other the bed and help me raise Nick up onto Heath’s shoulders. Victoria – I’m going to need plenty of hot water and as many bandages as you can gather. Jarrod lets lift him carefully now. That’s right – easy now.”

Once Nick was leaning on Heath, Dr. Merrar examined him as quickly as possible asking if he had been conscious, why were his legs wrapped in those blankets and if they knew how long he had been this condition.

Heath spoke slowly, “He was conscious for a moment in the wagon and knew who I was. I wrapped his legs up because they both look like they were broken and I didn’t want to move them around too much and I didn’t want to waste too much time looking for splints. I don’t know how long it’s been. Jarrod – what time did he leave you.”

“Well, if they got him soon after he left me, it’s been a couple of hours at least. No more than that though.”

Victoria came back with a large bowl of hot water with Audra following behind her with her arms loaded with bandages. Audra took one look at Nick and burst into tears. Silas comforted her as everyone else was busy trying to save Nick.

The doctor put some cloths in the hot water and started to clean Nick’s back. Heath felt a shudder run through his body and felt tension return to him.

“Heath.”

“Yeah Nick – I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. The doctor’s just trying to clean up your back right now. You just rest easy against me, you hear. I know it’s gotta hurt like a son of gun but he has to do it."

“Heath – did they get Jerimiah hid? Those men are going to come here tonight looking for him. Heard some of their plans." Nick shuddered deeply as the doctor continued trying to clean up his back.

“Jerimiah’s fine you hear. Silas hid him away somewhere where they’ll never find him. Don’t worry none about that now." Heath tried to reassure Nick.

“Do you have men posted to guard the house? There’s eight of them. They’re gonna attack tonight for sure." Nick frantically questioned Heath.

“Yeah, Big Brother. It’s taken care of. We’re ready for an army to attack. Fred’s here too. Just rest easy.”

“Heath – I gotta say it again. I’m sooorrrry." Nick stopped as he tried to control the pain that was threatening to overtake him. Heath had to listen very closely as Nick’s voice was getting weaker by the minute.

“ I know Nick – easy now. I understand more than you know.”

“You’re the only one who really understands me and I tried to shove you away. Know my family loves me but - don’t understand me like you do." Nick paused to take another deep breath. “ Should have told you before – should have told what I’m most sorry for – that he never gave us the chance to grow up together."

Heath felt Nick shudder and go limp again. He turned his tear filled eyes up to Victoria. She had been helping the doctor by handing him clean cloths as he needed them. She leaned forward and brushed her lips across Nick’s forehead and then Heath’s.

“He’s going to make it Heath. He’s not a quitter. He’s lasted this long – he’ll make it through this. And we not to quit either, you hear me. No ones going to give up hope. He needs our strength and he’s going to get everything we got to give." Victoria pronounced strongly. She ran her hand lovingly over the top of Nick’s head. She lingered for a moment before returning to the task before her.

After the doctor had cleaned up his back, he applied an ointment. He now instructed Jarrod and Heath to hold Nick up underneath his arms so he could wrap him up. While the brothers held Nick up, the doctor and Victoria quickly and efficiently wrapped Nick’s ribs and bandaged up his back. He instructed them to lay him back up against Heath while he stitched up the wound on his head. He had just finished that when they heard gunshots outside.

Jarrod ran out of the room to see what was going on. Silas grabbed a nearby rifle and stood at the door to the room. Heath tried to maneuver his hand to reach his gun but couldn’t quite do it without dislodging Nick. Victoria saw his dilemma and drew his gun out of holster for him. She held on to it though as Heath couldn’t really do anything at the moment anyway.

“Audra – can you come help? We need to lay Nick on his back for a bit while I look at his legs. Come prop up those pillows as high as you can." Dr Merrar requested.

Audra moved quickly across the room glad to help with tears still pouring down her face. Once she had the pillows in position, the doctor and Heath gently laid Nick down. Heath helped the doctor unwrap the blankets while Audra sat at the side of the bed holding Nick’s hand. Heath took out his knife and started cutting the pants off as carefully as he could. The doctor shook his head at the sight before him. He splinted both legs as best as he could and had just finished when Jarrod came back into the room.

“We ambushed and killed five of them including their leader. The rest are on their way to the Stockton jail with Fred and a couple of our men. Fred’s going to question them there and report back to us later. How’s Nick doing?” Jarrod asked anxiously.

The doctor walked to the doorway where Jarrod stood and asked Heath and Victoria to join him there. “I honestly don’t know why he’s still alive. That whipping he took was enough to kill most men. He’s lost a lot of blood and I’ll want to do a transfusion now that I have most of his needs attended to. He has two broken ribs and quite a bump on his head. But what has me the most worried are his legs. Who ever did that to him did some real damage. It’s more that I am capable of fixing. He needs to go to San Francisco and have surgery or he’ll never walk again. We’ll see how the night goes and if he’s still alive and stable, he should be on the early morning train. I know it sounds risky but if he doesn’t get the medical treatment he needs quickly even if he does live, he’ll be crippled for the rest of his life. I’m sorry I wish I had better news for you.”

Part 8

A stunned silence befell the Barkley’s at Dr. Merrar’s words. Not only did they have to worry about Nick making it through this, they also had to worry that he might be unable to walk if he did live.

“I believe we should chance it but it has to be your decision, Victoria. What do you say?” the doctor asked.

Victoria looked to her sons standing before her and saw the agony of indecision reflected in their eyes also. She knew Nick would want to take the chance of going to San Francisco if it meant there was a chance he would be able to use his legs again. But what if he didn’t survive the trip. Wouldn’t it be better to have him alive and hope that an operation could be performed later? What if it couldn’t?

“What are his chances if we make this trip?” Victoria wanted to know before making a decision.

“There’s no guarantee’s either way. But if we handle it just right, he might travel as easily as staying in this bed.”

Heath asked quickly, “What do mean – handle it just right?”

“First of all, get someone out to town and make sure your railcar is outfitted with a proper bed – not just a cot. Next, have some of the hands make a sturdy stretcher. We need something that won’t bounce around but that we will be able to just place on the bed. Also, you need to use your most well sprung wagon and put in a real mattress in the back. We will need lots of pillows to stabilize him also. Oh and I will need someone to take a letter to my wife letting her know that I will be travelling to San Francisco with you and to pack a bag for me.”

“Oh Howard, you’ll come with us?” Victoria grabbed his arm gratefully.

“Well, of course. I’ve patched up this young man too many times to just send him off without any support. He may also need something for the pain on the trip. I haven’t given him anything yet as I don’t know if he’s concussed or not and he’s still unconscious. Heath or Jarrod – I would like to start that transfusion now. Which of you is it going to be?”

Heath answered and he walked back to the bed, “It’ll be me. Let’s get started Doc.”

Jarrod had wrapped his arms around his mother while the doctor was talking and now turned her around to face him.

“Oh Jarrod. I don’t know what to do. I want my son alive. Do we risk his life for the use of his legs?”

“Mother – I don’t think we have any choice. This is Nick we are talking about. He would never forgive us if he had a chance to recover the use of his legs and we didn’t take it. Dr. Merrar is going to accompany us and we will take every precaution that we can. I don’t think we have any other choice. Do you?”

“You’re right son. We don’t have a choice do we? Can you take care of the arrangements Howard wants done? I’ll go up quickly and pack a bag for myself and Audra. I don’t want to be away from Nick for too long. Oh Jarrod – I’m scared. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so still for this long even when he’s been hurt before." Victoria rested her forehead on Jarrod’s chest as she tried to get herself under control. She knew it would not do anyone in the family any good if she fell apart now. But oh how she wanted to. She wanted to release the agony in heart from seeing her son so bloody and beaten. She wanted to cry until she could cry no more. But that would accomplish nothing. She had packing to do and she needed to do it quickly so she get back to be with her son.

“Don’t worry Mother. I will take care of everything. I’ll have Silas pack bags for Nick, Heath and myself. Silas – where’s Jerimiah? You better get him out of hiding and let him know what’s going on. I didn’t give him much of an explanation when I hauled him into the house. The poor fellow’s probably worried sick without knowing what’s gone on. “

After the transfusion was completed, the doctor asked if someone could get him a pot of coffee as it was going to be a long night ahead of him. At first, no one moved as each of them did not want to leave Nick even for a moment but finally Heath nodded his head.

“Heath Barkley - you sit down this instant. You just gave blood. You need to rest for a bit anyway.”

“No Mother, I’m fine. I need to talk to Silas for a minute anyway and I’m powerful thirsty myself. I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

Heath headed towards the kitchen in search of Silas. He found him seated at the kitchen table with Jerimiah. Silas was holding a package in his hands and was turning it over and over. He looked up at Heath with tears streaming down his face.

“It’s his chocolate Heath. The men unloaded the wagon and brought me the supplies he got in town. All he wanted was some chocolate cookies. All he got was a whole pack of trouble.”

Heath went over to his friend and patted his shoulder. Silas continued speaking, ‘I went to see Sally May real quick this afternoon to find out how things went. Know what she said? I want to thank you old friend for bringing that boy to see me she said. It done this old soul good to know that there are fine men like that one in this world. He told me that he was happy that if something terrible was going to happen he was glad it was gonna happen to him and not one of his brothers. He said Mr. Jarrod couldn’t take it and Mr. Heath shouldn’t have to with all the pain he’s already had in his life. Not many like him she said. Told me not to worry cause he was gonna come through this right fine she said. Oh Heath I hope she’s right. I truly do.”

“We all do Silas. We all do. We have to pray that he’s as stubborn as we’ve been accusing him of. Dr. Merrar would like a pot of coffee. I’ll just make some and take it out to him.”

“Heath – you just sit down. I’ve already got coffee on. I’ll just pour it in the pot and set a tray. You look like you need a glass of milk too. Just sit. I’ll do it.”

Heath sat down thinking over Silas’s words. Oh God, please let Sally May be right and Nick would survive this ordeal. He felt all choked up at what Nick had said about him and Jarrod. He felt the tears starting to come again and tried to get himself back under control. He glanced over at Jerimiah still sitting as still as a statue. He had not looked at Heath once since he had come into the room.

“Jerimiah. You can relax now. It’s all over. Those men are either dead or in jail. You have nothing more to worry about." Heath spoke quietly thinking to ease Jerimiah’s fears.

“Mr. Heath – he feels guilty about Mr. Nick. He thinks it’s all his fault and iffn he would not have come here, this trouble would not have happened." Silas told Heath.

“It’s only his fault if he was guilty of the crimes they accused him of. Are you guilty Jerimiah?” Heath asked.

“No – Mr. Heath. I wouldn’t – I couldn’t ever do what they done said I’d done to a woman. But from what I heard, I can guess who they are and why they come." Jerimiah shook his head sorrowfully.

“Can you tell me about it?” Heath probed.

“I heard tell they was looking for Simon. That’s my cousin and he’s near about my size. We left the plantation together after the war. We traveled together up to about a year ago. We was working on this ranch and Simon and the rancher’s daughter were sweet on each other. Her pa married her off real quick to a neighbor’s son and that’s when I left. Simon wanted to stay in the area to keep an eye on her as he said that this Vern fellow was one mean son of a gun. That’s about all I know for sure. Oh Mr. Heath – I’m so sorry about what happened to Mr. Nick. I never had no white man stand up for me like that. Why he’d do it Mr. Heath? He could’ve just turned me over to them and there wouldn’t be no trouble for him or your family. Why he do it?” Jerimiah put his head in his hands on the table.

“It wouldn’t have been my brother Nick if he would have turned you over to that bunch. Weren’t you the one that told me that story about him and that Indian woman in town? That’s purely something Nick would do. He couldn’t look himself in the face if he had just handed you over to those men. He knew you were innocent. Jarrod questioned him about that you know. He told Jarrod straight to his face that he knew for sure you weren’t the kind of man that would hurt a woman and that if these guys turned out to be lawmen then Jarrod would have to escort you back for trial and defend you. I tell you there’s no way he was just going to hand you over to them." Heath shook his head sadly knowing better than anyone what guilt could do to a person.

“Come on now Heath drink up this here milk I got for you. I’d best get this tray into the doctor and see what else they might need." Silas coaxed Heath before he left the room.

Heath swallowed down the glass of milk as fast as he could and headed back to the guest room also. He stopped in the doorway and watched the people he loved most in this world. Nick was lying motionless on the bed with Audra still holding his hand and talking nonsense softly to him. Victoria was wringing out another cloth to place on Nick’s head and Jarrod was deep in thought standing at the end of the bed. They were going to get Nick through this. He just had to believe that. Anything else was unthinkable.

After a couple of hours with no change, Dr. Merrar told Victoria and Audra to go get some sleep. He would send one of the boys to get them if there was any change. The doctor wanted at least one of the men to stick around as he knew from experience how strong and stubborn Nick could be even when he was hurt badly. The less he moved around at this point – the better it would be for him on the trip. Heath sat in the chair that Audra had vacated. He leaned over to put his head on the pillow beside Nick who was still propped up. He put his hand in Nicks and knew that this way if he dozed off, he would awaken instantly if there was any change. Dr. Merrar and Jarrod soon made themselves comfortable in their chairs and slowly nodded off.

Suddenly, Heath felt Nick’s body start to twitch. He gently placed his hand on his head and said very quietly, “Easy now Nick. You’re safe and home where you belong. Try not to move too much if you can.”

“Heath – so thirsty." Nick rasped.

“Just hold still Nick. I’ll get you some water." Heath rushed over to the table and partially filled a glass. He gently held his head and poured a small amount into this mouth and then some more as he seemed to be swallowing alright. Heath put the glass down after Nick gave him a tired thank you.

“Just lay quiet now. I’m going to wake the doctor to take another look at you."

“Not yet. Just give me a couple of minutes before he starts prodding away at me. Just a couple of minutes of peace." Nick pleaded hoarsely.

‘Sure Nick – a couple of minutes. “

“Is – is everyone okay? Did those fellows attack the house?”

Heath knew that Nick’s main concern was that the family was safe and he tried to reassure him as best he could “Yeah, rest easy Nick. Everyone’s fine. They came tonight like you said but we were ready for them. The leader and four of his men are dead and the rest are accepting Fred’s hospitality for the night. No need to worry. Just rest easy, you hear.”

“Good – that’s good,” Nick groaned. He was having difficulty talking. The pain he was experiencing was almost unbearable. He let a loud moan escape and saw Heath run across the room to shake the doctor awake.

“Dr. Merrar – Dr. Merrar – Nick’s conscious now and looks like he’s in a lot of pain. Come quick.”

The doctor moved swiftly across the room and bent down close to Nick’s face. “Well young man – you managed to get yourself pretty beat up here. Can you tell me how many fingers I am holding up?” he asked as he raised three fingers in front of Nick’s face.

“Three – my names Nick Barkley and we don’t need to go through all that nonsense. My head hurts some but I don’t have a concussion." He replied to the doctor obviously wanting to skip this procedure.

The doctor figured he’d take Nick’s word for it as this young man had plenty experience with the many bumps to the head he’d received previously. Now he could give him something for the pain but first he wanted to ask a few more questions to see if there were any internal injuries that he might have missed.

Heath watched Nick as he struggled impatiently to answer the doctor’s questions. He wished he would just give Nick something for the pain. He could see the effort it was taking his brother to try to control it. He had Nick’s hand in his again and kept feeling the shudders running through him now and then. Heath finally lost his patience and asked the doctor to do something.

“Heath – I know you don’t want him to suffer but I need to find out the full extent of his injuries. I just wish we had something that we could see into a body with but we don’t. So I have to find out what I can while he’s conscious. But from the sounds of things, I think we finally got a break and he’s holding his own for now. I will give him something now but I want to wait a bit and give him something stronger just before we move him.”

“Move me – move me where?” Nick asked weakly as he grasped Heath’s hand.

“Nick – we’re taking you to San Francisco first thing in the morning. The doctor feels you can get better care there." Heath told him not wanting to tell him about the shape his legs were in. He wanted Nick to stay calm and if he knew there was a possibility that he had lost the use of his legs, he would be frantic.

“Can get good care here. Don’t want to go."

“Well now it’s a good thing you don’t have any say in the matter. We’re all going to be on that train in the morning. Mother’s mind’s made up and you know how hard a thing that is to change. Look on the bright side, you’ll have all those pretty nurses at your disposal. You’ll have a chance to turn on that famous Barkley charm you keep telling me about." Heath gently teased hoping that Nick wouldn’t ask him too many questions.

He didn’t have to worry about that. While he was talking to Nick, the doctor had filled a needle with a pain killer and injected him without warning. Nick’s eye’s got heavy almost immediately and he drifted off to sleep. Heath put his head down again, praying that his brother would get a chance to flirt with a pretty nurse or two.

* * * * * * * *

Early morning found the ranch in a whirlwind of activity. The wagon that been prepared according to the doctor’s instructions was pulled up close to the front door. A second buggy was waiting nearby with everyone’s luggage already loaded. Most of the hands were waiting in the front yard waiting to find out how Nick was doing. Heath came outside, updated everyone and asked four of the men to come inside to help transport Nick to the wagon.

The doctor instructed two of the men to hold the stretcher right up to the side of the bed. He had swaddled Nick like a baby with Victoria’s help before the men had come in to make it easier to handle him. They moved the stretcher as close to Nick’s body as they were able and the remaining men lifted him onto the stretcher as carefully as they could.

“Okay now – I want a man at either end of the stretcher and two of you on each side. Try to keep your ends level and please try not to jostle him around too much. Slow and steady now." Dr. Merrar instructed as he finished packing up his black bag.

The men maneuvered the stretcher to the waiting wagon where the doctor gave further instructions on how to lift Nick into to it as gently as possible. Heath and Jarrod stayed in the back with Nick and Davey climbed into the driver’s seat with the doctor. Victoria and Audra were helped into the buggy by Stu who was going to drive them into town. Four more of the men mounted their horses to provide escort and provide help with loading Nick into the railcar.

Silas stood in the doorway watching them depart. He raised his eyes to the sky and said, “God’s speed Mr. Nick. Please Lord – watch over that boy. He’s one of your good ones and we need him here with us a while longer.”

Nick’s eye’s fluttered from time to time but he did not become conscious on the long ride into town. Heath felt his forehead and commented that he seemed to be getting a mite warm. The doctor leaned back to feel for himself.

“I don’t think it’s a fever starting. It’s probably all those blankets we have him wrapped in. We’ll unwrap him once we get him settled in the railcar. I don’t want him to start moving around. His best chance is to stay as still as possible. Considering it’s Nick we’re talking about, I know that’s usually a tall order so we should be grateful he doesn’t have much strength right now.”

Grateful? thought Heath. I don’t see anything in this situation to be grateful for. I’d rather be at the end of one of those fists flying than see my brother like this. Bout the only thing he was grateful for was that they had had a chance to repair their relationship. He still got choked up when he thought about Nick saying he was sorry that they never had the chance to grow up together. Boy Howdy – that would have been something. He could just about picture a smaller version of Nick bossing him around and telling him how to do something. He felt his chest tighten at the thought of being under his brother’s protective presence instead of facing the world alone as he did as a child. Well, it was no use dwelling on might have beens. He was trying to get past that and move on to future possibilities instead.

Jarrod was also mulling over the doctor’s words. Staying still was definitely not Nick’s forte. He brushed his hand over the hair flopping over his brother’s forehead. He was thinking of their childhood as well. He’d always regarded Nick as his responsibility right from the moment of his birth. With his parents away so much, he always felt like he should be watching over his little brother. Nick made it a full time job too. As an adult, he could look back and see that it was his brother’s seemingly unlimited energy and curiosity that had kept him on his toes. There wasn’t anything he would not try. Jarrod the more cautious of the two would often shake his head in wonder at the scrapes his brother would get into. What he wouldn’t give right now to see all that energy flowing again.

They finally arrived in Stockton. Dr. Merrar jumped out of the wagon and started to give instructions on how to lift Nick out of the wagon. They had just settled him on the stretcher when he regained consciousness. He immediately started struggling against the restraints on him. Victoria assessed the situation quickly and rushed to his side.

“Nicholas Jonathon Barkley! You stop that this instant. You are going to undo all of our hard work. We will unwrap you just as soon as we get you settled on the train.”

“Don’t … want … to … go. Want…. to …. stay ….home.”

“Nick, you’re just going to have to trust me that this is the best thing for you. I want you at home too son but we need to do this. Please cooperate son. The sooner you do – the sooner we can get you settled." Victoria pleaded.

“Come on Little Brother – you know you are not going to win any arguments with this fine lady at the best of times. Let’s just get you on that train and I’ll let you win an argument or two with me." Jarrod smiled down at his obviously frustrated brother. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw that Nick was going to cooperate.

The men gently maneuvered Nick into the railcar and carefully laid him on the bed that had been prepared. Dr. Merrar checked his watch and pulled Jarrod aside to speak with him.

“’We have about twenty minutes before the train is scheduled to leave. I’m going over to the telegraph office before we leave. I want to make sure an ambulance is waiting for us at the train station and that Dan Ferguson will be on hand to do the surgery.”

“Dan Ferguson – isn’t he the doctor who operated on Heath a few years ago? The one who saved his leg when that wild horse stomped on it?” Jarrod asked.

“No – that was his father. But Dan has followed in his father’s footsteps and has made many advances in the field of surgery. He’s our best man for this job, believe me. I only hope that he is available.”

Jarrod saw the sheriff walking towards him and paused before going back to the train. He wanted an update from Fred on the events from last night. Heath had told him Jerimiah’s story last night and he wanted to hear the story that the captured men had related to Fred. He had been too worried about Nick to ask too many questions last night.

“Jarrod – how’s Nick doing? He looked in pretty bad shape last night. I’m surprised to see you and the good doctor in town. I hope it isn’t bad new?” Fred asked anxiously.

“Well, Fred – he’s holding his own right now. We’re transporting him to San Francisco this morning. Dr. Merrar thinks he’s going to need surgery on his legs immediately if there’s any hope of him walking again. Did you get a confession out of those fellows? Did they tell what really happened to Nick or do you have to get a statement from him?”

“His legs? That’s too bad Jarrod. I hope your trip is successful. I won’t need to talk to Nick to hold them. The youngest one sang like a canary last night. I had to keep him in a separate cell from the other two. He thought it would be exciting to join a so called posse and hadn’t bargained for what happened. He told me that there were a couple of other incidents that occurred along the way but nothing like what happened here yesterday. It was like they snapped when they thought they had their man and Nick was protecting him. I’m more sorry than I can say that I stopped Nick yesterday. Sorta feel that this whole mess is my fault."

“Fred - you were just doing your job. You had no idea what the outcome of that conversation would be. No one could have foreseen what lengths those men would go to. I can hardly believe it myself and I have a brother in that train that’s fighting for his life. “

“I still want to question Jerimiah though. I need to find out for myself if he’s the man they were actually looking for or not.”

Jarrod proceeded to relate the story Heath had told him and noticed out of the corner of his eye that another buggy with the Barkley insignia was pulling up to the train station. He saw Silas jump down and run to the back for some luggage and a basket.

“Silas – what are you doing here? I thought you were going to keep the home fires burning?” Jarrod asked surprised to see him.

“Well, I was going to Mr. Jarrod but I was worried about who would take care of you all you down there in San Francisco. I figured you was going to need me more there than here. Mr. Nick - now he’s going to be at the hospital for awhile and I can look after your house and take a turn or two sitting with him. Yes, sir, I figured you gonna need old Silas more where you’re going."

Jarrod just patted him on the back and lead the way to the railcar. He turned and saw Dr. Merrar hurrying back to the train. Just in time by the sound of it, as the train gave the signal that it would soon leave. Once inside, the doctor went straight to his patient. He found that Victoria and Audra had loosened the blankets and given Nick more freedom. Heath was quietly sitting at his side looking concerned.

“He’s still conscious doc. He isn’t saying anything or moving too much but he’s much too tense to be sleeping. He still feels warm to me." Heath voiced his concerns.

“Victoria – Audra – can you get me some cool cloths? We’re going to have to take care that a fever doesn’t develop. They won’t operate if he has one. I’m going to give him something for the pain now. I want him to sleep through as much of this trip as possible. Heath – grab some of those pillow. I want to prop him up a bit more. We don’t want too much weight on his back if we can help it. If it wasn’t for those ribs and legs of his, we could move him onto his stomach where he would be much more comfortable. But we’ll have to settle for this.”

“Why…… operation …..so ……. important?” croaked Nick surprising them.

Dr. Merrar hesitated as he looked around the room at the family. How much information to give? He knew how important it was to keep Nick calm so the last thing he wanted to do was tell him the whole truth. He understood Nick and could pretty well guess what his reaction would be if he thought there was a chance that he would never walk again.

“With every operation Nick, the sooner it is done – the better. If we wait too long, complications could develop. We don’t want that to happen, now do we?” the doctor soothed while he plunged the needle he held in Nick’s arm.

“Silas …. tell …… Sally May .. she … was … right. Did …. happen … soon." Nick said drowsily as he fell to sleep.

“Silas – what did Nick mean? What’s he want you to tell Sally May?” Victoria quickly questioned her old friend.

Silas looked to Heath for help. He knew that Heath was aware of what Nick was really doing at Sally May’s and did not want to break Nick’s trust but he also knew that he could never really hide anything for very long from Victoria. Heath shrugged his shoulders as if to say, I don’t know what to do either and left it up to Silas to decide.

Silas looked down at the floor as he spoke. “I took Mr. Nick to Sally May’s for a reason. Sally May has a similar gift the same as Mr. Nick’s. I thought maybe she could help ease his mind some. He’s been having this dream for the past couple of weeks and needed Sally May’s help to figure it out. “ He went on to relate the sketchy details he had received from Sally May and Nick’s reaction to it.

“Oh Mother – he knew. He knew that this was going to happen to him. How awful!” Audra cried tearfully.

“Yes Miss Audra – he knew. And that brother of yours still did not give Jerimiah to those men even when he knew what was going to happen to him if he didn’t. I can only repeat what Sally May said to me. You done raised a fine man here – a fine man.”

The first emotion Victoria felt was fury. He did it again. He hid his inner most anguish from all of them. If he wasn’t lying there fighting for his life, she would have liked nothing better than to hit him over the head with her wooden spoon. Why did he always think that he had to protect everyone but he never needed the same consideration. The second emotion that hit her was pride. Pride that her son could overcome what had to have been terror at the thought of that ordeal and still hold true to his principles. Yes, Tom she thought we did raise a fine man here. Please help him survive this. I can’t lose him too.

The passengers took turns rubbing Nick down with cool cloths. Their efforts seemed to be rewarded as his temperature did not continue to rise. Silas prepared an early lunch as they did not eat dinner last night and barely touched the breakfast he had served this morning. No one was really hungry but they managed a few bites here and there. Heath rolled a cigarette and went outside the railcar to smoke it. He needed some time alone. His hands were shaking as he tried to light his smoke. He kept thinking about the dream Nick had and the aftermath of terror it had caused his brother. His bravery touched a spot so deep in his soul that he thought he would cry at the pain of it. He finished his cigarette and walked back into the rail car needing to be close to his brother.

With Nick now sleeping, the rest of the passengers remained quiet, deep in their own thoughts. The silence only broken occasionally by the doctor’s comments on his patient’s condition. Silas kept busy trying to coax a little food into the family. About a half hour outside the city, Nick seemed to be waking up. Immediately, the family rushed to his side.

“Water” he croaked hoarsely.

As Victoria reached for the water glass, the doctor cautioned her. “Not too much Victoria. Just give him enough to wet his throat.”

“Why Howard? You are always prescribing plenty of liquids when nursing a sick person. Why can’t we give Nick as much as he wants?”

“Well now Victoria, we are hoping that they can get Nick straight into surgery as soon as we arrive at the hospital. The kind of surgery we are talking about here can last quite awhile. The doctor is going to be using a lot more ether than I usually use. I found that patients whose stomachs are relatively empty feel much better after surgery than those that don’t. He’s in no condition to handle excessive vomiting. I rather err on the side of caution here. Just give him enough to sooth that dry mouth and throat.”

Nick hearing the doctor’s explanation figured there was more going on that he’d been told. He asked, “Mother – what aren’t you telling me? I want to know?”

Victoria looked helplessly at Jarrod. He immediately came to her side and bent down to talk to his brother.

“Do you the remember the surgery Heath had to have on his leg when that stallion stomped on him? Do you remember how long that took? We’re talking about the same type of procedure here and they have to do it on both your legs. It’s going to take a while Brother Nick. That’s all." Jarrod said reassuringly.

“That the whole truth Pappy? Can I trust you?” Nick’s eyes implored him to tell him everything.

Jarrod was now in the midst of his own personal dilemma. He had just resolved that he had to win back Nick’s trust and here was his brother pleading with him to confirm that he could trust him when he hadn’t told him everything. Could he tell him what they were really worried about? Would this be physically and emotionally harmful to Nick? If he didn’t tell him, would this permanently damage their relationship? What finally decided Jarrod was putting himself in Nick’s shoes, he would want to know.

“Dr. Merrar said your legs are damaged beyond his ability to repair them. He feels that the surgery we were talking about is the only chance we have to get them fixed properly. We have a top surgeon waiting for us at the hospital and since you haven’t developed a fever, he should be able to operate soon after we arrive. There’s no reason that this operation shouldn’t be a success but we need your cooperation Nick. You have to stay as still as possible. That’s the reason you were bundled up the way you were." Jarrod finally replied stroking Nick’s head while talking.

Everyone was quiet as Nick seemed to be trying to process what his brother had just told him. Finally he asked, “What if the operation is not successful? Does that mean I won’t have the use of my legs?”

“It’s possible Nick but we thought for sure that Heath’s leg was lost too, didn’t we? And we all know you two are pretty well matched when it comes to stubbornness, don’t we? You put some of that into recovering and I’m sure you’ll be chasing the nurses in no time." Jarrod tried to inject some humor to distract Nick from the seriousness of the situation.

Nick’s eyes now locked onto Heath’s. He could see his concern but he wasn’t blanking them out like he did when he didn’t want you to see what he was thinking. Maybe Pappy was telling the truth after all. He relaxed as much as he could with the pain that he was enduring. He knew that if he tried Sally May’s method of escaping the pain that he would have an easier time of it. He didn’t want to though as he wanted to spend as much time with his family as he could. He was afraid that if he went to that special place that he might not come back. Besides, his time on this earth might be very limited and he wanted to spend it with the ones he loved even if he had to suffer this pain.

Everyone seemed to release the collective breath they had been holding when Jarrod had been addressing Nick’s concerns. Heath was the first one to break the silence.

“Well, Nick – I guess we don’t have anything to worry about. I reckon you got me beat in the stubbornness department by a mile." Heath grinned down at his brother hoping to alleviate any lingering anxiety.

“Don’t know about that. Figure we’re pretty much tied there." Nick grimaced when a fresh wave of pain hit him. The pain killer was really wearing off now and he could feel a fire burning down his back. He had to close his eyes to try to find some control again. His body started to shudder slightly as it fought back against the onset of agonizing pain.

“Howard – can’t you give him something for the pain. He looks like he’s suffering so." Victoria pleaded with the doctor.

“I can’t Victoria. We’ll be pulling into the station any minute now. I don’t want them to have to wait at the hospital because I gave him something now. I’ll watch him closely though and if I have to, I’ll give a small drop of laudanum. Look here we are now. Victoria – Audra - come help me wrap him up again. Heath – Jarrod – make sure we have a clear path to the door with this stretcher."

Everyone eagerly went about their assigned tasks. Soon, the train pulled into the station and Jarrod went in search of the ambulance before they moved Nick. Heath sat down beside him and held onto the hand peaking out between the blankets. The two of them were wordlessly communicating with one another when Jarrod got back. He felt a pang of jealously at the sight of them. He silently berated himself. How could he begrudge his brothers any comfort they might find in this situation? It was just that sometimes he felt left out. He knew he shouldn’t feel that way, in fact he should be grateful. He knew that he would soon be following a different path from his brothers and he was actually relieved that they would have each other. But there were occasions such as this one when he felt excluded from their private circle that hurt beyond reason.

Continued…