A Loving Hug
By Layne
Ben Cartwright sat beside his youngest son bathing his forehead with a cool cloth trying to bring his fever down.
Little Joe had come down with the fever the previous evening after running around in the snow playing with his older brothers trying to get just the right tree for Christmas. As usual Little Joe had lost his mittens and his hat and his coat was wide open as he pummeled his brothers with snowballs. So between himself and Hop Sing they took turns bathing his forehead and body with cool cloths while trying to get him to sip some herbal tea.
Little Joe rolled his head around fitfully as if trying to wake up.
The harder he tried the further he seemed to slip back into the darkness.
Little Joe opened his eyes and looked around trying to focus through the fog. He saw a white silhouette floating across the room. The silhouette turned and it was the face of his mother.
"Ma!" cried out Little Joe. He watched as she walked over to him.
"Ah Mon Petite you are awake." She ran her cool hand over his face.
The coolness felt so good to Little Joe. He felt as if he were on fire. "Ma, I'm sick." He looked up at her through foggy eyes.
"Yes you are. You are very sick Mon Petite. I know it is hard to fight but you must. You must find your way back to them." She smiled down at her baby.
"Find my way back? Where's Pa at? And Adam and Hoss?" Little Joe struggled to sit up.
"No stay down and keep warm. You're Papa and brothers love you very much and they would miss you very much if you didn't go back to them." She caressed his cheek again.
Little Joe snuggled into the caress. "But Ma I want to stay here with you. I miss you so much. Why can't you come with me?" Little Joe started to cry.
He was gathered up into a loving hug. His Ma's arms held him tightly. Little Joe was so happy and felt so loved and secure in his mother's arms he didn't ever want to leave.
"Listen to me Little Joe. You have to go back. You're Papa would miss you so much that I don't think he could stand it. You're brothers would be so lost without you. They all need you to help with building our dream. You need to be able to grow up and break the horses to sell to help keep our dream of the ranch become real. You're Papa needs you to help him so much. There are so many things you need to learn from him. One of the most important things is how to grow to become a wonderful and caring man like he is." She held him as he cried.
"Mama I miss you so much!" Little Joe held on for dear life.
"I miss you too Mon Petite so much, but you are not finished yet. It is not time for you to be with me. You have a long and happy life waiting for you. You have to go back to your Papa and brothers now.
It's time."
Little Joe held on as tightly as his mother faded away. "No Mama don't go!!!!! Please!"
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Little Joe moaned a bit as he opened his eyes. He looked through foggy eyes and they settled on the sleeping form in the chair next to him. "Pa?" He croaked out.
Ben quickly went and sat on the bed and felt his son's forehead. It was cool. Ben said a silent prayer. "Hey Little Joe. Nice to have you back with us." Ben brushed the sweaty hair off of his son's forehead.
"Yea. I had the funniest dream Pa." Little Joe paused as his father wiped his forehead down again
"Funny ha ha or funny strange?" Ben dipped the cloth into more cold water.
"Funny strange. Ma was there." Little Joe paused again to take another drink of water. "She held me and talked to me."
Ben raised an eyebrow at that statement. "I see."
"Pa it was so real, like she was really there with me holding me."
Little Joe wiped a tear from his eye as he remembered.
The bedroom door opened and in cam Adam and Hoss followed by Hop Sing.
"Hey little buddy glad to see your back among us." Hoss grinned his gap toothed grin at his little brother.
"Hey there Little Joe how you feeling?" Adam smiled at him as he approached the bed.
"Better." Little Joe managed a weak smile.
"His fever broke a little while ago boys. He's much better." Ben blinked back the tears.
"Good Little Joe better. Have some broth for him." Hop Sing put the tray on the nightstand.
"Pa, Ma was there I swear she was. She told me it wasn't my time that I had a lot of things to do first. That you need me to help get the ranch up and running. That I needed to break the horses for you."
"Break the horses! Ha you have to get a might bigger short shanks to do that!" Hoss chuckled.
"Yea that's for sure little brother. But knowing you it won't be long." Adam smiled down at his little brother.
"Yes that's right. In order to make this work this whole ranch I'm going to need all of you to help." Ben looked at the son that reminded him so much of his beloved Marie. He had to choke back the tears. He knew that Marie was instrumental in saving their son's life. That she somehow through her love of her son she found a way back to help him.
"Just give me a couple of days to rest Pa and then I can get on breaking them horses." Little Joe nodded his head then regretted it as the room spun a bit.
Adam and Hoss chuckled a bit as Ben shooed them out of the room.
"Honest Pa I can help." Little Joe struggled to stay awake.
"Yes you can son. You are a big help to me. I need you very much."
Ben couldn't help the tear that slipped down his cheek this time.
"Yea." Little Joe slipped into a peaceful slumber.
Ben watched his son sleeping and gave a silent thank you to the last love of his life for helping keep their son alive and with them for a long time. He knew that Marie would help him get their son through many, many years of trouble to come.