The Next Step...
Chapter 118 -
Loss
Written by Deanne Bertram
Milly lay in their bed,
resting back against Lucas and asked, “Lucas, how did you tell Mark about
Santa Claus?”
Lucas remained quiet for
a few moments, growing concerned, Milly turned to look at him, “Lucas?”
“I didn’t… After
Margaret died… Well, we didn’t celebrate the holidays anymore; we were
never in one place long enough. And, Margaret so loved them, that…it hurt
just thinking about Christmas, so instead, we read passages from the bible.
Once we settled in North Fork, we just continued to read from the bible on
Christmas morning and that became our tradition. I never had the
opportunity to need to tell Mark about Santa...”
“Lucas, I’m so sorry… I
shouldn’t have asked…” as she leaned back against him.
“Milly, don’t be. As
I’ve told you before, I’ll answer any question you want to ask about my
past.” Lucas needed to squelch the regret he felt creeping inside, he took
Milly by the shoulders, turned her around and pulled her close, and
passionately kissed her. Milly understood the emotions behind Lucas’
passion and willingly gave into to his needs; she enjoyed the pleasures that
marriage afforded a husband and wife.
“Happy Anniversary, Mrs.
McCain,” Lucas whispered in his wife’s ear before he fell asleep with her in
his arms.
*****
Lucas and Milly were
dressing for the day when Milly asked, “When is Robert supposed to come with
the documents?”
“He said he’d be out
early in the week for our signatures and he’d file the official paperwork
after the New Year.”
“When do we tell Robbie
and Eloise?” inquired Milly.
“I was thinking it could
be their final Christmas present this morning,” answered Lucas.
“I hope they love their
Christmas present.”
Lucas walked up behind
his wife, pulled her close, and kissed the back of her neck.
“Lucas McCain, if you
want any breakfast…” she teased, as she worked to tie her hair into a
ponytail.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lucas
full-well understood her comment.
*****
The McCain families
shared what started as a quiet Christmas together, as quiet as it could be
with eight young children, but when Lucas and Milly informed Robbie and
Eloise that their adoptions would be official after the New Year, it was
difficult for any of the children to keep their excitement in check.
*****
Two days after Christmas,
Robert Garrison rode to the McCain ranch, and a man and a woman followed
behind him in a surrey.
Lucas stepped from the
house calling, “Good Morning Robert.”
“Lucas, we need to talk…
In private,” answered Robert, not quite as cordial. “Can you take the
children over to Mark and Hope’s home?”
“Welcome Robert!” Milly
happily called as she stepped to the porch. Wiping her hands on her apron,
Milly sensed that something was amiss when she saw his expression.
“Milly,” Lucas stated.
“Take the children over to Hope.”
*****
Milly re-entered her home
and saw Robert and the strangers standing in front of the fireplace. She
noticed the fashionable hat upon the woman’s head, as well as the stylish,
well tailored clothing they both wore as they removed their coats.
“I don’t know exactly how
to tell you…” Robert started to say as Milly took their coats and hung them
on the coat rack behind the door. “Except to come right out and say it.
This is Adam and Regina Weyrling, they’re Robbie and Eloise’s aunt and
uncle.”
Milly gasped in
understanding at what the introduction meant, she stepped closer to Lucas.
“Their aunt and uncle, I
thought Martha said they didn’t have any relatives…” Lucas stated; his mind
racing to how the children would react.
“Mr. McCain, Martha was
my half-sister; we had the same father, but different mothers…” the woman
started to explain. “Martha was ten years younger than me and we weren’t
raised together…so she probably didn’t think she had any family.”
“Why now?” Milly asked,
trying to keep emotion from her voice.
“Milly, Lucas, they came
in response to the notices we placed in the newspapers. You knew there was
a chance someone could claim relation…” Robert stated.
“But we placed those
notices in the paper two months ago and it was a month ago we expected to
receive a response,” Milly cried.
Lucas wrapped his arms
around his wife.
“We only saw the notice
in the newspaper a week ago and made immediate arrangements to travel here,”
Mr. Weyrling stated. “Mr. Garrison has informed us of how you have cared
for Robbie and Eloise. We appreciate all that you have done for the
children, and would be willing to reimburse you for your troubles.”
“We didn’t do it for
money!” exclaimed Milly as she turned to face the strangers who stood in her
home. “Those children needed someone to love them, they sure weren’t
getting enough at home! Why weren’t you sooner?!”
“We arrived as soon as we
could. We just returned from a lecture series in England and I was catching
up in reading some of the newspapers… I almost missed the notification,”
replied Mr. Wyerling.
“Adam, Regina, please.
Lucas, Milly, I think we should all take a seat,” Robert stated.
After everyone was
seated, Mr. Wyerling asked, “How did Martha and Quinton die?”
“The report of the events
surrounding Quinton and Martha’s deaths are on file at the Marshal’s Office,
but you should know that it all started because Quinton had prevented the
children from going to school for a whole week before that Monday,” Robert
stated.
“They could have been
sick,” Mrs. Weyrling offered.
“They could have been,
but there were too many other times where Quinton refused the children
schooling; and they had not called our town’s doctor out to their home.
Quinton had a history of not making sure the children attended school. As a
result, one of our teacher’s grew concerned and he insisted that one of our
Marshals address the situation. The following Monday, our senior teacher,
who is also holds a seat on our town council, rode out with the Marshal to
your sister’s and the end result was that Quinton murdered his wife and
wounded our school teacher, as well as the marshal,” Robert answered,
thankful that Lucas and Milly were allowing him to do the talking.
“My God!” exclaimed Mrs.
Weyrling, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Good heavens,” commented
Mr. Weyrling.
“Robbie and Eloise have
been treated as members of our family ever since…” Milly stated. “Our
children already call them their brother and sister…”
“I know this is going to
be difficult for the children, but we are blood relations…” Mrs. Weyrling
answsered.
Mr. Weyrling added, “And
we have the law on our side.”
“I don’t care about the
law; I care about the children…” Milly stated. “You don’t know how much
they’ve been looking forward to becoming members of our family.”
“That’s only because they
didn’t know they had other options. I’m sure if they knew about us, they
would gladly come with us from the start,” Mrs. Weyrling replied.
“But you weren’t here!”
cried Milly.
“How can we be sure you
are relatives?” asked Lucas.
“Lucas, Milly” Robert
cautioned. “I’ve seen the paperwork and everything is in order.”
“Mr. Garrison,” Mrs.
Weyrling stated. “You said, Quinton killed Martha, and wounded the others;
how bad were the teacher and the marshal injured?”
“Mr. Griswald was on
crutches for about a month while his leg healed and the marshal received a
flesh wound to the arm,” Robert answered.
“And Quinton’s death?”
Mr. Weyrling asked. “Marshal Drako killed him, I presume?”
“No, it was my son,”
Lucas coldly replied.
“Your son…” interrupted
Mrs. Weyrling. “They’re just children…” and she looked out the window
towards the other house where Milly had taken the children.
“Our eldest son lives
next door and is the U.S. Marshal for the territory,” Milly stoically
answered.
Lucas continued, “He
doesn’t relish taking any life, and tried not to in this case, but Trumble
fired and the bullet struck my son as he fired to disarm him.”
“I’m sorry, but in regard
to the children, you have to understand Robbie and Eloise will be cared for
as if they were our own. We have three other children who are looking
forward to meeting their younger cousins,” Mr. Weyrling stated.
“Cared for, they need
love!” exclaimed Milly.
“Believe me,” Mrs.
Weyrling replied. “They will be loved.”
“We were supposed to sign
the adoption papers this week and they were to be filed after the New Year,”
Milly stated, wanting these people just to go away.
Though the words he was
about to speak, hurt, but Lucas knew he had to ask, “How soon are you
wanting to take the children?”
“Lucas?!” cried Milly.
“Milly, if they didn’t
have the law on their side, Robert wouldn’t be here.”
“We can stay only stay
until Wednesday, we need to return home to New Orleans so I will have enough
time to prepare to return to court on Monday,” Adam stated.
“Lucas, Milly, Mr.
Weyrling is a judge back east,” Robert added.
“We’ll be able to provide
a comfortable home for the children. Two more mouths to feed won’t be a
burden to us,” Mr. Weyrling interrupted.
“You think Robbie and
Eloise were a burden to us? They were loved! You think they’ll be more
comfortable, just because you have money; the children have a comfortable
home here! They’re not a burden! There’s more to being comfortable than
having money!” exclaimed Milly at the insult she perceived.
“My husband didn’t mean
to insult you, you have a lovely home, but you must understand, the children
will be loved and we can provide better for them back home,” Mrs. Weyrling
explained.
“Lucas, if you’d like,
I’ll go get the children from Mark’s home,” offered Robert.
“No, I’ll inform them,”
Lucas stood and headed to the front door of their home.
*****
Lucas took a deep breath
before he knocked and opened the door, “Hope, I need to talk to Robbie and
Eloise.”
Hope shooed the other
children from around the table and into the bedrooms.
“Papa, Lucas, you don’t
look happy,” Eloise stated as Lucas pulled a chair to sit at the table.
“You’re right, I’m not,”
Lucas replied.
“Did we do something
wrong?” asked Robbie.
“No, you didn’t do
anything wrong. I just have some news that’s… It’s…” Lucas struggled with
how to tell the children. “The couple who came with Mr. Garrison, they’re
your aunt and uncle.”
“Pa?” queried Hope,
knowing what Lucas’ statement meant.
“You know that we had to
place notices in the papers back east, inquiring if you had any other
family,” stated Lucas.
“Sure, you told us,”
answered Robbie.
“It also meant that if
you did have any other family, and if they were able, they would take you
into their family.”
“Their family? We’re
part of your family. You and Mama Milly are adopting us,” a confused Robbie
stated.
“We wanted to, as long as
no one else stepped forward.”
“You don’t want us no
more?” Eloise asked, her lip quivered as tears started to form in her eyes.
“No, we want you, but the
law says they’re blood relatives and you have to go with them.”
“The law? Tell Marshal
Mark we want to stay here!” pleaded Robbie.
“It’s not Mark’s
decision, I don’t even know if he knows.”
“Then tell him! He said
he wanted me as a brother! He can’t go back on his word!” Robbie cried. He
tried to run away, but Lucas restrained him. “No! I won’t go! You can’t
make me go!”
Little Ted opened the
bedroom and ran out, yelling, “You can’t let them take ‘em.”
“Little Ted, back inside,
please,” begged Hope as she tried to usher him back into her sons’ bedroom.
“No! You can’t let them
take Robbie!” Little Ted yelled louder.
“Theodore!” Lucas sternly
called, stopping his son in his tracks by his tone of voice.
“Children, I’ve tried to
explain this the best that I can. Now Robbie, Eloise, I’ll take you back to
the house to meet your aunt and uncle, and you’ll show them the respect
you’d give any other adult.”
“Yes sir,” Robbie
answered, while Eloise nodded.
“Little Ted, we’ll talk
when I come back,” stated Lucas.
Little Ted ran for the
front door yelling, “NO!”
*****
Mark returned home Monday
afternoon, earlier than planned, he had waited as Robert Garrison had
asked. He tied Rainmaker to the hitching rail, meeting Milly on the porch.
“Robert told me the
news,” stated an incredulous Mark. “He asked me to give him an hour before
I came home.”
Milly could only answer
by nodding her head, she knew if she said anything she would start crying
again.
Mark walked over and
pulled Milly into his arms and held her, “Ma, I’m so sorry. How did they
take the news?”
Milly couldn’t answer she
just shook her head. Both looked to Hope and Mark’s home when they heard
Hope yell, “Little Ted!” and saw the boy running across the yard to the
barn.
*****
Hope followed as Lucas
led Robbie and Eloise into the home they had known for the past few months.
After listening to Hope
tell what happened at the house, Mark followed Little Ted into the barn and
was surprised to see he had saddled and bridled Cappy all by himself.
“What do you think you’re
doing?” asked Mark.
“I’m not talking to you.”
“Why?”
“Pa said you wouldn’t
stop them from taking Robbie away.”
“Little Ted, you have to
understand, I have to follow the law and the law says that Robbie and Eloise
have to go with their aunt and uncle.”
“I HATE YOU! GO AWAY!”
“Is that anyway to talk
to me?” asked a sympathetic Mark, understanding the hurt his brother was
feeling.
“You’re not my pa and
you’re not my brother!” Little Ted angrily replied as he climbed into the
saddle.
“No, I’m not our Pa and
yes, I am your brother. And if I were you, I’d changed my attitude.”
Mark’s tone indicated his disapproval for how his brother was behaving; he
reached for the rein to prevent Little Ted from leaving.
“You’re not me! LET GO!”
Little Ted slapped the ends of the reins across Mark’s face, kicked his
horse into a gallop, and rode from the barn.
“TED!” Mark yelled as he
ran out the barn behind his brother, ignoring the smarting of his cheek.
*****
Mark ran to Rainmaker and
swung up into the saddle, pausing when he heard, “Mark!”
Wheeling his horse around
Mark called, “Pa, it’s Little Ted, he raced Cappy out of here, heading
North. He’s upset that I wouldn’t stop Mr. and Mrs. Weyrling from taking
Robbie and Eloise.”
Lucas watched Mark race
from the yard as he ran to the barn to hurriedly saddled Blade. Shaking her
head, Milly watched as Hope return to her home and turned her attention to
Lucas as he raced Blade from the barn, after two of his sons.
*****
To keep her children
occupied and their minds off the news concerning Robbie and Eloise, Hope
decided everyone should work on chores. Hope told the boys to climb the
ladder to see if any of the chickens had laid eggs in the hayloft. She set
Mykaela on the stool and told her to stay put. Hope allowed her mind to
drift from her task of milking one of the cows, and was oblivious to the
chicken fluttering down to get away from the boys. It landed on the cow’s
spine, startling the animal. The cow kicked sideways, striking Hope in the
abdomen. She screamed in shock at the strike and landed a few feet away
from where she had sat; she curled into a fetal position, her arms wrapped
around her stomach, crying from the pain.
*****
The twins ran to the edge
of the loft as the chicken took flight, saw it land on the cow, heard the
cow bawl and the chicken cackle, and then their Mama screamed as the cow
kicked her.
“Mama!” the twins yelled
as they ran for the ladder. Eli sat on the hayloft, scared and crying.
Zach tried to cradle
Hope’s head in his lap, while Josh ran to get his Grandpa.
*****
“Mrs. McCain, I think
it’s best if we head back to town,” Mrs. Weyrling suggested.
“Grandpa! Grandpa!” Josh
yelled as he ran into his grandparents’ home.
“Josh? What’s wrong?”
Milly asked as she stopped her grandson.
“We tried to be quiet,”
Josh paused trying to catch his breath, “but we spooked the chicken and the
cow hurt Mama!”
Josh waited for Milly to
excuse herself from Robert and the strangers; he tried to follow as she ran
from the house to the barn. The man restrained him from following his
Grandma, “Wait here, son.”
“My Mama’s hurt!” Josh
declared and tried to pull away from the grip the man had on his shoulder.
The strangers watched as
Robert Garrison followed Milly out the door.
*****
Upon arriving in the barn
and assessing the situation, Robert stated, “Milly, take the other children
to your home, I’ll use the Weyrling’s surrey and we can take her to town.”
“Hope,” Milly called as
she laid Hope back to the ground, “I need to get the children to the house.
I’ll be right back and we’ll get you to town.”
Only a few minutes later,
Robert carried Hope to the surrey, trying not to cause her any additional
pain, and placed her so she rested against Milly. He ran behind the surrey,
climbed in the seat, rein slapped the horse, and raced back to town.
*****
Lucas crested the rise to
see Mark pulling a fighting Little Ted from the saddle; he urged Blade
forward.
“Stop this right now!”
Lucas heard Mark declare as the younger brother continued to struggle from
Mark’s arms.
“I HATE YOU!”
“THEODORE!” Lucas
declared upon arriving and jumping down from his horse.
“PUT ME DOWN!” Little Ted
yelled, still kicking with his legs and striking out with his fists.
“Only when you stop
fighting me,” replied Mark as Little Ted kicked out, catching Mark in the
knee.
Lucas forcefully took Ted
from Mark; giving him a shake before setting him to his feet.
“STOP THIS, RIGHT NOW!”
declared Lucas.
“NO!”
Without relinquishing his
grip, Lucas knelt in front of his crying son, “Ted, I know you’re hurting,
but behaving like this isn’t the answer.”
“Then don’t let them take
my brother!”
Mark knelt beside his
brother, “Ted, they’re Robbie’s family.”
“It’s all your fault!
You don’t want me to have another brother!”
“That’s not true,” Lucas
answered before Mark could say anything.
“Ted, if the Weyrling’s
hadn’t come, I’d love to have another brother. How would you feel if you
were Robbie?” asked Mark.
“I’d want to stay here!”
“Yes, I’m sure he does,
but that’s not what Mark meant. How do you think he feels knowing you ran
out on him. That you couldn’t be happy for him to have an Aunt and an Uncle
come all this way just for him and Eloise?” asked Lucas.
“Don’t you think we’re
all hurting?” asked Mark. “I’ve looked forward to them becoming members of
our family as long as you have.” Mark paused waiting to hear his brother
say something. “Or are you the only one who’s allowed to hurt?”
“But you…” Little Ted
tried to talk but his words were choked by tears and he reached up and
wrapped his arms around his Pa’s neck and buried his face in his Pa’s
shoulder.
“I don’t want them to
go,” Little Ted whimpered.
“I don’t either. But
they are Robbie and Eloise’s family, just like we’re family. Would you want
someone else to keep you away from your family?” asked Mark, placing a hand
to his brother’s shoulder and rubbing his back.
“Son, it may not be the
best for us, but it is the best for Robbie and Eloise,” Lucas stated as he
stood to his feet, carrying his son. “Can you be happy for them to have
real family?”
Sniffling and wiping his
running nose with the back of his sleeve, Little Ted replied, “I guess so.”
“Little Ted, you’ll have
to be brave. Let Robbie know that you’re happy for him. Can you do that?”
asked Lucas.
Little Ted nodded.
Holding Blade steady so
Lucas could mount while still holding his son, Mark choked back his own
tears.
After mounting Rainmaker,
Mark reached for Cappy’s reins and rode for home next to Lucas.
*****
Seth and Lilah sat with
Milly as they waited for news on Hope.
Aaron exited the
examination room and quietly announced, “She’s in a lot of pain.”
“Can we see her?” Lilah
asked.
“Not yet, Thadd’s still
examining her. Do you know where the Marshal is? I think he should be
here.”
“He’s out with Lucas,”
Milly replied.
“Is Hope going to be
okay?” a worried Seth asked.
“I hope so. We want to
keep her here for a while longer, to keep an eye on her. We need to
evaluate the cause of her pain,” Aaron answered.
“From taking a tumble?”
Lilah asked.
“Mrs. Lane, it not that
simple, a cow’s kick can be powerful. We’re concerned about possible
internal injuries from the blow; it would be best to keep her here, under
observation, until we know for certain,” Aaron stated.
“You’re saying she might
require…surgery?” Milly asked.
“I pray not, but you have
to understand our concerns, we won’t know for a while if there was any
damage inflicted internally,” Thadd stated as he stepped from the
examination room. “It’s going to be a while before we know, why don’t you
go to the hotel; I’ll send Abigail or Sarah for you, if it comes to that.”
*****
Over the course of the
next hour, Hope’s appearance grew paler and the pain increased in
intensity. Aaron and Thadd examined Hope again and couldn’t help but notice
the deepening bruise to her abdomen. Thadd gently pressed on the bruised
area, noted it was hardening and Hope couldn’t help but cry out from the
pain.
“This isn’t just a
bruise, is it? You think she’s bleeding internally,” Aaron whispered.
“I’m sure of it, we can’t
wait any longer for Mark to arrive,” Thadd replied. “Sarah, please prep
Hope for surgery, I’ll go inform her family.”
*****
Mark and Lucas return
home with Little Ted, only to find Mr. and Mrs. Weyrling watching all the
children.
“Mr. McCain, there’s been
an accident…” the woman started to say as she stepped to the porch.
“An accident?” Mark
asked.
“Robert drove the women
to town…” Mr. Weyrling stated as he stood beside his wife.
“Who’s hurt,” demanded
Lucas, dreading the answer as a coldness settled in the pit of his stomach.
“The younger Mrs.
McCain,” Mrs. Weyrling answered.
“Without waiting to hear
any more, Mark dropped Cappy’s reins and whirled his horse around and raced
Rainmaker to North Fork.
Watching his son race
away, Lucas asked, “What happened?”
“Grandpa!” Josh and Zach
called as they stepped to the porch.
Lucas stepped from Blade,
leaving Little Ted sitting in the saddle, he hugged his grandsons.
“The cow kicked Mama,”
Josh stated, tears still streaking his face.
“We didn’t mean to
startle the chicken, Mama sent us up to the hayloft to look for eggs,” Zach
replied, having been crying as well.
“We tried to be quiet,”
Josh answered, as he tried to be brave.
“Mr. McCain, if you’d
like, I’ll take the horses to the barn, and you can be with the children, I
think it would be best for them to be with family,” Adam offered.
“Go away! It’s all your
fault!” Little Ted declared.
“Theodore!” Lucas
reprimanded.
“None of this would of
happened if they hadn’t come!”
“We’ve talked about this
already! To your bedroom, NOW!” Lucas ordered. “You will not be
disrespectful to guests while they are in our home.”
“Then it’s not my home!”
Little Ted jumped from the saddle and ran to the barn.
“Mr. Weyrling, Mrs.
Weyrling, I’m sorry for my son’s behavior,” Lucas begged to apologize.
“No Mr. McCain, in a way,
your son is right. I think its best we return to town, as soon as Mr.
Garrison returns with our surrey.”
As they spoke a small
cloud of dust appeared on the horizon, as they watched the surrey came
closer.
“Nils?” Lucas asked.
“Lucas, Robert asked me
to come back and get the Weyrlings,” Nils answered, turning to the couple
stepping to the porch, “Sorry, I didn’t get back sooner, but I had to change
out the horse and…”
“Mr. McCain, we will
expect the children in town tomorrow so we may leave on the Wednesday
train,” Mr. Weyrling stated as he escorted his wife to the surrey.
*****
Sarah McCafferty prepped
Hope for surgery and administered the ether as instructed. A few minutes
later, she silently watched as Thadd made the first incision through Hope’s
skin. Aaron worked to wipe away the darkened blood that seeped from the
incision as Thadd cut deeper. In time, the incision revealed the
origination of the loss of blood; feverishly the two physicians worked to
stem the flow of blood and repair the damage done.
Aaron was first to see
it, “Thadd, her liver…”
“I see it; looks like
bottom section of the lower lobe is lacerated. Damn…”
“What do we do? I mean…”
Aaron stated.
“I think its best to
remove the lacerated section to prevent any necrosis and hopefully, if I
suture the rest of it closed, maybe it will heal and still properly
function.”
“The rest of the liver
does appear to be healthy,” answered Aaron. “I wish we could study the
internal working of the human body in more detail.”
“Maybe someday there will
be a way to do it, but right now, we best focus on saving Hope’s life.”
“Yes, doctor,” Aaron
stated as he followed the instructions given to him by Thadd.
The two doctors worked to
remove the damaged section of Hope’s liver and suture the remaining
portion. With as much attention as they could give, they examined the other
internal organs near the liver to make sure there was no further damage. An
hour and a half after the surgery started, Aaron cut the thread of the last
suture to close the incision Thadd had made.
“How’s is Hope’s
respiration?” Thadd asked as he stepped to the head of the table where Sarah
was removing the ether mask from Hope’s face.
“She’s breathing shallow,
but it is steady and regular.”
“Thadd, her pulse is
strong,” Aaron added as he placed Hope’s arm back to her side, having lifted
it to take her pulse.
Abigail entered the room
and operated the sink pump to allow her husband and Aaron to wash their
hands and arms. Afterwards, she helped Sarah clean up the inevitable mess
that had been made during the surgery.
“Let’s move her to the
resting room at the end of the hallway,” Aaron stated.
Having settled their
patient in her new room, the two doctors headed to the hotel to talk with
her family.
*****
Mark arrived at the
clinic and pleaded with Abigail to tell him what was wrong with Hope.
“Mark, I wasn’t here when
they brought Hope in, I’ve been taking care of other patients while they’re
performing surgery.”
“Surgery?” cried Mark.
“Why?”
“Mark, please… Milly,
Lilah, and Seth are over at the hotel. Go to the hotel. We’ll come get you
when she’s out of surgery.”
Mark entered the hotel to
be greeted by Lou, “Come along Mark, yer family is in the kitchen.”
Lou escorted Mark to the
back of the hotel. Milly stood and hugged Mark as he entered. Lou walked
to the stove and picked up the coffee pot, grabbed another coffee cup and
filled it for Mark, before she refilled other’s.
“Ma, what happened?” Mark
asked.
“The boys said the cow
kicked her. It caught her in the abdomen,” answered Seth when Milly
couldn’t bring herself to explain. “The Thadd thinks she might be bleeding
internally.”
Seth placed a chair
behind Mark as his knees buckled.
*****
“Milly, I’ll have Nils
hitch our surrey and I’ll drive you back home. I’m sure Lucas is frantic to
hear any news,” Seth stated as he placed a hand under Milly’s arm to help
her to her feet.
“Mark?” pleaded Milly.
“Ma, please… Go home
with Seth, and I’d appreciate it you could take care of…”
“Mark, you don’t have to
ask…” Milly replied as she and Seth left the kitchen.
“Mark, can I refresh your
cup of coffee?” Lilah asked.
“Lilah, thanks, but no
sense call of us sitting here worrying,” replied Mark without thinking.
“Mark, she’s my daughter
and you’re my son-in-law. I’ll stay here with you. You don’t need to be
alone at a time like this,” replied Lilah.
*****
Lilah made herself busy
around the kitchen by helping Lou and her cook fix supper for the hotel
guests; she set a plate of steak and fried potatoes in front of Mark.
“I’m not hungry,” Mark
answered, pushing the plate aside.
“Lilah put food in front
of ye young man and ye will eat it. I’ll not see food served in my
restaurant go to waste!” Lou stated and humpf’d, crossing her arms.
Mark looked to Lou,
knowing he best eat something. Fifteen minutes later, Mark pushed the plate
aside and wiped his mouth.
“Not hungry, huh?” Lilah
asked.
“Guess I was…”
*****
The sun had set by the
time Thadd and Aaron entered the kitchen to get Mark.
“Mark,” Thadd called
quietly.
“Doc?”
“She’s out of surgery and
should be waking soon.”
Mark followed Thadd out
the hotel, across the street, and down the boardwalk to the clinic, while
Aaron stayed behind and spoke with Lilah.
*****
Mark stopped in the
doorway as he looked upon his sleeping wife.
“Thadd, will she?”
“In a few days she’ll be
up and around, but it will take a few weeks until she’s fully recovered,”
answered Thadd.
“What happened?”
“The kick lacerated her
liver… Mark, if we hadn’t performed surgery, she would have bled to death.
We had no choice but to start surgery without your consent.”
“If it saved her life,
you didn’t need my consent,” answered Mark. “Can I stay with her?”
“Sure, just try not to
jostle her when you sit on the bed beside her.”
Thadd left the room,
closing the door behind him.
Mark slipped off his
boots and quietly set them to the floor, before climbing onto the bed and
lying down on his side next to his wife, on top of the sheet. He took her
hand in his, placing a kiss to it and waited.
An hour had passed when
Mark roused, realizing he had fallen asleep, he heard Hope whimpering.
“I’m right here Hope.”
He gave her hand a gentle
squeeze and watched as her eyes fluttered, and stilled.
“I’m right here beside
you, always and forever.”
“Mark?” Hope breathily
whispered.
“Who else?” he teased as
relief swept through him. “How are you feeling?”
“I hurt,” she quietly
answered.
“I’ll be right back, I’ll
get Doc,” Mark stated as he swung his legs over the bed and sat up.
“I’m right here Mark. I
was coming to check in on her.”
Mark watched as Doc
twisted off the top to the bottle he carried, measured out some of it’s
contents and mixed it with a glass of water he picked up from the side
table.
“Here Mark,” Thadd handed
the glass to Mark. “Make sure she drinks it all. I mixed some laudanum in
the water to help alleviate the pain.”
Holding Hope’s head, Mark
placed the glass to her lips and encouraged her to drink.
Thadd smiled when Mark
handed him back the empty glass.
“She’ll still be groggy
for the rest of the night, but that should clear up in the morning by the
time I come back to examine her. If you need anything, just come get me
from the office.”
*****
Mark woke to a rooster
crowing in the distance and the door to the room opening, “Morning Mark,”
Thadd stated. “How’s our patient?”
“I guess we both slept
through the night.”
“Mark, if you wouldn’t
mind stepping out into the hallway so I can examine Hope?”
*****
Ten minutes later Thadd
exited the room, “She woke while I was examining her. She’ll be in pain for
a while yet, and I’ve given her some pain medication that won’t make her as
sleepy, but if she wants to sleep, it would be for the best. We’ll plan to
get her on her feet tomorrow.”
“So soon?” asked Mark.
“It will be for the best
to get her up and about. Just a few steps here and there. Mark, you’ll be
right beside her, and Aaron and I will be right here with you.”
*****
Late Tuesday afternoon,
Lucas returned to North Fork and escorted Robbie and Eloise to the entrance
of hotel.
“I expect both of you to
behave yourselves and show the Weyrlings that you have proper manners,”
Lucas stated.
“You won’t forget us,
will you?” Robbie asked, trying to be brave.
“Do we have to go?”
Eloise asked.
“We won’t forget you.
And yes, the law says you have to go with your aunt and uncle,” replied
Lucas.
The Weyrlings met Lucas
in the lobby, smiling they greeted Robbie and Eloise.
“Thank you for taking us
in, Mr. and Mrs. Weyrling,” Robbie answered.
“No need to be so formal,
we’re family, you may call us Uncle Adam, Aunt Regina,” Mrs. Werling
stated.
“Yes, ma’am,” replied
Robbie.
“My, you’re a very pretty
young lady, with a very pretty bonnet,” Mrs. Weyrling stated as she knelt in
front of Eloise and began to untie her niece’s bonnet.
Eloise stepped closer to
Robbie and held tighter to her doll, but didn’t speak.
“Do you not speak when
spoken to?” Mr. Weyrling asked, his tone indicated he was not amused.
“Judge Weyrling, she
didn’t speak for over a week when she first came to live with us,” Lucas
answered. “Give her time to adjust, this is traumatic for her.”
“Adam, please…” Mrs.
Weyrling stated, more accepting of the child’s behavior.
He nodded, “Thank you for
bringing them to town. We’re scheduled on the eleven o’clock train tomorrow
morning.”
Mrs. Weyrling ushered the
children upstairs. Lou rushed into the kitchen to keep anyone else from
seeing her tears as she watched events unfold.
“Mr. McCain,” Mr.
Weyrling called as Lucas started to leave.
“Judge Weyrling?” Lucas
replied.
“I wanted to let you
know, there will be no formal charges brought against your son for his part
in the death of Quinton Trumble.”
“Formal charges? Why
you…” Lucas came close to losing his temper.
“Mr. McCain,” Judge
Weyrling interrupted. “I spoke with Marshal Drako, as well as Mr. Griswald.
I would be remiss in my job as a judge had I not fully reviewed the facts of
the case.”
“You have no jurisdiction
in this territory. How much trouble did you hope to stir up?” Lucas asked,
as he stepped closer to the judge, the difference in the two men’s height
was more apparent.
“None, I just wanted to
make sure there was nothing amiss in what happened. I mean, your son killed
the children’s parents and you take them in? Anyhow, the reports are
accurate enough and enough differences in how the reports were written that
I’m relieved that everyone gave their individual account, and weren’t
repeating something they were told to say.”
“You would sink so low as
to try to stir up trouble, just to ensure you took custody of the children?”
Lucas insinuated.
“Mr. McCain, when I
returned to town Monday, that was a small part of my wanting to review the
case, but after reading the reports and talking with the others involved, I
probably asked more questions than I should have, but…”
“But what?” a disgusted
Lucas asked.
“After talking with
others around town, I wanted to make sure I understood all the facts so that
I could talk with Robbie and Eloise when they’re older. I’m sure they will
have questions…children always do. I understand there was no malice in the
actions your oldest son took.”
“My son bears no malice
against anyone. He does his job, by the book!” Lucas boldly stated as he
jabbed his index finger into Judge Weyrling’s chest.
“I know sir.” He averted
his eyes for a moment. “In talking with people of this town, I realized
Quinton had set his actions in motions a long time ago. Your son acted in
the only possible way that Quinton left open for him. You know, from what
others say, you eldest isn’t exactly the way I envisioned a lawman out
here. In fact, what I wouldn’t give to see him in Washington some day; a
person of his character is refreshing. I hope you’ll accept my hand as a
thank you for taking in the children and providing them a comfortable family
life and as an apology for my original intentions,” said Judge Weyrling as
he offered his hand.
Lucas stood back,
surprised at the turn of words; he accepted the offer and shook hands.
“Regina and I will keep
your family and the younger Mrs. McCain in our prayers.”
Judge Weyrling turned and
proceeded upstairs to be with his family.
*****
The following morning,
Lucas and Milly returned to town with all the McCain children and watched as
Judge and Mrs. Weyrling left on the train with Robbie and Eloise. As they
tried to comfort the crying children, they didn’t see Ethan Lane step from
the train.
Wearing civilian attire,
Ethan headed straight to his father’s home, eager of the news he bore.
*****
“They can’t do this! I
retired!” Seth yelled to his son as he crumpled the letter in his hand.
“Father, I know you
retired. But these orders are direct from Washington. When I learned about
the orders, I requested to be the one to give you the news; I thought you’d
be happy to know you’re needed.”
“Why am I needed, we’re
not a war!” declared Seth.
“Father, its taken time,
and the army has calmed the settlers near Fort Wingate over the uprising of
the Navajo nation and we’ve helped the Arizona troops quell the trouble with
the Hopis, but there are still people on both sides who are bitter. The
garrison is crumbling from faulty leadership, we have a temporary command in
place, but they’re not ready for this assignment full time. If the right
person doesn’t lead the troops, another bloody Indian uprising can, and I
fear, will happen. We need someone of strong character and someone the men
will respect to take command.”
“Then let them send you!”
demanded Seth.
“They already are, I’ll
be your Lieutenant Colonel, reporting directly to you, Colonel,” Ethan
proudly saluted. “Father, you have no choice. These orders are signed by
the President…”
Lilah entered the parlor
and offered a greeting only to see Seth storm from his home declaring,
“President, be damned!”
“Ethan?” Lilah asked.
“I know father would
prefer to inform you,” replied Ethan as he turned and walked after Seth.
*****
The McCains stepped from
the train depot and headed towards their buckboard.
“Mama, can we go see
Hope?” Myra asked, not wanting to go home an empty bedroom.
Milly answered her
daughter, “We’ll need to check with Mark to make sure it isn’t too soon
after her accident.”
“Weren’t no accident,
those people came on purpose!” Little Ted stubbornly answered.
“Theodore!” Milly
demanded as she grabbed her son’s arm.
“I don’t want to be
here,” Little Ted hollered and tried to pull away. “I don’t wanna go!”
“Young man,” Lucas
sternly voiced. “You will stop this attitude. With the way you’re behaving
I don’t think Hope would appreciate you visiting her.”
“Then let me go home!”
replied Little Ted.
“No! You know you’re too
young to ride home on your own,” ordered Lucas.
“Then let me go to Papaw
Micah’s.”
“You will stay with us,”
ordered Lucas.
*****
Ethan followed Seth to
Sweeney’s, motioning that he’d have what his father was having. Sweeney
poured a glass of beer and delivered it to the table where the two men sat.
“They can’t do this to
me,” Seth stated as his son sat down.
“Father, they can and
they have. Whether you remember or not, any soldier can be recalled, if the
circumstances warrant their expertise.”
“They’ve not given me
enough time!” Seth declared as he again lost his temper.
“Father, when you
retired, you didn’t even take a week to move to North Fork.”
“I wasn’t married back
then, and only had two grandchildren. Besides, North Fork still needs a
second Marshal. Mark’s not going to be in any condition to stand his watch
for a while.”
“What happened to Mark?”
“Not Mark, Hope. She
barely survived surgery two days ago, and you show up today…”
“Father, I didn’t know
Hope had surgery, what happened?”
“Damn cow kicked her.
Mark’s going to need to stay home to help take care of their children until
Hope can get on her feet, and that means I’m needed here, standing watch.”
“I’m sure Hope will be on
her feet by the end of January, it’s still a month away.”
“What will I tell my
grandchildren?”
“Father, what do you want
me to tell my children? Like I said, I’m being reassigned too; Annie and
the children are coming with me.”
*****
Mark stepped from the
room when Sarah had informed him that his family was in the waiting room.
He eagerly knelt down to hug his sons and daughter, telling them that their
Mama was going to be okay. As he took his youngest daughter from Milly, he
noticed is brother sitting in one of the chairs, arms crossed, looking
upset.
“The children would like
to see Hope and wish her a speedy recovery,” Milly offered as she hugged
Mark.
“I’m sorry. She not
ready to see anyone, just yet,” answered Mark.
“You mean she doesn’t
want to see me,” Little Ted pouted.
“That’s not what I said,
Little Ted,” Mark couldn’t keep the tiredness from his voice. But to Little
Ted, he sounded upset.
“You mad at me, too.”
“Ted, I’m not mad at you
or anybody. Hope’s in a lot of pain, and I’m just tired,” Mark stated as an
apology.
“Mark, I’m sorry. We
shouldn’t have brought the children…” Milly offered.
“No, I need to see them.
Have you had lunch?” asked Mark, his spirits a little brighter. “Doc said
she’d be asleep for a while longer, we got her up from bed this morning and
had her walk the hallway, it exhausted her.”
“I’m not hungry,” pouted
Little Ted.
“Young man!” Lucas’ voice
warned.
“What happened?” Mark
asked.
“The Weyrlings left with
Robbie and Eloise today,” Lucas replied.
“Pa… I forgot all about.
I…”
“You’ve a lot on your
mind,” stated Milly as she took Faith back into her arms. “Come on, we can
at least see that you eat a good meal.”
Mark and his family
headed to the hotel restaurant.
*****
That evening, Seth
returned to the Marshal’s Office.
“Have you told Hope and
Mark?” asked Johnny after Seth informed him of the orders he had received
from Washington.
“Haven’t had the heart;
Hope’s still recovering from surgery. I don’t know what to do. Hope and
the grandchildren are so much a part of my life now…”
“Seth, you have other
grandchildren, Ethan and Annie’s.”
“That’s what Ethan
stated; he’s being promoted and reassigned to be my second in command.”
“Seth, you’ll be a lot
closer to North Fork at Fort Wingate than they were at Fort Stanton.”
“That’s not the point, I
retired.”
“Seth, you can take the
man from the army, but you can’t take the army from the man; that’s why you
made such a great deputy. It’ll be hard to replace you. When do you have
to report?”
“No later than the end of
January.”
“Has Ethan been to see
Hope since he arrived?” Drako asked.
“No, didn’t want to
intrude. Guess my attitude didn’t help any.”
“Seth, why don’t you and
Ethan spend a little time visiting with Hope. I’m sure by his being here,
Mark and Hope will want to know why. You won’t have to figure out a way to
tell them.” When Seth didn’t reply, Johnny continued, “You know the longer
you put off telling them, the harder it will become.”
“It just doesn’t seem
right to burden them now…” Seth debated.
“When will it seem the
right time? When you’re boarding the train?”
“That’s not fair!”
“Tell them.”
The
Next Step —
The
Goodbye
