Summary: It was Barnaby West’s first full trip west on the wagon train and for the first time in his life he had a father, safety and a home. When Bill is found by Cooper Smith, shot, beaten and whipped , Barney’s life is turned upside down and he fights to avenge his father’s life. An unlikely passenger plays an important role in his emotional roller coaster ride while a traveling doctor helps them heal.
Category: Wagon Train
Genre: Western
Rating: G
Word Count: 8,600
Chapter 1 ~ It begins
“Hurry, Charlie, we have to get these things to Chris!”
Barney heard the urgency in Cooper Smith’s harsh whisper and a chill went up and down his spine. Someone was in trouble. He gripped the reins of his horse and eased around the wagon. Charlie was scrambling around inside tossing items to Coop as he eased his portly frame around boxes of canned goods and flour sacks.
Barney called out, as nonchalantly possible, “what’s going on?”
Coop and Charlie froze. They looked like naughty schoolboys stealing cookies. Coop recovered first.” I found someone out on the trail who’s been badly injured and we need to get him some help.” Coop was loath to tell Barney that the person in question was his own surrogate father, Bill Hawks. He had watched the two form their family bond and knew instinctively that Barney, under severe stress, would break down. Bill had even whispered to him as they had attempted to raise him, “ don’t let Barney see me like this!”
“How can I help?” Barney eagerly asked, as he dismounted.
Coop felt his heart squeeze his insides. There was no way that Barney would not discover that the patient was his father. He would have to know. This was going to be a giant test of their father- son bond. Coop glanced at Charlie who was sorting bandages. He climbed out and gathered his thoughts.
“Barney, I can’t lie to you. It’s Bill.” He grabbed Barney’s shoulders as he saw the myriad of emotions skirt across the young man’s face. “This is going to be hard to hear and probably harder to see, but you gotta be strong for both of you, okay? “
Barney just nodded. His eyes began to tear up. “How bad?”
“Someone or several men shot him in the back, beat him up and after tying him by his wrists and hanging him, whipped him. He’s alive and talking, at least he was when I left.”
Barney’s shoulders began to shake. The man he had met just a short while ago had pierced through his defenses with a smooth edged sword and had opened his heart and his arms to him. “I’ll be your father,” he had declared and in all the ways that mattered, he was.
“All those feelings of revenge and sadness and fear have to be buried inside you,” Coop continued as he lifted Barney’s chin so that their eyes met. “If you really want to help, you have to help with all the good and love you have in you. If you’re scared, he’s gonna be scared. Do you understand? “
Barney nodded. He knew what fear was. He’d tasted it and lived with it on his trek from Virginia to California. He knew first hand what it was like to want something so badly and have it ripped away. But he also knew in Bill’s hugs the feeling of love and family. He vowed to do whatever was needed to help Bill. What he didn’t realize was that in a tiny part of his heart the seed of revenge had started to grow.
The two mile drive towards Bill was done in complete silence. Charlie was uncharacteristically quiet. He slapped the reins over the horses but never uttered a word. His worried thoughts had turned into silent prayers for his long-time friend. Coop was worried about the future of the train and his faithful companions. It would fall to him, as senior scout, to take Bill’s place. How was he going to fulfill both jobs and keep Barney safe? Barney tuned everything out and tried, without much success, to slow his erratic breathing. He was scared . All those injuries! A man could die from just one of them! He fidgeted as he contemplated. Coop was right in telling him to stuff his feelings down deep but this was going to be so hard.
Chris Hale tensed when he heard the wagon wheels and gently laid his friend back down on the blanket. He stretched his back and then anger slammed into him when he beheld Barney. He had admonished Coop. He had practically begged him, “don’t tell Barney!” But there he was, climbing down and running swiftly towards Bill. He turned in fury towards Coop but just as his ire reached its boiling point, Barney wrapped his arms around his boss and surrogate uncle. “ Thank you for looking out for my father! “
Chris Hale shed his doubts as quickly as they had appeared. Barney seemed to grow from a young boy to a young man almost overnight. He watched as Barney knelt by Bill’s side and wrap his arms around his father’s shoulder. “You’re safe now, Mr. Chris and Coop and Charlie are here and we’re gonna take care of you.”
As soon as they laid the unconscious man on his bed, Coop was dispatched to the nearest town to find a doctor. The way back to the train was slower as Charlie sought to steer the horses around holes and gullies. Barney could hear Mr. Chris and Charlie talking softly but instead of listening he turned all of his thoughts and fears into prayers for the man in his arms. ‘Bill just had to get well,’ he thought desperately.
Chapter 2 ~ Seeing straight with closed eyes
He’d seen people do it often enough in his life but he never had thought to do it himself. And yet, here he was, pacing back and forth beside the wagon. His eyes were fixed on the changing ground beneath his feet but his mind and heart were inside where the life of his father was held in a doctor’s hands. He had heard Bill’s harsh painful breathing and the doctor’s stern warnings. Time and again he had tried to enter but the doctor insisted that Barney was too young to see this and would help everyone if he wasn’t underfoot. Finally, in desperation, he grabbed Charlie as he climbed out of the wagon to get more water and bandages.
“Charlie, how is he?” His voice shook and his eyes widened when he heard Charlie sigh.
“It’s slow going, Barney. The doc stopped the bleeding from where Mr. Chris cut open Bill’s shoulder to get the bullet out. But he has to clean all the stripes, put cream on each and wrap them and then he has to treat his wrists much the same way. He said he needed another pair of hands.”
Barney caught the inference right away. “ Let me be the second hands!” he pleaded. “I could do his wrists. Please Charlie. Ask Mr. Chris. “ Tears slid down his cheeks and he angrily swept them away with his sleeve. “ Bill is as close as a father to me than any man on earth!” he reminded Charlie.
Charlie was not fooled. He had argued for Barney’s presence since the whole mess had begun. He nodded to Barney as he climbed into the wagon.
“No! He will get distracted. A young boy does not belong here,” the doctor insisted to the irascible cook.
Barney took up pacing again, oblivious to the loud conversation. He belonged at Bill’s side and he knew it but there was no convincing the doctor. Suddenly he heard Mr. Chris call his name.
“Barney, can you help take care of Bill without crying? “
Barney looked up through blurry eyelashes. “Yes,” he said firmly. He would do anything for Bill.
“All right then. “ Mr. Chris gestured to Barney to climb up. “Follow the doctor’s instructions and do what he tells you. Of all the people in this wagon, you are the only one who really needs to be at Bill’s side.”
Bill was lying on his belly; his arms swung on either side of the bed. Although the rope had been removed, Barney could see the bruising and the blood on the once vibrant wrists and fought for composure. He had given his word and by golly he’d keep it. One day soon, he’d feel Bill’s arms around him again. He watched in silence as the doctor first patted each stripe on Bill’s back with soap and water and then patted it dry. After a few minutes he then took a finger full of a cream and rubbed it into the stripe. He then moved on to the next one.
“Doctor Smith, what is in the cream you are using? “ Barney asked politely.
Without looking up, the doctor replied. “ It’s part honey and some herbs that I grow, boy. Because it’s honey, the mixture will seep into the wound but it will also stick to the bandages. Whoever removes the bandages to check the progress and to change them will have to follow my instructions to the letter or all improvements will be lost. “
Although the doctor hadn’t lifted his head or addressed him, Barney nodded. “Can I start on his wrists now, Doctor?”
The doctor looked up and peered intently at Barney. “Who is this man to you son?” he frowned.
Barney bristled. He looked down at Bill and he suddenly felt all the anger drain from his body. He only felt love and compassion for the man stretched out before him. “ Bill Hawks is my father, well he’s the closest one to me, that is. If you knew him, like I do, you’d know about his courage and his loyalty and above all his love for an orphaned boy like me. I’m 14 years old, sir. So, I’m hardly a boy and Bill is the only one who can call me ‘son.” He grabbed a cloth then and the bowl and sat down next to Bill as if daring the man to try and remove him.
Wisely, the doctor did not reply. He just kept on with his task. He did, however, glance every now and again at the boy and his father. He watched in amazement as Barney tenderly picked up one of Bill’s hands and bathed his wrist. After patting it dry and waiting a few moments, he reached for the jar of ointment.
“You only need a little bit,” Doctor Smith advised.
Barney nodded and then reached for a bandage. He carefully wrapped it around Bill’s limp wrist and tied it off as loosely as he could.
“You did good, Barney,” Doctor Smith praised him.
Barney only nodded and then proceeded to treat Bill’s other wrist in the same manner. He finished bandaging just as the doctor finished Bill’s back.
“There’s nothing left to do now, Barney,” the doctor said as he stretched and opened the flap for Barney to descend.
Barney shook his head. “I think I’ll stay for awhile,” he murmured.
“He won’t be waking up for a few hours. Why don’t you step down, have something to eat and stretch out for a nap. It will probably be a long night and we need to guard against a fever rising.”
Barney shook his head. “I don’t want him waking up with no one near him, “ he whispered.
Chapter 3 ~ Thoughts can get in the way
Doctor Jeremiah Smith exited the wagon and walked over to the welcoming camp fire. He accepted the offered coffee and after grimacing once or twice, drank it in one gulp. Charlie, pleased that a stranger drank his coffee with no complaint, offered the doctor another cup. He stretched out his long legs and eyed the wagon master. He wanted to hold his tongue but the words spilled out before he could catch them.
“Mr. Hale, what possessed you to allow that boy into that wagon?” he punctuated his question with a penetrating stare.
Chris, who had been anticipating this exact question, stared back. There was silence for a few minutes before Chris began to speak. “ About a year and a half or so, we noticed a campfire near us when we camped and I sent Bill out to investigate. What he found was an almost fourteen year old boy who insisted that he was traveling to California to meet his father. He had a large dog he named Rusty with him. Anyway, although we all shared thoughts that Barnaby West Jr. was lying and had escaped from an orphanage or run away from home, Bill somehow managed to discover the truth and opened his heart to the boy. The only problem was that there really was a Barnaby West Sr. and Bill convinced Barney that he needed to introduce himself and see if his father needed him.”
Chris stopped to gulp some coffee and Doctor Smith interjected, “ I guess his father didn’t want him or he wouldn’t be here.”
Chris nodded solemnly. “ Bill told us that Barnaby West Sr. had no idea that he had a son but would take him in because it was his duty. Bill said ‘goodbye’ to Barney and walked briskly to the river boat. He told me in private later that he had no idea how he got there because he couldn’t see his way. He was unabashedly crying all the way down the street. Anyway, Barney met his father, step- mother and half- brother and realized in the nick of time, I might add, that the only man he wanted to be his father was about to board a river boat. Those two are devoted to each other. Despite the fact that Bill has never had children, he has guided, supported, praised and punished his surrogate son with equal measure. Barney has every right to be in that wagon, Doctor Smith. He’ll probably stay there too until Coop and I drag him away.”
Unaware that he was the subject of a conversation, Barney had found a chair and sat as close as he could to the unconscious man. Bill was white faced and quiet except for a hitched breath every now and again. He moaned when he tried to turn his head. Barney laid a gentle hand on his father’s good shoulder. “ I’m here Bill. You are safe now.”
By the time most of the passengers had gone to bed and Charlie had finished cleaning up, it was dark at the campfire site. Guards had been posted, horses and livestock checked and there was nothing left to do but sleep. Coop and Chris talked quietly about routes while Charlie paced. He was anxious about Bill and wanted to see for himself how his old friend was doing. He finally slipped away and walked over to the Hawks wagon. He peered inside before he called out and saw Barney curled up in a chair by Bill’s bed. He smiled fondly as he beheld Barney. The young man was fast asleep, his head on the edge of the bed and his hand lying gently on Bill’s. ‘He’s gonna be so stiff when he wakes up’, he thought to himself as he slowly and quietly closed the flap and returned to his bed roll.
The next few days melted into each other. Bill was still unconscious but thankfully had no fever. Barney faithfully tended to his wrists while Coop and Mr. Chris checked and re- bandaged his back. They each took turns watching over their friend at night while Barney insisted that he take over during the day. The wagon train was moving at a snail’s pace. All of them were exhausted but out of loyalty never mentioned it. Barney marveled over the fact that Coop, the more emotional of all of them, had not saddled up and gone after the men who had harmed Bill. Although he had given his word to him, Barney itched to track down the outlaws and kill every last one of them. No one knew, of course, who the outlaws were or why they had targeted Bill. Barney only knew that his father had almost died and someone should pay.
Day after day, he watched Bill sleep. In the beginning, he remembered all the loving conversations they had shared. He could recount the many times that Bill had protected him from bullies or storms. He was learning so much about what it meant to be part of a family and how to act around adults and young ladies. He was learning about responsibility and consequences and if truth be told, had had his backside dusted a few times for disobedience. He was trying really hard not to disappoint Bill.
At the same time, however, inside he was seething. He wanted to avenge Bill’s life and limbs but until Bill woke up and identified them, he could do nothing. He started planning his journey, figuring out how much grub to take, blankets and money and what trails to follow. He ached to practice shooting but they were traveling through Indian territory so that idea was out. He told no one about his plans but his behavior was beginning to tell on his companions.
As the days went by, Barney noticed that a number of passengers inquired about Bill. They offered to sit with him so Barney could sleep or brought homemade soups for Bill to eat. It was hard to tell them all that while he appreciated their caring, his father was still unconscious. Many of the ladies offered to sit with Bill so that Barney could rest, but he always told them that he did not feel comfortable leaving Bill’s side. He often wondered if any of the ladies were interested in getting closer to his father but he dismissed the idea as Bill did not seem interested in any of them when he was conscious.
One evening, a visitor came by. He was a traveling book drummer and began talking with Barney about books that he had read and recommended a few. They began to talk about places they had been and Barney found himself talking about his trek from Virginia to California. The man, whose name was Luke Holcomb, asked a lot of questions about his journey. One night, Barney and Mr. Holcomb were deep in conversation when suddenly Mr. Holcomb asked Barney two unusual questions.
“Why did you hide from Bill when he wanted to know the truth about who you were? How did you feel about wearing a mask?”
Barney thought hard and then replied that he had lived the lie so long that he believed it and was embarrassed to tell the truth even though he wanted Bill’s approval.
Mr. Holcomb then asked Barney if he was planning on avenging his father’s attack. Barney thought hard and replied that, yes, he was thinking about it. Mr. Holcomb’s response startled Barney and stayed with him through the next few days and nights.
“Barney, the journey of revenge is a long one. It is fraught with danger. You never know if you’re on the correct trail. You can be consumed by hatred and fail to see all the beauty of life in front of you. You will miss your family and friends and the most despicable people will become your companions. Be careful what you wish for. I should know. I was once a minister but left my parishioners behind when my wife was murdered. We’ll talk later.”
Chapter 4 ~ Memories and scars
Bill swam through the fog of pain and moaned. He had no idea where he was. He seemed to be floating, suspended somehow in a world of silent, unrelenting hurt. He listened for any sound but all was quiet. No birds chirping, no wind, nothing. Remembering brought fear and anger to the surface and he was glad that his eyes were closed. He became aware that he was lying on a bed of some sort. Someone had found him. He glanced at his arms. His wrists were bandaged. His heart began to race. Where was he? Who was taking care of him?. Where were those men?
Summoning all of his meager strength, he tried to rise up but fell back on his belly as the room swung in dizzying circles. He took stock of his body. His head hurt. His face was bruised and his jaw ached. His shoulder was burning a slow hole inside of him and his back.. ‘Oh God, my back!’ he thought about his back and the remembrance of his suffering came back full force. Suddenly, he heard a noise and opened one eye and immediately met the reason to fight through the pain.
Barney was sitting in a chair by the bed. His face was paler than usual and he’d been crying. Bill sighed and struggled to rise but Barney’s hands gently pushed him down .
“How long?” Bill managed to croak.
“About a week,” Barney recounted. He dipped a cloth into the cool water and ran it gently across Bill’s neck and face. “You’re running a fever,” he stated.
Bill nodded and tried to turn his head but was stopped by the twist of stitches. “Where am I?”
“In our wagon,” Barney answered as he retrieved the cloth and ran it over Bill’s forehead with practiced ease.
“How long have you been with me?”
“Almost since Coop found you. He’d been scouting and saw the rope first then you. Charlie, Mr. Chris and Coop got you in the wagon and Mr. Chris got the bullet out of your shoulder. Coop found a doc and he took care of your back. He said the welts weren’t too deep. I took care if your wrists,” he added proudly.
Bill closed his eyes wearily. “Barney, I’m proud of you,” he gasped, “but I hate to think of your going through all this. I should be taking care of you not the other way around.”
Despite the seriousness of the moment, Barney smiled. “All the times you sheltered me, loved me and saw to it that no one bullied me. It’s just my turn to help you,” he laid a gentle hand on Bill’s arm. “ I’m going to find Mr. Chris now.” He rose and was gone before Bill could say anything else. Despite the heat emanating around him, Bill felt a sudden chill . ‘ If something happened to him, what would become of Barney?’ he wondered.
Bill lost the battle to stay awake and slipped into the land of oblivion again. There was pain and heat and noises but strangely the only thing he felt was a hand gripping his, anchoring him to his son and his life with a wagon train. When he awoke a second time, he knew something was different. His wounds didn’t ache as much and the dressings on his wrists were gone. At first he heard nothing but as he listened with his whole body on alert, he heard soft snores and upon opening his eyes he saw his old friend Charlie Wooster. He smiled as he remembered recruit Charles Wooster. Charlie couldn’t shoot, he couldn’t march, he was practically useless as a soldier. Major Adams had told Bill to do something with Charlie and when Bill discovered that Charlie used to be a cook, well his future in the army and on the Major’s wagon train was secure. Charlie was his oldest friend and even though they riled each other on occasion, they both had a deep respect for the other.
As he pondered his situation, Charlie woke up. “Hey Bill,” he chortled, “ you gonna lay a’ bed all day?”
“I may have to,” Bill tried to smile but his jaw ached. He frowned. “Where’s Barney?”
“I knew it! I knew that would be your first question! I told Mr. Chris…”
“Charlie!” Bill interrupted his exuberant friend. “Where is Barney?”
“Oh, don’t you fret; he’s with Coop. They went to town.”
“Why?”
Bill never got an answer as Chris Hale snuck his head into the wagon. “So, how are you feeling?”
Bill grimaced. He tried to turn over but Charlie was quicker and pushed him down again. “Don’t want to stretch out those fancy stitches,” he murmured as he made for the exit.
Bill shook his head and then glanced over at his boss. “ Chris, why did Coop take Barney to town?”
Chris ran a hand over his face and then sat down by the bed in the chair that Charlie had just vacated. “ I won’t insult you by lying to you. Coop, well all of us really, are worried about Barney. He eats, sleeps and reads by your side. He talks about vengeance and forgiveness in the same sentence and he is worried about you. Coop thought that if he got Barney away from the train, maybe he’d open up.”
Bill’s eyes widened. He had no idea that Barney was as upset as his friends seemed to think. He had to get better. “Chris, how’s my back?”
“Well, it looks a lot better. The welts weren’t that deep to begin with. It’s almost as if the man who did this to you wasn’t trying too hard.”
“He wasn’t. Of all of them, he was the only one who seemed to think I wasn’t who the others thought I was. “
“Who were the men and why were they after you?”
“From what I figured,” Bill gathered his thoughts and remembered aloud, “ they thought that someone named Clem had stolen the bank money from them and hid it. They kept calling me Clem. No matter how many times I insisted that I was Bill Hawks, they kept hitting me. Finally, this young man tore open my shirt. Apparently, this Clem had some type of scar on his chest and of course, I don’t. So they debated what to do with me. Finally, they decided to cut me down but leave me on the ground. Thank God, Coop found me!”
Chapter 5 ~ Revenge’s long trail
“I just can’t! Don’t ask me to!” Barney shook his head and stomped away from Coop. The two of them had stopped in town for a bit of supper before turning in for the night. They had miles to go but did not want to ride in darkness so Coop had reluctantly reserved a hotel room. Coop was at his wits end. He had cajoled, spoken seriously, even joked but Barney would not budge. He steadfastly refused to explain himself. Finally, in desperation, Coop yelled, “What are you afraid of – losing Bill or yourself? “
Barney stopped short on the sidewalk. As he turned to face Coop, he caught his reflection in the window pane of the general store. He saw a young man with emotions written all over his face. He longed to feel Bill’s arms around him but at the same time his fingers itched to kill something, anything to get rid of the feelings of hatred and anger. He didn’t know who he was anymore. The fingers that held a cup for Bill or the water- soaked cloth was also the hand that wanted to kill the people who almost cost him everything. Finally, he slowly made his way back to Coop and followed him to the hotel room.
“I’m sorry, Coop, I guess I’m just so worried about Bill that I’m not thinking straight. “
Coop fiddled with his hat. This was going to be an awkward conversation but he and if truth be told, all of the men who worked with Chris needed to know. Their youngest was hurting. He was fighting the urge many of them had felt and acted upon in their lives. The very last thing that Bill wanted for his surrogate son. It was an awesome responsibility and one he did not take lightly.
“What are you most afraid of?”
“Losing Bill,” Barney’s response was tinged with grief so profound that Coop felt it seep into his bones. Coop swallowed hard.
“That’s not going to happen, “ Coop’s answer was swift.
“You don’t know that!” Barney sat down on the bed and fixed his blurry eyes on his friend. “Any one of those injuries could kill him!”
“The bullet is out and his back is healing, so what is your problem? “
“What if they get infected or those men come back? They know that Bill works on a wagon train. What if they decide to finish him off?” Barney’s voice was at fever pitch now and his body quivered in fear and anger. “I can’t protect him! Not like this!”
“Oh, Barney,” Coop’s arms reached and held the young man. He could feel Barney’s tears as they fell against his shirt and his shoulders shook as the long pent up emotions drained out of him. “First of all, from what Bill has been able to tell us, those animals were too afraid to take him to town because of what they did to him. Getting the money was way too important to them. Next, they never called themselves by name and lastly they all wore masks. He can’t identify them.”
Barney nodded miserably. He felt worse than ever.
“Barney, do you remember the promise you made me when we found Bill?”
“Yeah, I promised to stuff all the fear and anger down deep and take care of Bill with all the good and love in me.”
“You know, you’re real lucky. Almost everyone has to live with the parent they got when they were born. You got to choose.” Coop pointed a finger into Barnaby’s chest for emphasis. “Some parents aren’t nice people. They are mean to their children, they hit their children, they drink a lot. But you chose a man who opened his heart and his arms to you. He may not be perfect but he’s special to you. Do you really want to hurt that special bond by taking off and trailing those men?”
Barney lifted his head and stared into Coop’s dark eyes. “Is that what I’d be doing?”
Coop nodded. “There’s one other thing I gotta tell you. I have a cousin name of Jess Harper. Jess lives in Laramie Wyoming now but he was born and bred on the pan handle of Texas When he was almost 15, a band of men led by Frank Banister began looting, pillaging and killing folks for the fun of it. They also liked to burn houses. Well, one night they torched Jess’ home with his family inside. Jess managed to get one of his sister’s and a brother out but the fire was too intense for him to rescue anyone else. He had to listen to the screams of his parents and the cries of his little brothers and sisters. After he got his sister and brother to relatives, he strapped on a gun and swore an oath to kill every last Banister. The way he told me was long and lonely. He searched for 10 years but never found them. He wandered from town to town, never settling down. He finally found peace on the Sherman Ranch. Slim Sherman ran him off his property and then hired him. They became friends and then partners. Slim’s family became Jess’ family.”
Barney’s tear – filled eyes met Coop’s. “Did he ever find them?”
“One day, the Marshals asked Jess to help them and it turned out that the outlaw they were after was Frank Banister. There was a gunfight and Banister died. Jess felt slightly grieved as he didn’t take part in the killing. You see, he had been shot by one of the Banister’s gang and couldn’t hold a gun. But the thing that Jess is most proud of is that with Slim’s help he turned his life around. He regrets all the lonely years. “
Barney looked up at Coop. “ I think I understand now. The bond I share with Bill is special and if I continue to pursue those men, I could lose Bill. The years we spend now are real important and I have to learn how to stuff my anger away and live my life with hope and love. “
Chapter 6 ~ Another hurdle
The next morning they both cleaned up as best they could and headed to the only diner in town for breakfast. They had wanted to get an early start but they had been exhausted from the conversation the night before and had slept later than usual. The diner was clean and they had no trouble getting a table. Barney had just put his order in, when he noticed Coop staring at someone across the room.
“I’ll be right back!” Coop stood suddenly and walked purposely across the room. Barney watched as the two men greeted each other with exuberant handshakes and then the shorter man picked up his plate and cup and Coop picked up his chair and the two stood in front of him grinning from ear to ear. “Barney, say hello to Henry Kelly! He’s the doctor who saved my life last year.”
Barney listened to Coop and Doctor Kelly’s conversation with increasing excitement. Dr. Kelly was practicing medicine in Massachusetts but was traveling west to see his family. Along the way, he was stopping at every town and offering his services. “A lot of towns don’t have doctors, “ he explained, “ so I do what I can.”
“Do you think you could stop by our wagon train and look at Bill’s injuries? “
Hank, as he preferred to be called, nodded and asked Coop to describe the gun shot and how Bill was recuperating. He seemed impressed with the treatment and Bill’s recovery and agreed to see his new patient. Although none of them knew, Hank’s presence was most fortuitous.
It was midmorning and the heat of the day was catching up with the trio. Coop and Hank, talked about the wagon train. Barney listened politely, but soon lost himself in memories of his new life with Bill. He wanted to believe that Bill was getting better but he had a strange feeling that something bad was coming their way. He was more determined than ever to stay by Bill’s side. The deep, dark feelings of revenge were swiftly fading and when they topped a rise and looked down at the circle of wagons, he had to grab the reins in both fists to prevent his wild ride down the steep hill.
“I must say, you certainly have done a fine job of tending to your assistant, Mr. Hale.” Hank had spent some time examining Bill and approved of the unusual salve used to treat his back.
“Its been awhile since any of our passengers saw a doctor, do you think you could stay awhile with the train? We have provisions to pay for your services and you could stay in my wagon.” Chris added eagerly.
“I’d consider it an honor, Mr. Hale,” Hank shook his hand and Charlie led him to Chris’ wagon.
Barney, in the meantime, had cleaned up and after grabbing some lunch, parted the wagon’s curtain and climbed in. Bill was curled up on his side and at first Barney thought he was asleep but when he moved the chair to the bed, saw Bill’s eyes open. They exchanged a heartfelt look and then Bill asked Barney to help him sit up.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Barney gulped. He caught Bill’s exasperated frown and added quickly, “ you might stretch the stitches.”
“Barney,” Bill’s soft voice halted his nervous reactions. “The new doctor seems to think that I’m on the trail to recovery and besides I want to talk with you. We need to look each other in the eye for this conversation. “
Barney sighed and swallowed hard. For the life of him, he could never refuse Bill anything. He gently pulled Bill up to a sitting position and put several pillows behind his shoulders. Bill shook slightly and Barney noticed beads of sweat form on his father’s forehead. He wasn’t sure this was a good idea. ‘Perhaps the stitches were pulling’, he thought to himself.
“Barney, do you know what a gauntlet is?”
He had heard the word before, maybe in one of the books that Mr. Chris made him read, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what it meant. He frowned and shook his head. “ It’s like a journey?”
Bill looked intently into his eyes. “ I guess you could say that.” He shrugged. “ It’s a test of sorts. The easiest way to describe it is the way the passengers on the train travel to California. Most of them are green horns. They never rode a horse or traveled in a Conestoga wagon or cooked over an open fire. Except for a very few, they haven’t fought Indians either. Yet, they took up the challenge to reach their dream. They each are tested every day.” Bill’s voice grew stronger as he spoke and Barney felt drawn into the story.
“It’s like when I traveled from Virginia to Sacramento,” Barney suddenly realized. “ I had to figure out how to hunt, how to find shelter..” he choked up realizing that he had been tested too during his trek.
“Yeah,” Bill sighed and leaned forward, “Barney, every person has to go through gauntlets. Some are easy; some are difficult. Some people go through their whole lives and then face their greatest challenge at the end of their lives. Some of the tests are about illnesses and some are about family. And some,” he hesitated and then plunged into the most difficult part of this conversation, “ some are about feelings.”
Bill could feel Barney’s eyes boring into him. His hands were clenched into fists. Bill could feel the overwhelming veil surrounding them. The silence was deafening. He cleared his throat.
“ I would have given everything I have so you wouldn’t have had to go through this gauntlet, Barney. Not because I felt that you were too young or that you couldn’t handle it, but because I love you so much and I knew what my injuries would cost you. I have seen men caring for their comrades in war and the toll it takes. I have known revenge. It eats away at your soul and in the end you’re nothing but a shell of the man you were before. I didn’t want that for you; not in a million years.”
“I felt that way,” Barney confessed, his voice soft. He felt guilty and embarrassed. ‘ Maybe Bill would think he was a big baby’ he thought.
Bill reached out and weakly grabbed Barney’s arm. As he felt Bill’s one arm hug, he felt the suppressed anger and the last vestiges of revenge melt away.
“Barney, there’s something I want to do for both of us but until I am well and have saved enough money it won’t happen. I want to adopt you. I have told you that I look on you as a son, well I feel that if I was to become your father then you wouldn’t have to face the world alone anymore.“
Barney turned and looked deeply into Bill’s eyes. His whole body came alive with joy. “Do you really mean that? “
Bill nodded, not sure if his voice worked or not.
“Bill, you’ve been my father in all the ways that matter. I may have started on my gauntlet to find my birth father but I found the only man in the world I needed to be my father on a wagon train. I would be so,” he had no words to express his gratitude, “happy,” he added lamely. “Bill, I” he started to say. He felt Bill stiffen and quickly looked up and saw, to his dismay, Bill’s eyes shift and close in pain. This was not the reaction he expected. Fear coiled itself around his heart and once again the shadow of death descended.
“Bill?”
“I need to lie down, my chest hurts,” Bill gasped.
As Barney began to lower Bill to the bed once more, he suddenly arched his back and began to pant for breath. He clutched his chest and began to cough . Barney watched in horror as a trickle of blood flowed down Bill’s chin. “ I’ll be right back! Don’t go anywhere! “ he yelped and turning, dashed out of the wagon.
Chapter 7 ~ The valley of Life and Death
Once again, Barney was outside a wagon. He wrapped his arms around himself as he tried, without much success, to calm down. He thought they had passed though the curtain of darkness but the shadow of death had come back to haunt them both. He didn’t want to scare the wagon train passengers so he curled into a ball under the supply wagon and covered his face, wet with tears, in his hands. He didn’t hear Coop yell his name until he was finally roused and roughly and unceremoniously hauled to his feet.
“Stop this right now!” Coop hissed in his ear. “He’s not dead yet but he will be if we don’t hurry and do exactly what Dr. Kelly wants.” He shook Barney again. “ Do you understand? “ Coop watched as the fog of fear was replaced with understanding. “Go wash those hands with hot water and soap and get into that wagon.”
Within seconds Barney was back. Coop desperately wanted to comfort the young lad but he knew that Barney was close to breaking down so he just clamped a hand on one of his shoulders and steered him to their wagon. ‘I hope he can handle this. This new dilemma would test them that was for sure. ‘
The first thing Barney saw was their bed had been moved to the center of the wagon. Bill lay on his back and his bandages had been removed. Barney winced when he beheld the dried blood on his shoulder and chest. There was a table to one side with Dr. Kelly’s instruments on it and their lamp which had previously been hanging on a peg was now lit and burning brightly.
“Gentlemen,” Dr. Kelly spoke in urgent tones, “I need all of you to do exactly what I say. Your friend and your father,” he looked kindly at Barney, “needs this operation. What I believe happened is that the bullet Mr. Hale removed nicked one of Bill’s ribs. The bullet fragment caused a dent to form and then more than one fragment scattered in his chest. As you know, you have to remove bullets. They are made of lead and can, if not removed, cause death. What I am going to do, is remove all of then.”
“Excuse me, “ Chris asked, “ can he hear us?” he gestured towards Bill.
“No, Mr. Hale, he can’t. I doused him with laudanum. What I want is you, Coop to hold down his legs in case he bucks. You, Mr. Hale to hold down his arms, and you, Barney have the most important part in this operation. “
Barney blinked in surprise. The last doctor threw him out of the wagon and this one, Coop’s friend, wants him in? ‘Me? ‘ he trembled. He looked warily down at Bill’s quiet form and then suddenly heard Bill’s voice in his head. “He sees the worth in you, like I do.” He blinked back the tears that threatened and in doing so, realized that this was Bill’s gauntlet. If he even had a chance of winning, he had to help him.
“I want you to hold the lamp and give me the instruments when I tell you. It’s fairly simple. They are all different and help me perform different tasks. For instance, this one is called a scalpel. I cut with it. This one,” he held a long thin instrument in his hand, “is called a bullet probe. I can insert it into the chest cavity and use it to find the fragments. It has three different tips. The first one is this one which when I rub it against the fragment it will leave a mark, making it easier to see it. The second one allows me to insert gauze to stem the bleeding and the third one allows me to put medication into the opening. Obviously, the tips are removable. The last instrument is the Bullet Extractor. It is a long instrument with a screw on the end. It’s heavier than the other two. I use it to spear the fragments. These have been in his body all this time and may have attached themselves to vital organs. The last one is the one that looks like a pair of scissors. I’ll use those if I can just pick up the fragments. Do you understand? “
Barney swallowed the lump in his throat. For the remainder of the afternoon, he stood silently, lowering the lantern and handing the instruments to the doctor. He tried to block the noises around him. So far, three bullet fragments had been removed, each making a distinct plop when they hit the alcohol. He tried not to notice the liquid turning red. His knees felt like the strawberry jelly he put on Charlie’s biscuits and he wiggled his shoulders to ease the strain. He had no idea how long he had been standing but it felt like forever. He heard, rather than saw, the fourth bullet fragment hit the alcohol and Doctor Kelly’s pleased grunt.
“Almost done, Gentlemen.”
Barney sneaked a peek at Bill’s face. His eyes were closed, A thin sheen of sweat had plastered his silver grey hair to his forehead. He could have wept with the enormity of the situation and he longed for the days before the shooting. Somehow, he knew that life was never going to be the same again.
“Done!” Dr. Henry Kelly proclaimed in triumph. “All right, Barney why don’t you sit behind Bill while I bandage him. Then you all can go back to your wagons.”
Barney helped wrap Bill’s shoulder and chest and waited until Mr. Chris left. “ When do you think he’ll wake up?”
“Probably tomorrow. You can go now. I’ll stay with him.”
Barney gulped. “Where do you think I should go? I live here!”
“Oh, that’s right!” Hank acknowledged as he wiped his hands. “Well then, how about I leave and you stay. Come and get me if anything changes.”
Surprised, Barney looked up at the doctor.
“You have shown great courage throughout this ordeal and I’m sure he trusts you with his life,” Hank said as he gathered his instruments.
Barney’s heart swelled with pride. They had overcome their gauntlet at last. For the second time, days and weeks melted together. This time, however, the team rotated their visits with Bill. The wagon train continued to weave its way along the trail to California and Coop, Chris, Charlie and Barney each spent time with their unconscious friend. After three long days, Bill broke through the fog and his days improved considerably. Finally, Dr. Kelly gave him permission to mount his horse. Bill was ecstatic. He felt like a new man and in his case he was!
Chapter 8 ~ A new beginning
“ So who’s for traveling back to ST Louis by the riverboat and who’s for riding back?” Chris Hale asked his men as they sat sprawled around his campfire. The merriment of the passengers was winding down and many had retired to their wagons for the night. The annual ritual of The Last Circle Up had been a huge success. Charlie was almost comatose from all the food; Coop was exhausted from all the dancing; Bill was hoarse from singing and Barney, who had been charged with conducting the children’s games, was too numb to answer. Chris smiled at his loyal and motley crew. They were all so different but so good at their tasks that he hoped they all would sign up again.
“Count me in,” called out Charlie as he rose unsteadily to his feet. “What about you, Hawks? “
Bill looked over at Barney. The exchange was silent to all except to them and with a nod of his head, a few words unspoken, Bill’s answer was in the affirmative for both of them.
“Coop?”
The last remaining man in question stood with hands on his hips. “I was gonna go back to Laramie to visit my cousin but I reckon I’ll be riding a boat with you all.”
“Then it’s unanimous., “ Chris slapped his hand down on the makeshift table. “ I’ll telegraph the company to make the reservations.”
A few weeks later the crew of the Hale Wagon Train was safely aboard the riverboat that would take them towards their winter home.
The night was drawing to a close as Bill and Barney stood by the railing looking over the wide expanse of the river. The only sound was of the gushing water below them. The sky was lit up by tiny specks of light and Barney thought he’d never seen a sight more beautiful. Bill’s arm was draped protectively around him and he had never felt so loved.
“So, your first full year on the wagon train. What did you think?”
Barney glanced at Bill. “It was full of firsts for me, that’s for sure.”
“You never got to do any studying of those books Chris got you,” Bill shook his head in dismay.
“Well, there’s a reason for that, you know.” Barney’s eyebrows rose and a small smile played around his lips. “ There was a man I knew, laying on his back or belly most of the time and I had to look after him,” he teased.
Bill shook his head. “ Not my intention, “ he grinned back. “It’s not the best way to travel in a Conestoga wagon,” his words taking on a more serious note. “But I do know one thing.” He gently tugged Barney towards him. “I never would have made it, if it weren’t for you,” he said earnestly.
Barney felt the tell-tale moisture in his eyes and Bill saw them glisten as they slowly began a trek down his young face. “Everyone did their part, Bill.”
“That may be, Barney. But only one person loved me back from the brink. I was hurting something fierce and you were the only one who gave me a purpose to fight to get well.” He pulled his surrogate son closer and together they looked over the scenery again. “Let’s hope that next year will be easier.”
“Well, there’s one thing we both know for certain, “ Barney proclaimed, “we both know how to face gauntlets now and we have each other. “
”I knew there was a reason why you needed to study arithmetic! “ Bill exclaimed. “ That was two things!” The peals of laughter rang out over the ocean and the Hawks family knew that no matter how many hurdles they had to face they would conquer them all together.
***The End***
Author’s Note: Chapter 6 contained a medical operation. I am not a doctor or nurse nor do I play one on tv. I got my medical degree at Google University. All my mistakes are my own.
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