Chapter Ten

Joe rubbed at his shoulders as he tried to push the ache aside. Adam had tried to get him to go to bed, but there was no way he was leaving his father. Not after so long away. After a meal fit for a king and a hot bath, Joe found himself at the mercy of his brothers and a thousand questions. Some of them were easy and some of them he deflected for another day. Adam and Hoss seemed as uneasy with some of his questions and each knew that they were a long way from the full story.

Joe settled in beside his father and once again reached out to take hold of his hand. It felt like all the strength had been drained out of it. His father's breathing hadn't improved and he recalled Doctor Martin's parting words. He was growing weaker and couldn't sustain this for too much longer.

Joe leaned forward and snagged the cloth out of the bowl beside the bed. He wrung it out and began to wipe his father's face and neck.

"Pa … I'm so sorry. This is my fault."

"No, it's not."

Adam had walked in without him knowing and he dragged the chair across to sit beside Joe once again.

"You said he was run down. Hoss told me how Pa refused to stop looking for me."

Adam nodded and tried to decide what to say next. "We thought you were dead, Joe. Hoss and I … we tried to tell Pa to stop. But he just wouldn't give up on you."

"I should have come back."

"Why didn't you?"

What a question! There were a hundred answers and no answer.

"That day … at the pass." Joe swallowed down the fear that had choked him that day. It was no longer rational and yet it still rose up and tried to choke him again. His brother was sitting right in front of him and Hoss was bringing in firewood. "They said you were both dead."

"We nearly were."

Joe looked up and saw again the pale scar that ran across Adam's temple. It had been that close.

"I had no bullets left. They said they were going to kill me and I ran. Like a coward."

Adam reached out a hand and grasped his brother's forearm. "What honour would there have been to stay and die? You survived."

Joe shook his head at the memory and tried again. How did he explain the things that had happened in the days after? The black shadow that had stalked him and nearly driven him mad.

Hoss nudged the door open and made his way in with an armload of wood. He dropped it by the fireplace and shoved a couple of pieces into the flames. He'd heard Adam's question and waited to hear the answer. Assuming Joe was going to answer. When it became clear he wasn't going to, he settled himself on the window ledge and nodded towards their father.

"Pa's gonna be right happy that you ran and stayed alive."

All three of them looked towards the man who was still oblivious to any of them.

"I dreamed about him."

Adam waited as Joe seemed to shrink in front of him.

"I dreamed he blamed me."

"Joe, ain't none of this was your fault. Them men working for Jamison was to blame." Hoss felt his fists clenching as he recalled the reason behind the attack. Money!

"It was like a bad dream. One I couldn't wake up from."

"I know what you mean." Adam closed his eyes and he thought back on the days following Joe's disappearance. He'd lost his brother when he'd promised to bring him back safely.

When it became apparent Joe wasn't going to say anything further, Adam tried a different tack.

"Tell us about your princess."

Joe looked up to see Adam smiling at him.

"She's a little beauty."

"Yeah, she is. Shame her people don't see that."

"What? Are they blind?"

Joe laughed at Hoss' indignant response and nodded. "I guess they are. Seems they don't like half-breeds any more than anyone else does."

"Sounds familiar."

"Her father called her his treasure and gave her to me. Right before he died."

The pain in Joe's voice reflected on his face.

"He was a friend?" Adam already thought the answer was obvious, but prodded anyway.

"He saved my life. He could have left me out there to die." Joe scrubbed a hand across his face as he remembered that day. "I wanted to. I thought I had gotten you both killed."

Hoss let out another frustrated sigh at his brother's words.

"If I hadn't gotten drunk, we never would have stopped there on the pass."

"Joe, those men were sent out to get us and it would have happened farther up the pass if we hadn't stopped there. It had nothing to do with you!" Adam could see it was going to take a lot more convincing, but he let it slide. For now.

Ben chose that moment to mutter something and all three huddled closer.

"Pa?" Joe reached for his father's hand again.

"Jos'ph."

"Pa! I'm right here, Pa!"

He waited impatiently for his father to open his eyes and was finally rewarded.

"Dreaming?"

"No, Pa. It's no dream. Little Joe made it home!" Hoss sat down on the far side of the bed and grinned at his father.

Ben's lips turned into a hint of a smile before his eyes slid closed again.

"Pa!"

"It's all right, Joe. That's the best he's been for days. I told you he'd hear you!" Adam smiled at his youngest brother.

As promised, Paul returned the next day and was relieved to see his patient had woken several times. Each one was short-lived, but it was a turn in the right direction. He wasn't surprised to find that Joe had not left his father's room and was sound asleep in a chair beside the bed. He approached as quietly as possible and smiled at the reversal of roles. How many times had Ben sat with his son while he recovered from an illness or an injury?

He reached out a hand and grasped Joe's shoulder to shake him awake. He was surprised at the muscle beneath his fingers and took another look at the young man before him. A lot had changed.

"Joe?"

Joe startled awake and almost leapt up from the chair. "Doc! He's all right, isn't he?"

"Relax, Joe. I just came to check in on him and your pa is on the mend. Thanks to you, I think."

Joe looked into the man's eyes and saw he was being serious.

"He needed you back, son."

Joe turned away as he considered the fact he'd chosen to stay away. How was he ever going to explain that one to his family? If he'd just come home, his pa would never have even been sick.

"Joe? What's wrong?"

"Doc … I …" Joe seemed to fold right in front of his eyes and Paul grasped at his arms to keep him upright. He eased him back into a chair and took hold of his wrist to check his pulse.

Adam had filled him in on some of the conversation from the night before and he'd assured both brothers that Joe would be just fine, given time. He looked at the young man in front of him.

"Son, I don't know what's happened or where you've been, but I do know that things are going to be all right. You are home now with your family."

Joe closed his eyes and tried to hold in a sob. His family. For far too long he'd believed that was a lost dream.

"Joseph." The soft-spoken word was enough to pull him upright.

"Pa!"

Joe settled on the side of the bed and watched as his father reached for him. This time, the hands stayed entwined in his and he felt a little strength returning. His father was still far too weak and his face still bore the traces of fever, but he was back.

Paul left his bag where it was and slipped out of the room.

Ben lifted a hand and wiped at the trace of tears on his son's face. "I thought I dreamed you up."

Joe grinned at him and rubbed at his own face. The words tumbled around in his head and refused to come out.

"I'm sorry, Son."

"What for?"

"Giving up on you."

"I almost gave up on myself."

Joe hung his head as he stared at his own hands. It would have been so easy to give up. That day on the pass. The ugly days that followed. The nightmare days after Zhu lost his fight. The battle to cross the pass for home when common sense said he should have stopped.

Ben reached a hand around behind Joe's head and drew his son closer.

It had taken another week before Paul would allow Ben out of bed and his frustration had only been tempered by having Joe sit with him and allowing the full story to come out. He was thankful for a man he would never meet and knew he owed the stranger his boy's life. Taking care of his daughter seemed like the only fitting thing to do and he had spoken several times with Hop Sing about how to do that best. The child spoke Mandarin and only some Cantonese and a little English, but Hop Sing assured him that she would learn with good tutelage. He was ready and willing to pay whoever he needed to for as long as he needed to in order to make that happen.

The first day he was allowed downstairs, he'd been pleased to see the girl had settled in and followed Hop Sing to help with whatever chore he was working on. She chattered happily with him and copied him when he corrected her words.

Joe had described her as exotic and he could only agree. He'd heard of Javanese women from sailors who had sailed to the Dutch East Indies and he saw her mother's heritage in the girl. Sadly, it would be a curse that would work against her if she was not valued for who she was.

One evening after dinner, Ben asked for all of them to gather in the great room. Hop Sing brought Jia in and settled her on the sofa beside Joe. She looked nervous and she glanced up at Hop Sing for reassurance. He smiled at her and patted her arm before whispering something to her.

"Jia, we hope you've enjoyed being here with us." He waited for Hop Sing to translate and the girl stood and bowed deeply.

"Most … hon-our-able … house." It was clear she had been practising the words and Ben smiled at her as she sat back down.

"Your father requested that Joe take care of you. I've asked Hop Sing to ask in town about a possible family for you to live with."

Again, Hop Sing translated and Jia's face fell. He began to speak again and she pulled away from him. Nobody understood the words that tumbled out, but the fear in them was clear.

Suddenly Jia grasped at Hop Sing's hand and tugged him towards the door. She was pointing outside and he reluctantly followed her. Joe was already on his feet, completely at a loss as to what was wrong. Jia dragged Hop Sing across the yard to the barn and they followed along behind. Adam pulled out a lantern and quickly lit it so they could see what was going on. Joe watched as Jia climbed into the back of the wagon that had been stored there since they had arrived home. She began to tug at a piece of the flooring and he was stunned when she finally pried a piece loose. Underneath was a metal box and she pulled it free. She scrambled down off the wagon and thrust it into Ben's hands. Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.

"Hop Sing?" Ben looked to his friend to make sense of the situation.

"Honourable father hide money. Not get stolen. Daughter think Mister Ben not happy and want to send her away. Says she pay money for her food and bed. Work hard if allowed to stay."

Hop Sing looked shaken and he stopped translating and rushed forward to take hold of the girl's arms. His words were urgent and he shook her arms as if to underscore his point. Finally Jia stopped and stared at Joe. He had no idea what she had been saying, but he hurried over and gathered her into his arms.

"Tell her we aren't sending her away! Tell her!"

Jia clung to his waist and he felt her tears wetting his shirt.

"Pa, it's freezing out here and you need to be inside." Adam was insistent as his father was still recovering and Paul had warned he could still relapse if he wasn't careful.

Joe pointed towards the house and tugged Jia with him. She refused to let go of him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they all headed back towards the house.

Ben reluctantly settled himself back in his chair and gestured towards the sofa. Joe brought Jia back to where she had been and still had his arm around her. He felt her trembling against him and knew it had nothing to do with the cold. Ben still held the money box in his hands and he put it on the table in front of Jia.

"Tell her, this money is her inheritance. I will not take one penny of it."

Jia stared at the floor, acutely aware she had made an unforgivable scene.

Hop Sing sat down on the seat Jia had been in and he began to speak in a calming tone.

'Tell her we are not sending her away. We want her to be happy with a Chinese family. Where she will feel at home and be able to communicate freely."

Again, Hop Sing spoke, but Jia would not look up from the floor. She had disgraced herself and no amount of money would restore that honour. Her father would be so disappointed.

"Tell her, that we consider her a part of this family and she is welcome here any time."

As Hop Sing delivered this last comment, she felt the tears pricking at her eyes again.

Joe prodded at her arm and she slowly turned towards him.

"Xiǎo mèimei." The pronunciation was a little off, but it was clear that Joe had practiced and learned the words for her.

The tears were now trailing down her cheeks again. It was too much to hope for. She wrapped her arms around Joe's neck as he hugged her back.

"We aren't getting rid of you! I promise!"

Adam looked at the girl who had stolen his brother's heart. It wouldn't be easy for her, but she would always have a family to protect her and back her, in whatever path she chose. He looked again at the money tin on the table. The greed for money had started this whole nightmare. He smiled to himself as he knew that no amount of money could buy what his family had.

Bàba – Papa

Xiǎo mèimei – little sister

I hope you have enjoyed the story (well, more than Joe did!). Thank you for the lovely reviews and comments along the way. They are very much appreciated. See you next time when inspiration strikes.