"Adam Cartwright sick? Not possible," he thought with a sly grin as he slowly worked the kinks out of his back and took the book from his chest softly setting it down on the table next to him.

Joe was the only one sick at the moment and Adam hoped it stayed that way. But still, he felt stiff and sore, not quite like himself that morning, but quickly he shrugged it off. He had sat up the whole night with Little Joe, after talking his father into going and getting some rest. Joe had been sick for close to four days, and there had been no change. He was still burning up with fever, and still tossing his head relentlessly on his pillow.

Slowly Adam stood, and the room took a spin. He froze and waited for his head to stop spinning. "Adam Cartwright, won't get sick!" he chided himself and straightened his apparel before heading out of the room and down the stairs for breakfast.

Hoss and his father already sat at the table eating, and Hoss looked up as Adam came down.

"How is he this mornin'? Any better?" he asked hopefully.

Adam gravely shook his head but stopped when it made him dizzy again. "No," he answered instead.

Hoss' face dropped and his head turned back to his plate. Ben hadn't looked up at all as he slowly poked his food about his plate. The sight of breakfast appalled Adam and he pushed his plate away pouring himself a cup of coffee. Slowly Adam sipped it and watched the two as they slowly mulled over their food. Adam sighed inwardly. Now was defiantly not the time to even consider getting sick. Thus his mind was made up, and his stubborn streak set in. He was going to remain healthy.

Slowly Ben stood and walked for the stairs pausing at the landing and looking up. His sons watched him in mute wonder and Ben turned smiling briefly at them. Hoss offered a smiled back and Ben turned going back up the steps towards his youngest son's room.

The house fell deathly quiet and Hoss slowly finished his breakfast.

Adam cleared his throat and set his cup down. "I figured I'd spend the morning getting the books caught up, then I was going to ride over to the south fence. Someone mentioned it needed repaired from the spring rains," Adam mumbled quietly to Hoss who slowly nodded his head.

"Yeah, I reckon I'll finish up around here, and go with you."

Adam smiled and stood pausing for a moment to allow his stomach to settle.

"I guess we can head out then after lunch."

Hoss nodded and slowly placed his napkin back on the table, heading for the door. "You let me know if there's any change with…" His eyes darted up stairs and Adam smiled.

"You'll be the first I'll tell."

Hoss turned and left gently shutting the door behind him. Slowly Adam sighed and walked stiffly to the desk where he lowered himself into a chair and bent his head studiously over his work. He worked solidly until lunch, his gaze never lifting from the pile up of paper work. It had been neglected since Joe had fallen ill, and Adam was astounded at the amount that could pile up in just four short days. Slowly his head lifted and he sat back in his chair, tossing down the pencil and rubbing his eyes. He allowed them to trail around the room and landed on the stairs, looking up at the top.

He sighed deeply and stood, walking away from the desk, he headed to the dining room table and was astounded to see lunch all set out and waiting. Carefully he sat and glanced at the food. Again the sight of it repelled him, but, he decided to try a little anyway. Hoss entered shortly after and filled his plate heartily as Adam choked his down. Again he reminded himself that he was not going to be sick, and again he pushed his plate away sipping his water.

"Pa been down?" Hoss asked after some moments of eating.

"No," Adam sighed. "I guess I'd better go and get him."

He stood and a dizzy spell over took him, causing him to stop his advance and place his hand on the table to steady his balance. Hoss didn't notice.

"Danburnit Adam!" he sighed under his breath. "This waitin' has about run me outta patience." His eyes lifted and he searched for some form of condolence from Adam.

The eldest son of the Cartwright's understood Hoss' discomfort at once, and he smiled an easy smile, hoping to quell his brother's worry. "Yeah," he said slowly. "I suppose it has us all on edge, but…" his voice trailed off as Hop Sing entered and frowned at Adam

"Mr. Cartwright no come down?"

"Uh no, I was just going to get him." Adam smiled reassuringly and went slowly up the stairs heading for Joe's room. Carefully he opened the door, and took in the scene before him. Ben stood at the window his hands clasped tightly behind his back, and his eyes boring wholes through the glass. Joe still tossed back and forth on his pillow, his face ash white.

"Pa?" Adam began softly entering the room fully. "Pa, I thought I'd come sit with Joe for a minute while you got something to eat."

Ben turned slowly and his eyes focused on Adam for a moment before sliding to Joe and then to the floor. "No…" he paused and nodded slowly. "Alright." He gave Joe one more worried glance before turning and heading out of the room.

Softly the door shut and tiredly Adam sank into a chair. His suddenly heavy head falling into his hands. He glanced back up after his stomach settled and frowned at the polar complexion of Joe.

"You know," he began with worried sarcasm. "White just isn't you color. Well, not that white anyway."

He pulled himself away from the bed and went to stand in front of Joe's dresser, catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror as he did so. His expression dropped and his head slowly turned back to Joe.

"It really it's mine either."

He shrugged it off, and went back to his chair taking a rag and running it over Joe's head. His brother groaned deeply and Adam sighed.

"You know, you really are stretching your father's patience on this one. Probably been the only time you're allowed to get away with it."

Adam stood, caught his head as he did so and went to look out the window. He really was starting to feel worse as the day wore one.

"Probably got it from Joe," he thought sullenly then looked at his brother's face in mock anger. "Weren't enough you had to make yourself sick, now you're trying to drag me with you. Well," he straightened in defile. "I'll have no part of your schemes."

Suddenly the whole conversation seemed ridiculous to Adam and he went and took his seat again. His hands idly played with the blankets, and soon after his father returned. Smiling a half smile at Ben, Adam gave Joe's head a slight squeeze before heading out into the hall.

Suddenly all he wanted to do was lay down. He didn't feel like dragging his tired aching body all the way down stair and outside, let alone sit on a horse for the next couple of hours. He shook his head and sighed as his mood slowly deteriorated to frustration. Placing one foot in front of the other he moved himself downstairs and met with an awaiting Hoss. He hooked a thumb outside.

"I got the horses all ready."

Adam waved a hand to show he had heard and walked for the door grabbing his hat and gun belt. It nearly fell from his hand, and quickly his other snaked out and grabbed it, he sent a wiry glance all about the room. No one was about, and carefully Adam strapped on his gun belt and shrugged on his coat.

A slight breeze was dancing about the yard, very slight indeed, but it sent shivers up and down Adam's spine and subconsciously he pulled his coat closer.

Hoss glanced at him and he frowned. "Got your coat on?" Hoss asked stating the obvious.

Adam rolled his eyes walking over. "No," he began sarcastically. "Is that what they call this thing?" he said shrugging his shoulders and glancing at his coat.

Hoss' eyes narrowed, undermost circumstances Hoss would have shrugged off his brother's flippant remark, but this was different. His brother's mood swing had not gone unnoticed by Hoss and suddenly he was suspicious and it grew when he noticed how tired Adam suddenly looked. Adam was normally sarcastic, but now was hardly the time for it, and Hoss knew something else was up.

"What's wrong?" he asked bluntly not quite mastering the art of a subtle approach.

Adam smiled irritably, his shrewd mind spinning to come up with a quick reply. "With Joe on death's door, the man asks me what's wrong," Adam grumbled swinging up onto Sport and nearly tumbling off again.

That however was completely missed by Hoss for his head had dropped at that moment to look at his boots. Adam glanced back at him suddenly slightly resentful of his own sharpness and he put on an easy smile.

"Actually, I've had my head buried in the accounts all day."

Hoss looked up with new understanding at this statement and he smiled. "Well, a ride outta be just the thing to clear your head." He swung up onto his own horse and they started away.

Adam nodded his approval and was happy that Hoss had come up with his own conclusions about Adam's waning mood, even if it was far from the truth.

They rode for some time, and when at last they reached the fence Adam was eternally grateful. Each step of the horse had jarred the balance in his head until he had clamped his eyes shut as the ground spun about him. He felt terribly sick, and he was cold, even in what he knew it to be a warm day.

Happily Hoss dismounted his horse and breathed in deeply, smiling at the freshness the air had brought.

"It sure is nice to get out of the house," he stated then sighed. "Or I reckon it would be if Joe were here." He turned back to Adam who was walking toward him.

Only moments before Adam had nearly fallen off his horse, head first, and was ever so grateful that Hoss' back was to him. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Hoss and slowly he surveyed the fence in front of him. Inwardly he groaned at the amount of work stretched out before him. He didn't want to do any of it. But tucking his resentment away he slowly set himself to the task set before him, working all the rest of that day with Hoss, and when at last they had finished he sat back and wiped his sweating brow as he shivered noticeably. Hoss noticed this, and his face rose with alarm. He quickly crossed the distance between him and Adam, and his hand slapped on his brother's forehead.

"Why!" he cried in surprise. "You're burning up!"

"Yup," Adam replied nonchalantly pushing Hoss' hand away. "I just finished putting fifty posts back in the ground."

Momentarily unnerved by his brother's comment Hoss turned back to his horse reaching for his canteen. "No," he said slowly. "I don't think so." He turned back facing Adam.

"Don't think what!" Adam cried exasperated, standing and starting for his brother with the pretense of being angry, but another dizzy spell gripped him and he lurched forward gripping his head.

Hoss easily caught him and stood him upright. "And I suppose that was just you working out in the sun to long?" Hoss looked at him his eyebrows uprising and Adam sighed.

"I'm just tired…" He broke off when he noted Hoss' face and suddenly all the energy drained from him and he sat back.

"Let's get home." Hoss mumbled and Adam nodded agreement standing unsteadily and walking to Sport.

They slowly rode homeward with Adam's eyes never leaving the ground, and Hoss keeping most of his attention glued on his older brother. Adam smiled thinly as they rode and his bobbing head turned to look at Hoss.

Hoss glanced back and smiled embarrassed by being caught in the act of watching his brother. "What?" he asked innocently.

"Afraid I'll disappear?" Adam asked sarcastically.

"Now it ain't nothin' like that, and you know it."

Adam chuckled softly and nodded his head. "I know."

Slowly they pulled into the ranch yard and Adam stumbled from his horse and stood still as Hoss took them to the barn.

"You'd better get yourself some rest," he called over his shoulder. "No sense in you gettin' as sick as Little Joe."

Adam stood watching him leave, a crooked frown on his face. How he hated being sick. Slowly he walked into the house, and sank onto the couch.

"Well Little Joe," he muttered. "Looks like you win." His head fell back against the couch and moments later he was fast asleep.

He never felt the blanket that was draped over him by Ben. He didn't stir when Hoss cared him upstairs later that night, and he never heard the low conversation that Ben had with the doctor the next day. No, Adam didn't awake again until three days later when something was gripping his hand in a death grip and it had started to hurt. Slowly he allowed his eyes to open and he blinked back at the blaring light from the sun. His head instantly turned to see what was causing his hand to hurt, and he saw the top of someone's brown curly hair. Joe.

His head was resting on the bed as one of his hands gripped Adam's and was thus causing the discomfort. He was skinnier than Adam remembered, and he was still pale. Adam's mouth moved to speak, but he couldn't get his voice to work, so after a few more tries he finally cleared his throat and managed a "Joe?" that even surprised him at how week it sounded.

The head shifted and groaned.

"Joe?" Adam said again louder and slightly more stronger.

Joe's head lifted from the bed and his eyes came to rest on Adam. "Adam?" he began confused then his whole face lit. "Welcome back, older brother." He smiled and Adam smiled back.