The Gift

By JoeC

The flames ate into Joe’s hands. The pain that ran over his fingers into his arms was clearly felt. Joe ignored it anyway.  A greater pain gripped his heart. Alice, his Alice was in the burning house. With all his might, Joe pushed the burning beams aside. When he tried to run into the house, hands held him back.

“Let go of me, I have to go to Alice.” With a booming voice, Joe tried to pull the burning beams aside.

Any further attempts to get into the house failed. Candy held him as tightly as he could to prevent Joe from going to the burning hell. The hot flames gripped Joe’s jacket, the smoke burned in his lungs and breathing became difficult.

“Let me go to Alice.” The tears running down his cheeks dried instantly in the heat of the fire. The hands that held him were stronger. They pulled him away from the burning house.

Joe heard his name being called.  It was Candy’s voice.  However, he did not want to give up, he had to find Alice. Joe tried to tell Candy that Alice was in the house. His voice broke and a strong coughing attack robbed him of his words.

“Joe…Joe, it’s too late.”

Candy appeared in front of him and shouted the words Joe never wanted to hear. The house burned down. Joe had resisted until all strength left his body and he fainted to the ground.

***

Jamie drove the team into the courtyard of the Ponderosa. At the top of his lungs, he screamed for Ben. “Pa, Pa.  The house is on fire. Come quickly.”

Ben stormed out of the house and saw Jamie stop the wagon in front of the house.

“Jamie, slowly, boy. What’s wrong?”

In a voice choked with tears, Jamie said, “Pa, we need help. The house is on fire and Joe ran inside to save Alice.”

Ben had blankets and water placed in the wagon and sent Hank for the doctor.  Ben got on his horse, followed by Jamie and two workers with the team.  

Arriving at the house, Ben saw the burning remains and the smoking ruin of the house. The only thing left was the chimney. Ben jumped off his horse and ran to Candy, who had bent over Joe.

“How’s Joe?” Ben’s voice had a panicked undertone. 

“He’s alive, but his hands look bad.”

Candy’s voice kept breaking. A coughing fit gripped him so hard that tears ran down his cheeks.

Ben took Joe’s head in his lap. Black shreds of skin hung down from the inner surfaces of his hands. Although his son had to be in severe pain, Joe did not make a sound.

The arriving wagon with the ranch hands stopped next to them. Henry, an older worker, took the water containers and poured the contents over Joe’s hands.

“Mr. Cartwright, we need more cold water.”

Jamie took the empty containers and ran to the small stream that flowed near the house.

Joe’s rattling breath, which was drowning everything out, worried Ben. He knew that inhaled smoke was dangerous.

“Let’s get him in the wagon.  Doc Martin’s on the way.  What about Alice?”

Ben looked into Candy’s eyes and they were as black as the burnt wooden beams of the house. Candy lowered his eyes and shook his head. Hopelessness filled Ben’s heart.

Like a procession, the wagon drove back to the Ponderosa.

***

The waiting had demanded all the patience Ben could muster.

“Pa, please sit down. If you keep walking around the room like this, you’re going to fall over.”

Ben gave Jamie a look that silenced the boy. The silence of the house was repeatedly interrupted by Joe’s cough. After what felt like an eternity, Doc Martin came down the stairs.

“How is he?” Ben’s voice had a rough and desperate sound.

“Calm down, Ben. There is no danger to life. His hands are burned and he has inhaled a lot of smoke, but he is a healthy young man. He will survive. The situation is different with his state of mind. He has lost his wife and baby and that will have a powerful impact on his healing.”

Ben’s gaze sought a point behind Doc Martin. His eyes burned from tears that had not yet been wept. His heart became heavy.  First they had lost Hoss and now Alice and the baby. Ben felt like life was running through his fingers.

Ben snapped himself out of his thoughts to ask, “Did you find Alice?”

“Not yet, sir, but Candy wanted to check the ruins, “Jamie’s voice threatened to fail.

 The doctor walked toward the door.  He gave Ben a telling look. “Watch out for Joe, Ben.”  Then left the house.

***

Joe dreamed of a mighty fire dragon. The heat was everywhere as this animal opened its mouth and an orange-red flame escaped. The people standing around him started screaming. The noise pierced Joe’s head like a sword. Now he, too, was screaming. Louder and louder until the flame touched him. Pain, pain everywhere. Then everything was silent. A cool breeze could be felt on his forehead. It felt good. His head, which had wanted to explode, felt lighter. The pain subsided. Joe heard his father’s reassuring words. He didn’t understand what he was telling him, but before he could understand a dark void settled over him.

Sitting at Joe’s bedside, Ben heard loud voices outside the house. Candy was shouting for Doc Martin.  He also noticed how Joe reacted to the shouts. His son reared up and started to cry out as well.

Ben tried to calm Joe with gentle words and put a cold wet cloth on his forehead. Only then did Joe calm down.

Ben left the now quiet Joe to investigate.

***

Again and again, Joe’s consciousness drifted into reality. He opened his eyes and saw Ben or Jamie sitting at his bedside. Before Joe could ask something he fell asleep. The next time he woke up, the sun shone into his room.

“Hello, Joseph.  It’s nice to see you awake. I have some water. Come let me help you.”

Joe looked at his bandaged hands and remembered what had happened.

“She’s dead, Pa! Alice was in the burning house. I couldn’t help her.” Despair gripped Joe. The heartbreaking sobs were only interrupted by a coughing attack.

“Joe, calm down. Alice lives. She lives Joe.”

“She’s alive?”

“She survived in the little earth cellar you built. Candy found her there. She’s in the next room.

“I need to see her.”

Joe wanted to leave the bed but Ben stopped him.

“First you need to know what happened with Alice. She was beaten unconscious and then they set the house on fire. Alice was also to be killed because she saw her brother’s murder. She awoke and was able to flee into the small cellar. That saved her life, but she lost the Baby.”         

Joe looked at his father in horror. His mouth opened but no words came out. Tears appeared in his eyes.

“Please Pa, take me to Alice.”

Ben help Joe to get to Alice’s room and sat him down next to her bed. She was sleeping. 

With a last look Ben left the room.

***

Two weeks later, the whole family sat together at the table for the first time since the disaster. Despite his bandaged hands, Joe was already able to use them. Alice was very pale. The miscarriage was difficult for her to cope with. Both were still filled with the grief for the lost baby and the loss of Alice’s brother.

“As soon as my hands are healed I will go out and get wood for our new home.”

Joe had already spoken to Alice about the new house. He wanted to think positively and plan a future together, despite the pain they both felt. The new house would stand a little away from the ruins of the old house. Candy and Jamie had also expressed their willingness to help.

In the days that followed, Joe got more and more involved in planning. The new house would be larger than the old one and have a porch. Joe’s enthusiasm also gripped the others and gradually the heavy mood on the Ponderosa cleared.

Ben was grateful that his son saw a hopeful future for himself and Alice. The only thing that made him a little thoughtful was how Alice reacted to the situation. As more and more hope filled the Ponderosa, she became paler and quieter.

***

Over the next few weeks, Ben noticed the mood between Alice and Joe shifting. Joe expected Alice to be happy about the new plans he was making for both of them, but Alice was never seized by his joy. 

On a warm October day, she sat on the porch and sewed. Ben sat down next to her.

“I know I shouldn’t interfere in your relationship, but something is wrong.  Want to tell me?” Ben looked at his daughter-in-law. His worry reflected in his smile.

“Oh Pa, I don’t know. I’m still crying for my baby. I can’t forget it so quickly. I know Joe still feels grief, but he can distract himself with the plans for the new house.”   

Her desperate look hit Ben’s heart. “There’s more that weighs on you. I can feel it.”

Alice lowered her gaze and tears ran down her cheeks. Even though Ben would have liked to urge her to tell him everything, he gave her the time she needed.

“Today, we met Sheriff Coffee.  He told us the men who murdered my brother were killed in Carson City when they resisted arrest.  The music box was found in their leader’s hotel room.”

“Thank God.” Ben folded his hands.

“Joe wanted to go after these criminals, but he realized he couldn’t hold a gun. That’s why he left everything to the sheriff. That’s also why he’s concentrated on the new house.”

“I understand but isn’t that wonderful news?  Now that danger is over you can think about your future again.”

“That’s the problem.” Alice covered her face with her hands and began to sob. “I … I never want to move into a house where I will be left alone.”  The trembling in Alice’s voice increased.  “The fire … the fear of dying, the loss of the baby … I never want to feel that again.”  

“So that’s what’s been bothering you for weeks? The fear of being alone and defenseless. Did you talk to Joe?”

“Oh my goodness, Pa. Joe is obsessed with the new house.  He is paying no attention to anything else.”

Before Ben could say anything, Alice jumped up and ran into the house.

***

“Joe, a word, please.”  Ben had thought long and hard about whether he should interfere. But he also saw how fanatically Joe organized the house construction and did not pay attention to Alice. “Alice is not feeling well. You should sit down with her and talk.” Ben’s statement was carefully worded so as not to offend. He knew how sensitive his son could be to interference.

“I know Alice is miserable. We have lost our baby. Of course, she is suffering. I am too.”

“It’s not just the miscarriage. Go upstairs and take your time to listen to her.”

The undertone of Ben’s speech made Joe take notice. He nodded and went to his wife.

***

Epilogue

The snow-runners of the sleigh glided gently through the freshly fallen snow. Two people snuggled up close to each other and covered with a warm fur drove in the direction of Lake Tahoe.

“Which direction now?” The voice under the thick scarf had a hollow tone. Wordlessly, a gloved hand pointed toward the lake. After a few minutes the path ended. “That’s Thunderbird, what are we doing here?” Joe turned to his wife and looked at her questioningly. Without another word, Alice got out of the carriage and offered her hand to Joe.  

“A surprise”.  

Laughing, Alice pulled Joe over to a rock formation a few feet from the water. There, well hidden among the rocks, Joe saw a small cabin.

“Since when is a cabin here?” Joe’s astonishment was great as he looked at Alice.

“A surprise for you, my love. You gave up a new house for me. Now that we live on the Ponderosa, we need privacy too. A love nest for both of us.”

Beneath the thick scarf Joe could only see Alice’s eyes, and the deep love she felt for him. Overwhelmed by the gift he gave Alice a big hug.

“Thanks.”

Arriving at the door, Joe grabbed Alice and with an elegant swing he carried her into the cabin.

The End

[December 2022]

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