BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

By Debra © 2001

CHAPTER FOUR

It is early morning the day after the storm. The ranch rooster is crowing his head off. He knows that everyone on the ranch has an abundance of chores to do. What the poor old rooster doesn't quite understand is that everyone on the ranch has been up since before the crack of dawn. He continues his morning tune without giving it much thought.

Jeremiah and Louise are walking around Teaspoon and Rachel's home surveying the damage the storm left behind. Jeremiah picks up a large stone and hurtles it at the unsuspecting rooster perched on his wooden post that survived the storm but is slanted semi sideways.

"Can't that dumb bird see that we are all out of bed?"

"Jeremiah the rooster only understands sunrise. Please don't throw any more stones at my rooster. The poor thing probably had a rough night in that awful storm," Louise spoke in a concerned manner for one of her animals.

Louise, with hands exhaustingly perched on her hips, looks out over the ranch from just outside the white picket fence that goes around the front of Rachel and Teaspoon's home. Her keen eyes don't miss a thing. The bunkhouse windows are completely shattered. The roof will definitely need patched up as well. The firewood once neatly stacked on the bunkhouse porch is strewn all over the ranch land. She should be able to help with restacking the firewood. Her eyes scan towards her home. Her clotheslines are lying on the ground. "So much for hanging clothes out today." Her porch looks about the same as Rachel's. Some of the flowerpots are broken with dirt and uprooted flowers scattered everywhere. Very few flowerpots are simply overturned but not broke. Flower baskets that were once hanging from the porch rafters are now on the ground. The flowers completely smashed. I won't be able to breath life back into these flowers she thought as she continued her survey of the ranch. The wooden chairs are over turned, many are broken and scattered in the yard. A few upstairs windows are cracked, but not completely broken out. From the front, a few pieces of roof will have to be replaced on the porch roof. There's no telling what damage has been done to the back of the house. "I'm sure my garden is probably flattened." From where she is standing Louise can't tell what kind of damage may have been done to Buck's home.

Jeremiah scans the barn and corral fences. The barn roof has holes big enough to fall in. Kid and Buck will need his help to get things back in shape before cold weather hits. There is no way Louise will be able to say no to his offer of help. Even Kid, who thinks he is immature, will gladly accept his willingness to help with repairs. The corral fences suffered the worst damage. Many parts are completely down, or if not down, the wood is split in half. The water trough is completely ruined. Maybe that could be Jeremiah's first project. They can't go without a water trough. A fire would surely destroy the ranch without water to put it out. As he's looking around at everything he can fix, Buck and Kid walk out of the barn. Kid and Buck meet up with Louise and himself standing in front of Rachel and Teaspoon's home.

Kid opens the gate to the white picket fence. It falls off its hinges. "Looks like we have our work cut out for us." He leans the gate up against the inside of the fence.

"What about playing marshal and deputy?" Louise asked a teasing smirk playing on her facial features at Kid and Buck's poor misfortunes.

"That's our job too," Buck replied discouraged.

Buck follows Kid through the broken down gate. They walk up the steps leading to the porch. The destruction on the porch floor is scattered dirt everywhere and broken flowerpots.

Jeremiah and Louise follow both men onto Rachel's porch. Louise begins to set the flowerpots right side up that had been knocked over. She tries to scoop some of the dirt into her hands to place it back into the pots. "This is really no use," Louise spoke disheartened.

"Louise there is more important things to worry about then a few over turned flowerpots. Don't be so down in the dumps. If we all chip in the ranch will be back to normal in know time," Jeremiah spoke trying to cheer the frown from his sister's face.

"You sound almost happy that this happened Jeremiah," Kid commented his voice showering the anger he's feeling.

Before Louise can blast her husband on his cruel comment towards Jeremiah, Rachel wanders onto the porch from inside the house.

"How is Teaspoon doing this morning Rachel?" Buck asked concerned.

"He isn't awake yet. But his color has come back, and he doesn't appear to have a fever any longer. I'm sure he'll be fine as far as his wounds go. His temper and disposition, well that's an entirely different matter."

Jeremiah, Louise and Rachel share a quiet laugh concerning Teaspoon's sometimes-foul disposition. It won't be easy for the marshal to be tied down until his leg heals. His family knows this all to well. The marshal has never been one to rest even when shot. If there's a job to be done, the job gets done first and if there's time left over, then there's resting.

Kid and Buck glare at the three unbelieving of their laughter. Buck looks at Kid and they both shrug their shoulders.

Kid glances at Louise with disappointment wrote all over his face. His voice on the other hand is filled with animosity. "What's so funny?" Jeremiah and Louise's laughter echoing loud in Kid's mind, but in reality their laugh is barely above a simple giggle.

Rachel places her petite hand over her mouth to quiet down her giggles. Her misty bright eyes are the only evidence giving her recent bout of laughter away. Jeremiah and Louise can't seem to bring their quiet chuckles under control.

It's Buck now who continues to glare back and forth from Louise to Jeremiah. He sees that Louise is trying to stifle her laughter. Jeremiah, on the other hand, is young and thinks everything is hilarious. Even if someone he is suppose to care about is in pain. This is definitely something Buck can't deal with or forgive. He aims his harsh words at a young Jeremiah. "I really don't believe Teaspoon's pain is something you should be snickering about. He could have been more seriously hurt last night or even killed. I suppose a more serious injury would still crack a smile on your face," Buck spoke to Jeremiah in a strong manner with bewilderment and hurt buried deep in his dark brown eyes.

Louise faces her brother to speak directly to him. "I'm not entirely sure we should be snickering about this. I mean in reality we are all going to suffer just as much as Teaspoon."

"That's why we should laugh now. We probably won't laugh again for at least six months," Jeremiah stated between his silent chuckling.

Buck's anger finally reaches the point of no turning this episode into
a simple misunderstanding. An immeasurable contempt for Jeremiah has embedded itself onto Buck's face. There's no way a smile will replace it anytime soon where Jeremiah is concerned. "I've had enough. I'll go see how Teaspoon's doing," Buck spoke agitated that Jeremiah finds the situation with Teaspoon amusing.

"We aren't laughing about Teaspoon's injuries. We're laughing about his foul mood Buck," Jeremiah yelled as Buck walks away from the tiny group gathering. "He really should learn to take a joke better than he does," Jeremiah spoke about Buck, his laughter disappearing.

"Watch it Jeremiah. Buck is in no mood for your immaturity today,"
Kid spoke annoyed at Jeremiah as he trailed behind Buck into the house.

Rachel clears her throat to obtain Louise and Jeremiah's attention.
"I guess we were being a bit harsh. Louise lets see how that husband of mine is doing."

"Jeremiah would you help Teresa with the girls. I'll be over home soon."

"I suppose I should stay away from Buck for awhile."

"Maybe we'll all have to stay away from Teaspoon and Buck for a while," Louise spoke now concerned about her family.

Jeremiah nodded in agreement and turned to head towards Kid and Louise's homestead on the ranch. Louise followed Rachel into the house.

Teaspoon is trying to shift into a sitting position on the bed when Kid and Buck come storming through the door to his rescue. "It's about time you boys decided to come help." Teaspoon is already quite annoyed at his situation. He has been trying to pull himself into a sitting position for the past thirty minutes. The splint binding on his left leg is bulky and awkward to move. Teaspoon's pillows have fallen to the floor with his struggle to sit up in bed. He tries reaching for the pillows and almost upends himself onto the floor with the pillows.

Buck rushes to Teaspoon's bedside. He clutches onto Teaspoon before he tumbles onto the floor. Buck gently pushes Teaspoon back onto the bed. "What are you trying to do?" He takes Teaspoon's pillows and props them up behind the marshal. Teaspoon is able to sit back and relax.

"This is very uncomfortable," Teaspoon replied sheepishly.

"Are the pillows comfortable now?" Buck asked.

"You both know I am not going to be tied down to this bed for too long. No matter what Doc Barnes or my beloved wife have to say about it," Teaspoon declared.

"Teaspoon it's best if you listen to the doctor this time," Kid stated meekly.

Teaspoon eyes up both boys. He knows his cantankerous mood is making both his boys apprehensive about saying much to him. His features soften slightly. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to take this out on you two. I'm sure there's a lot of work out on the ranch to be done. You'll need help. I just haven't got time to lie around doing nothing.

"You don't have a choice this time Teaspoon. Kid and I can handle the work. You just need to concentrate on taking it easy and getting yourself healed up," Buck spoke with authority.

"How much damage has been done to the ranch?" Teaspoon asked as he looked at both Kid and Buck who seem a little apprehensive about telling him the bad news. "I would like an honest answer to my question before I have to get out of this bed and check myself."

"There's some damage, but nothing the two of us can't handle," Kid spoke softly.

"Now both you boys know that I require details. Spit it out Buck before my already foul mood turns fouler."

Buck glances over at Kid almost asking for approval to tell Teaspoon the truth about the damage done to the ranch. Kid nods his head for Buck to proceed. "The corrals are pretty much destroyed. There's some roof work that needs to be done to the barn, the bunkhouse, and the back of this house. The tree out back smashed into the roof of the spare bedroom. A few windows need replaced at the bunkhouse, Kid and Louise's home, this house, and my home. The white fence…"

"I've heard enough Buck!" Teaspoon yelled holding up his hand to cease Buck's complex description of the devastation the storm buried onto their homestead.

"You asked for details Teaspoon. I'm just trying to tell you everything so later you're not yelling at me for not including something," Buck spoke worked up into a bad mood from Teaspoon's shameful dependence and his own guilt feelings for not chasing Teaspoon away during the storm before he got hurt.

Teaspoon can see the hurt and confusion in Buck's eyes. "I'm just worried about the two of you. You can't fix everything around the ranch and mind the town too."

Rachel and Louise walk into the room where Teaspoon is talking with Kid and Buck. They both stand at the bottom of Teaspoon's bed.

"Just how are the two of you going to play marshal and deputy and fix up the ranch at the same time?" Louise questioned mostly aimed at her husband.

"We'll tend to keeping order in Rock Creek during the day and we'll work on repairing the ranch in the evening. There's still plenty of daylight after dinner," Kid answered his wife.

"You'll both be sick inside a weak," Rachel spoke concerned.

"We'll manage. We've had to deal with situations just like this before. I think we've grown accustomed to a lot of long hours and hard work," Buck spoke with authority knowing that Teaspoon would bulk at his response to the work that lies ahead of Kid and himself.

"Maybe Jeremiah can help with some of the repairs," Louise spoke softly not wanting to get Buck unhinged again where her brother is concerned.

Buck doesn't back down from the softness in Louise's voice. He looks straight at her as if they were the only two in the room. His eyes seem to penetrate right through her with anger. "I think maybe you should just keep Jeremiah in the house. Give him something minimal to do. Something that he can't hurt or destroy."

Teaspoon is watching the conversing between Buck and Louise with eyebrows raised. He isn't so sure about it, and he's actually afraid to ask. "I don't see how the two of you will be able to keep up such a schedule. You can try it for a few days to see if everything works out. If not, we'll have to get some help in the marshal department."

Rachel turns to Louise who is still fuming over Buck's words about her insensitive brother or so at least that's what Buck thinks.

"Louise may I have a word with you alone," Rachel insisted as she's pulling on Louise's arm before she clocks Buck with it. Louise won't budge at first. She soon gives in not taking her seething eyes off Buck and also her husband who didn't defend Jeremiah at all over Buck's harsh words. The two ladies leave the room and head downstairs to the kitchen.

"We should be leaving. There's a lot of work to be done out there and we need to get over to the marshal's office," Kid spoke not wanting Teaspoon to worry about the hostility they all just witnessed between himself and Buck with Lou.

"Is everything alright between everybody? Sounds to me like there's some hostility brewing amongst all of you," Teaspoon asked turning his attention to Buck.

Buck shoves his hands into his pants pockets. He hangs his head slightly low to avoid looking directly into Teaspoon's questioning eyes. He already feels shameful for his words about Jeremiah and treating Louise so badly.

"Buck and I are fine Teaspoon. It's the rest of them were not too sure about."

"What about this fermenting anger towards Jeremiah?" Teaspoon posed his question directly to Buck.

Buck glances back up at Teaspoon. He can't seem to get past Jeremiah's immature nature. "He's just an unsympathetic sixteen year old out to prove that he's always right and everybody else is always wrong." Buck spoke in an angry tone.

"That's right he's a sixteen year old. Remember you were once sixteen.
Seems to me you boys were stubborn, always hell bent on getting yourselves into trouble and myself having to do the rescuing."

"I fail to see the comparison between Jeremiah and myself or any of us who rode for the Pony Express. We grew up fast riding day and night through territories and towns we knew nothing about. It was a miracle that none of us was killed on a mail run. We were never right Teaspoon. You were the one that was always right. We may have gotten ourselves into some trouble now and then, but nothing we couldn't get ourselves out of. We sure as hell wasn't insensitive to the others feelings or pain!" Buck spoke trying to avoid yelling so Louise and Rachel wouldn't hear his words.

"I was always right wasn't I," Teaspoon spoke with assurance in his voice and mannerisms. "You boys all had to grow up fast. All of you were alone in the world at some point or another. Being alone makes a person sense things a lot differently than someone who's had shelter his whole life."

"Another words, what you're trying to tell us is that Jeremiah takes people and their feelings for granted," Kid spoke his words rather harsh for his brother-in-law.

"What I'm trying to spell out is that Jeremiah is a younger sixteen then what you boys were at sixteen. You're more sensitive to the people in your lives and your surrounding because you grew up with a lot more hostility, prejudice, pain and death. Those things tend to cause you to be more aware of other's pain and suffering. Jeremiah hasn't seen the prejudice that you've had thrown in your face since the day you were born Buck. Nor has he seen the suffering and pain it put you through. He didn't see how much pain you were in Kid every time Lou had a mail run. You knew how dangerous it was riding for the Pony Express. You love Lou, and it nearly destroyed you a few times to let her go on her runs," Teaspoon stated with this sermon making more sense since the last sermon the boys were forced to listen to.

Both men nodded as if they completely understood all of Teaspoon's words of wisdom. He still had the ability to make the boys sit and listen when he spoke. They had many experiences of Teaspoon's lectures, speeches and words of wisdom when they all lived together and rode for the Pony Express. They would never say one word until he was completely finished with his words. Usually by the time Teaspoon was finished speaking his peace, there were no words left to say. After all, Teaspoon is always right even if he's wrong. Not one of those Pony Express riders ever argued that fact. Kid and Buck wouldn't attempt to argue that fact even now.

"We better be getting over to town. With no marshal in town we could have all kinds of trouble coming by to pay respects," Kid stated flatly.

"See you boys later."

Kid and Buck walk into the dining area where Rachel and Louise have been deeply into a conversation of their own. Once they see Kid and Buck their mouths are quiet. Each woman sipping on her cup of coffee trying to not look so guilty about their conversation before Buck and Kid enter the room.

"You heading over to your new job?" Louise asked hardly containing her apparent second attack of laughter.

Kid bends down to kiss his wife on the cheek. "This isn't funny. Maybe Buck and I should send you and Rachel over to the marshal's office. I'm sure the bad guys won't mind a lady marshal and deputy."

Rachel is baffled that Kid pulled her into this one. "I have a husband to take care of."

"Buck and I can take care of Teaspoon and repair the ranch while you two are chasing outlaws," Kid spoke with a teasing smile on his face.

"Sorry Kid. Louise and I have other plans for today. You two might as well give up and just get yourselves on over there before someone decides to burn down the town."

"Rock Creek's been pretty quiet lately. It should be a rather easy day,"
Buck spoke calmly.

"Lets hope so. You two will have plenty of work this evening to tire you out. You sure don't need a brawling, disorderly group in town today," Rachel spoke trying her best to reassure the men of their newly inherited duties.

"Thanks Rachel," Buck spoke with some apprehension in his voice.

"Rachel!" Teaspoon bellowed from his confinement in bed.

All eyes turn upwards towards the stairs. Teaspoon's hostile bellowing for Rachel has let her know just what kind of mood her beloved husband is in. He is irritable, irrational and beyond the point of reasoning with. The boys and Lou head to the front door and start to make their way outside. Rachel watches them leave.

"You're all just chicken."

"I thought you said you could handle Teaspoon. Kid and I were willing to trade jobs. You wouldn't hear of it," Buck spoke smiling at Rachel's misery.

"Is there a chance I could change my mind?"

"Rachel!" The bear roars again.

"Not a chance," Buck stated as he rushes out the front door behind Kid.

Louise stays behind. "I'll be back over later for our trip into town. I'll just check on the girls first and make sure Jeremiah and Teresa are not pulling each other's hair out. Oh Rachel. You could pray for an early winter."

"Why would I want winter?"

"Hibernation for that bear of yours upstairs."

They both smile at Lou's words of wisdom. "Teaspoon isn't the only one who can speak words of wisdom and have people listen to him."
By the time Louise walks outside, Kid and Buck have already road off into town.

Rachel hurries herself in to see Teaspoon. She sits on the bedside and places a kiss on his cheek. "What seems to be the problem?"

"No problem. I…I was just getting a little lonesome sitting up here all by myself," Teaspoon stated sheepishly.

Rachel tries to wipe the pleasing smile from her face. "I see. I can sit up here with you until Louise comes back. We have a few things to do in town this morning."

"The doc should have my crutches ready."

"You're bound and determined to get out of that bed before you're suppose to. Doc Barnes may just have another patient that will need those crutches worse than you."

Teaspoon looks somewhat defeated. Rachel is Teaspoon's seventh marriage. She is a little bit of his other six wives mixed together. She doesn't take any of his cramp! Even though Teaspoon is always right, Rachel rules the Hunter household.

"I promise I'll listen to the doctor and take it easy. If I could just walk around a little that would ease my jittery nerves."

"Don't try and fool me Teaspoon Hunter. Your nerves are as calm as old Katy's are. Not even a storm like last night put fury into that animal."

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