Chapter 4

Recovery

The doctor continued to go to Mrs. Beckworths house every day. He was more certain than ever that this young man was the Pony Express rider those boys had been looking for. He had even got the maid to show him Kids clothing. He was certain after he saw them that this was the missing rider. The maid had told him that Mrs. Beckworth had ordered her to burn them but she hadn’t had the chance. The doctor told her to wash them and put them up and under no circumstance was she to burn them.

The young man hadn’t woken up again since that third day and the doctor felt that was probably best. He knew his wounds were bad and that rest was probably the best thing for him. He also decided to send a letter to his old friend Teaspoon in Sweetwater. He knew that Teaspoon was the Marshal there as well as the headmaster of the Pony Express. Maybe Teaspoon could help him without the doctor getting shot.

Two days after the riders had been to Beckworth Falls looking for Kid, he woke up again. Mrs. Beckworth had been staying close to his bed incase he woke. She sent her maid to fetch the doctor right away.

"Are you feeling better dear?" She asked with all the motherly concern.

"Sore," Kid replied "and thirsty."

"Here," She said holding a glass of water to his dry lips.

"Do you remember anything dear?" the older woman asked.

Kid slowly shook his head. He had tried to remember where he was and who he was but nothing was coming back to him. Over the last couple of days we would wake up during the night and think but it hurt too much and he still couldn’t remember anything.

"That’s OK," she said patting his hand, "I’ll fill in any gaps and soon you’ll remember everything."

"You said my name is James?" Kid asked

"Yes dear, James Wallington Beckworth the third. I’m Charlotte Marie Beckworth. We live in Beckworth Falls. Your father moved us here hoping to bring his railroad out west, but unfortunately he died before that happened. You were taking his place and trying to make the dream come true." Mrs. Beckworth said with a tear in her voice.

"How is it that I came to be shot?" Kid asked.

"You were out hunting and I guess some outlaws thought you might have money or gold on you. I’m so grateful that Mr. Cunningham found you when he did. He took to straight to the doctor’s office and Dr. Adams brought you home."

Doctor Adams had just entered the room when he heard her last sentence. He knew that wasn’t true. She had sent for him to come to the house to attend to the young man after he had been shot. He’d begin to wonder if some of her hired men had shot Kid just to bring him here. Yes, he decided he would have to write to his friend and let him know about his rider. It had been almost a week now and he was sure Kids family must be worried sick.

The doctor checked Kid over and decided that he was healing nicely and could sit up and start eating proper foods not just the broth they had been getting down him. He also said that he thought a nurse would be a big help to Kid and Mrs. Beckworth so that she could rest.

"A nurse," Mrs. Beckworth said in surprise as her and the doctor left Kids room. "I don’t think we need a nurse."

"Now Charlotte," The doctor said sternly, "You’re not as young as you use to be and a nurse could be a big help. I’ll have someone sent from another town so they won’t know anything about James or you and this way you will be able to continue with your town duties and James will be taken care of."

Mrs. Beckworth agreed reluctantly but she knew that if she were absent from town for to long people would began to talk and she didn’t want that to happen either. All she cared about was keeping James safe.

When the doctor got back to his office he sat right down and wrote a letter to Teaspoon. He told him that he thought his missing rider might be here in Beckworth Falls but that he had amnesia and the home he was in wasn’t helping. He asked Teaspoon if he new a young woman who would be able to come work as a nurse and who knew Kid. Also if he could spare one of his riders to work as a stable boy so they would have someone else close to the house.

The doctor finished his letter and made sure that it went out with the next rider to Teaspoon in Sweetwater. "Send someone soon Teaspoon," The doctor thought.