Thanksgiving

by Lighthouse Hunter

June 1894

Jim was sat at one of the tables at his restaurant waiting for the arrival of his friend and partner Doctor Blair Sandburg. They were supposed to be having lunch together but as usual the busy doctor was running late. Jim wondered if he was dealing with an emergency and decided to wait a few more minutes before going into the kitchen and making himself a sandwich or something.

"Can I get you anything, Mr Ellison?" Thomas Bankhouse asked, one of the staff who worked for him.

Tommy was only seventeen and had only worked for him in the restaurant for a few months. He was a good worker, was always on time and dependable. The Afro-American got on well with his other two employees, Emily Sandford and Prudence Miller. Jim had had to take on more staff when he'd taken on the position of Sheriff and was unable to devote much time to the day to day running of the restaurant.

"No, I'm fine thanks, Tommy. You haven't seen Doc Sandburg today have you?"

"No, he hasn't been in. Is he late again?"

"Yeah. Looks like I've been stood up again," and Jim ginned at the young man.

"Do you want me to get Pru to make you a sandwich? It's no trouble," Tommy added.

"No, thanks, Tommy. Think I'll go have a mooch in the kitchen and see what Pru's got cooking."

"I think she's been frying up that fish you and Doc Sandburg caught yesterday. The customers love it."

"I'd better get me some of that then before she gives it all away to our customers."

Jim stood and moved away into the kitchen as Tommy went back to tidying and cleaning up the tables. There were only a few stragglers left as the lunchtime rush was over. They had customers regularly throughout the day and they had busier times than others.

Jim had just sweet talked some fried fish from Pru and had put it between two pieces of bread when he heard Tommy's voice from out front.

"Doc Sandburg's here, Mr Ellison."

"Better make that another helping of fish, Blair just made it," Jim told Pru.

Jim took a plate, with his lunch on, into the front and saw Blair seating himself at one of the tables they usually frequented when they met for lunch at the restaurant.

"Hi, Doc, have a good morning?"

"Hi, Jim, the usual. I'm starved," Blair said eyeing his friend's plate.

"Pru's making you a sandwich, it won't be long."

Within a few minutes another sandwich was in front of Blair and two iced teas were also on the table. They both knew Pru was a godsend and thought of everything.

Blair took a long drink of his iced tea.

"That hit the spot," he said when he'd slaked his thirst.

"What kept you?" Jim asked between mouthfuls of his fish sandwich.

"Mrs McGuigan's corns are bothering her again," Blair replied.

"You get all the glamorous jobs, huh, Doc."

"Don't I just. The woman's 47 and she still wears shoes that are way too tight for her feet. Her feet wouldn't hurt her if she got some decent footwear. This looks good," Blair added as he picked up his sandwich.

"Tastes good too," Jim replied.

Both men enjoyed this meal without much chatter. Afterwards they relaxed for a few minutes as they finished their iced teas.

"So are you all ready for your trip?" Jim asked.

"I think so, just a few more clothes to pack, but other than that I'm all set."

Blair was about to embark on a trip to New York to a medical conference. Blair was excited at the prospect of speaking to fellow medical colleagues; he was also planning on buying some new medical books as he had lost his when his house had burnt down along with most of Cascade's waterfront the previous year.

Jim was going to miss his friend though he knew it would only be for a few weeks. Jim planned to be Blair's medical stand-in whilst he was away, as he had had some medical training during his time in the army. He could take care of any minor ailments but anything he couldn't handle the nearest doctor was half a day's ride away, but with the telegraph the doctor in the nearest town could be summoned if need be. Jim hoped it didn't come to that.

That night Jim and Blair patrolled the waterfront of Cascade as sheriff and deputy, as they did most nights. Jim would cast his Guardian senses out to see if anything was out of place, they couldn't walk round the whole of Cascade it was too large. This way they covered more ground in a much quicker way. They also actually enjoyed this time together, chatting about inconsequential things are they walked.

Everything was quiet so they headed back home, content that all was well in Cascade for another night.

##############

Next morning and Jim was sat in his office doing the obligatory paperwork that went with the job. He also received wanted posters and with his Guardian abilities he found if he looked at them once he remembered the face, so if any outlaws came to Cascade he knew he would recognise them instantly.

Suddenly the front door to the gaol flew open and a man rushed in. Jim looked up startled.

"Sheriff Ellison, thank God you're here. She's dead. I think they're all dead!" the man said, he was breathless like he had been running.

"Who are?" Jim asked standing up from behind his desk. The man looked agitated and upset so something was definitely wrong.

"My neighbours, Andrew and Martha Feltham. I usually sit on the porch first thing and have a cup of coffee to start the day. Andrew always does the same, we exchange pleasantries, you know, but this morning he wasn't there. The house was all shut up like, so I went round and knocked on the door. There was no answer. I was starting to get worried then, so I pushed and the door opened. That was when I saw Martha in the hall. She wasthere wasblood everywhere," the man gulped in a breath as if he had forgotten to breathe. "I didn't go in, I came straight here."

"You did the right thing, Mr?"

"Ralston, Patrick Ralston."

"Mr Ralston, where do you live?

"Behind the bank on Magnolia. The Feltham's house is the third house on the right."

"I know it. Mr Ralston, I want you to go to Doctor Sandburg and tell him to meet me there. Got that?"

"Yes, yes, I'll go right away."

Jim reached for his hat and rushed to the scene.

##############

At the scene on Magnolia, Jim found the front door of the house ajar. He cast his senses out and found he could detect no heartbeats inside. He walked inside and found a bloody woman's body in the hall. Martha Feltham was lying in a pool of her own blood. He didn't have to check for a pulse, he knew she had been stabbed to death. He moved into the kitchen. The back door was locked from inside. There was no one else downstairs. Nothing was out of place, it hadn't seemed like a robbery of any kind had occurred. He moved upstairs and followed the smell of blood. He found a male body in a double bed, also covered in blood. Then he walked into a second bedroom and found two young girls, asleep in their beds. There was no blood this time, but he could see the red strangulation marks around their tiny necks. They could have been no more than seven or eight. A third bedroom revealed an empty bed. Jim scanned the rest of the upstairs but could not find another body. He was beginning to wonder if it was a kidnapping.

"Jim!" he heard Blair's voice downstairs from the front door.

"Upstairs, Doc, wait there."

Moving quickly, Jim descended to the ground floor. Blair was grimacing at the gruesome scene in the hall.

"Mr Ralston," Jim began seeing the neighbour hovering in the doorway. "Who lives in this house?"

"I told you before Andrew and Martha Feltham."

"What about children?"

"Seven year old twins Rebecca and Amy and eighteen year old Jacob."

So it was Jacob who was missing.

Patrick Ralston was realising how quiet the house was. "Are they all dead?"

The sheriff watched the man for a moment, but he knew he wasn't being deceitful, he honestly didn't know if the occupants of the house were alive or dead.

"All but Jacob. He's not in the house."

"They have a horse out back."

Jim moved to check the stable and found the horse was gone. But there were tracks leading away and one set of fresh hoof prints. He had a trail to follow. He followed it to the main street and then the stride lengthened as the rider spurred the horse into a canter.

He went back to the house. Blair had found a blanket and had covered Mrs Feltham's lifeless body up.

"Doc, can you saddle Roman and Lightning and bring them back here?" Blair nodded and ran quickly from the house. "Mr Ralston, Blair and I are going to follow a trail."

"Is it Jacob?"

"I believe so."

"Can you wait here and not let anyone in. I'm going to inform the undertaker to collect the bodies."

"Of course," Patrick replied, sorry to see such a nice family massacred in such a way. "I hope Jacob's okay and you find him quickly."

"We'll do our best," the sheriff replied grimly.

Blair soon returned with their saddled horses. Jim led them through the streets of Cascade, at a slow walk; Jim was checking every few feet for the tracks he was following. The street was literally littered with hoof prints going in every direction. He was concentrating so he didn't lose the trail or follow the wrong one. Blair was quiet letting the Guardian do his thing. Jim was an excellent tracker, but he needed to concentrate. The tracks wound through the streets and then out into the countryside beyond. They lead into the forest and then into the mountains.

They continued for some time and then suddenly Jim stopped and sniffed the air.

"What is it?" Blair asked.

"Death. I smell death," Jim soberly replied.

Spurring Roman and Lightning forward at a walk, they moved through the trees. Then they both saw a saddled horse grazing on foliage. They moved round a particularly large tree and saw a body. It was hanging from a branch, a noose round the neck; the head and neck were at an unnatural angle.

"It's definitely Jacob Feltham," Blair said.

"Did you know him?"

"Yes, he came to see me recently about a medical problem."

"Can you tell me what that was?" Jim asked, as he moved to cut the man down.

"Patient confidentiality, Jim."

"I appreciate that, Doc, but I need to know why an eighteen year old man would kill his entire family and then himself."

"You think Jacob killed his family don't you?"

"There was no forced entry and as far as I can tell no one else has been in the house."

Blair thought about that for a while. "He was fighting depression and had some inner demons. He was born with a club foot and was relentlessly teased at school over it. He took it to heart and grew up very angry about it. I spoke to the school teacher and she had a lot of trouble controlling him, he was angry and resentful to everything. When Jacob was fourteen he didn't bother going to school anymore and his Mom home schooled him. I tried to get him to talk about it. He wanted me to amputate the leg. I couldn't do that. If he'd have been helped when he had been born, it might have improved the condition. I wish I could have done more."

"You're not to blame for this, Doc."

"I know but I wish I could have helped him more."

"He was selfish and self-centred. It's one thing to kill yourself but to kill your entire family as well. His sisters were only seven years old, that's inexcusable in my book."

Blair helped Jim lay the limp body on the ground. There was blood all over the front of Jacob's shirt. Jim knew that it was his parents' blood, there were no wounds on Jacob's body and the twins had been strangled. They wrapped the body in a blanket and then tied it over the Feltham's horse. Silently they started the journey back to Cascade; each holding their own counsel and thoughts about the events of that day.

After they had reached Cascade Jim took the body over to the undertakers. Then went back home. It was late afternoon. Jim found his friend in their stable currying Lightning. The horse's coat practically gleamed from the attention.

"Want me to tend to Roman?" Blair asked as his friend unsaddled his horse.

"I can do it."

"I want to let off some steam," Blair responded. "It's not every day one of your patients kills himself and four other members of his family."

"Don't blame yourself, Doc," Jim replied, concerned for his friend.

"I don't. I know we all make our own decisions. I just wish I could have done more for him. If only I could have treated his club foot more successfully."

"You're an excellent doctor but you can't perform miracles."

"I know," Blair replied still a little subdued over the death of the man and his family.

"I'll go start dinner," Jim said as he left Blair to work off his frustration in the care of the horses.

A while later and Blair entered the upstairs apartment, immediately he could smell something delicious in the air.

"What's that?" he asked as he followed his nose into the kitchen.

"Chicken and dumplings."

"I love chicken and dumplings."

"I know," Jim replied slyly. "It will be ready in half an hour."

"I'll go wash up," Blair replied and quickly left to change his sweat laden shirt and have a wash before dinner.

The delicious meal was soon consumed, Jim had not lost his culinary abilities, even though he didn't cook as often as he used to. Afterwards they checked in with the restaurant but Pru, Emily and Tommy had everything in hand. Then the sheriff and deputy did their nightly patrol. It was their last patrol before Blair left to go to New York for his medical conference. Blair was relieved to find that everything was quiet in Cascade. It was dark before they returned to the house they shared. It had been a delightful evening so they had walked along the waterfront for a while, just talking and enjoying the balmy evening. Jim kept his senses on alert but everything was all right in Cascade that evening. Eventually the two men returned to their home and went to bed.

##############

After breakfast the next morning and Blair was finishing the last of his packing. He checked his grandfather's pocket watch and realised he only had ten minutes before he had to leave for the railway station.

When he emerged from his room he found Jim sat in the lounge reading a newspaper. Blair looked round the familiar apartment.

"Ready, Doc?" Jim asked folding up his newspaper and standing.

"Yeah, I guess," Blair replied, but Jim could detect a note of reluctance in the young doctor's voice.

Blair had travelled extensively before he had put down roots in Cascade, and this was going to be the first time he had left Cascade since first arriving in town.

"It's only for a couple of weeks; Cascade and I will still be here when you get back."

"I know," Blair smiled. "I'm just being silly."

"No you're not, I understand as New York is a long way from here, but I know you'll have a great time with your fellow medics. Now you will wire me as soon as you reach New York."

"Of course I will. And thank you, Jim."

"Anytime, now come on then, I'll walk with you to the station."

The two friends left and had a steady walk through Cascade to the railway station. The train wasn't in so they stood on the platform to wait. Jim cast his senses out and could hear the train in the distance approaching.

"I'll miss you," Jim suddenly said.

"Me too," Blair returned looking round at his friend stood beside him. This was the first time the two friends had been apart since Jim had first arrived in Cascade. Blair remembered the night when Jim appeared on his doorstep with an injured friend in his arms. That seemed such a long time ago now.

"You helped lay this track," Blair said gazing at the railway track in front of them.

"That was another life," Jim replied, quietly reflecting on his life on the railroad, the long hard days and appalling food.

"Jim, take care with your senses, you haven't got the quiet room anymore." Blair was referring to the room he had built for his friend to give him quiet when his senses spiked, but the room had burnt down along with the rest of their home when fire had ripped through the waterfront.

"I will, but I have more control of my senses now thanks to you, Doc, but I promise not to overextend them."

"Good," Blair replied and then the two friends hugged.

"Safe journey, Blair."

"Thanks, Jim."

The train was stopping now. Blair got on and settled into a seat. Jim waited on the platform and watched the train depart along with his best friend. Jim watched, using his Guardian eyesight, until the train vanished from even his enhanced sight.

Then Jim turned and went to his office. When he couldn't stand the quiet any longer he went to the restaurant for an early lunch. There were a few customers in. Jim nodded at them and went into the back.

Pru could see straight away that Jim was missing his friend.

"Did Blair get off okay?" Emily asked as she cut up a sandwich.

"Yeah, train was on time," Jim replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee but didn't elaborate.

Pru and Emily shared a look as they knew how much their boss would miss his friend though he would never admit it to them.

Jim had lunch and then walked back to the sheriff's office. He kept looking in the direction Blair's train had gone; then told himself to get it together, his friend would be back in a few weeks. He'd coped on his own for years, he could cope for a few weeks. But his liquid blue eyes moved without volition towards the track again with a feeling of uneasiness. Jim shrugged it off and told himself to pull himself together and then went back into his office. But he felt restless so he decided to patrol the area and walk off some nervous energy.

He got back to his office sometime after three and made himself a cup of coffee. It wasn't as good as Pru's or Blair's but it was hot.

"Sheriff!!" a voice suddenly shouted outside. The front door burst open and a very upset man rushed in.

Jim was on his feet in moments, there was something about the man's urgent demeanour that was worrying the sheriff.

"The train derailed!"

"The train," Jim replied puzzled, his brain didn't want to comprehend the implication of that statement.

"The morning train, it derailed about six miles out of Cascade." With dread Jim realised Blair was on that train, his thoughts were in turmoil as he contemplated that connotation. Jim's thoughts focused on what the man was telling him. "A survivor walked back into town to raise the alarm."

Jim instructed the man to take him to the survivor who had been taken into a nearby house. In Blair's absence Jim was the town's resident medic. The man looked a little banged up but he was otherwise fine.

Jim soon ascertained that the train was on its side, all carriages having come off the track. There were many injured. The man's first priority was to get help, so he had started walking back along the track to Cascade. Jim told him he had done the right thing. Jim immediately got the town mobilised. He ordered wagons to be commandeered to go to the crash site to transport the injured back to Cascade. Whilst the town was organising that, Jim rushed back home and saddled Lightning and Roman. He packed as many of Blair's medical supplies he could find that he deemed useful at an accident, mainly bandages and gauze. Then he packed them on Lightning, mounted Roman and rushed to the crash site.

##############

Jim was still a mile from the train wreck and he could smell smoke in the air. He could see wisps of smoke through the trees that lined either side of the track. There was a lot more smoke than the train's funnel gave out, so the train was definitely on fire. All Jim could think about was his friend; he forced his thoughts away from what he could possibly find at the site and just concentrated on getting there.

As he neared the crash he cast his hearing out ahead of him and could hear the sounds of moaning, so there were definitely survivors.

When Jim reached the site he recoiled in horror at first. It was a scene of utter carnage. The whole train was on its side, having left the tracks. The front of the train with the engine was embedded in the trees, and was covered by several of them which it had felled as it tore through them. It was these that were still smouldering, the trunks and leave black, having been ignited by the engine's burner. The trees just seemed to be smouldering now, but black smoke still rose into the air, but the fuel was used and the fire didn't look likely that it would spread to the surrounding trees and cause a forest fire.

Jim coughed as a plume of black acrid smoke covered him. Roman whinnied in fear as he smelled the smoke. Jim's eyes watered and he could taste the smoke in his mouth as he patted his horse's neck to reassure him. Then the smoke dissipated and he was in clear air again.

He moved his attention back to the survivors. They were lying on the track or beside it. He could see and smell blood. The uninjured, or only slightly injured, were helping the more hurt amongst them. Quickly scanning the people and with relief Jim saw Blair, he was bent down beside a prone woman. Jim rode up to him.

"Doc, you okay?"

Blair glanced up at hearing his friend's voice. He was dishevelled with a slight cut above his left eyebrow, blood was trickling down his face; but other than that he was ambulatory and unhurt.

"Jim, I'm fine. I'm so glad you're here," he expressed, the delight evident in the tone of his voice.

Jim nodded telling his friend he was glad to be there with him as well.

"What we got?" Jim asked all business.

"There were thirty-five passengers on the train and three railroad workers. The driver and fireman are both dead. Someone managed to get to the engine before the fire started and they were both mangled in the remains of the engine. No one is trapped on the train, everyone is accounted for. So far we've been able to deduce that sixteen passengers are dead, five have quite serious injuries, there are some broken bones but the rest seem to be walking wounded."

Jim was impressed that his friend had managed to accomplish so much in triaging the wounded.

Then Blair added. "I haven't got much in the way of medical supplies with me so I've been using shirts for bandages."

"I raided your stores before I came here, I brought some bandages and things, they're on Lightning."

"Good thinking, Jim," Blair brightened at the news of having some medical supplies to help with the injured.

"You look tired out, Doc."

Blair took a deep breath. "It was rough for a while," the young doctor admitted.

"There should be wagons and help not long behind me."

"Good. We need to get these people back to Cascade so I can treat them properly."

As Blair continued to treat the injured, Jim also went amongst the people making sure they were comfortable and treating what injuries he could. Jim also noticed some logs near the side of the track. They looked like the train had impacted with them judging by the marks on them. It was when he studied the ends he realised something with horror. The ends looked like they had been cut by an axe. A small axe like the Indians preferred. The Guardian knew the Kanatchee Indian's land was nearby. Unlike the gentle Duwamish the Kanatchee hated all white men including their technology. Jim was wondering if they had deliberately laid the trunks on the line to derail the train. There was nothing he could do about that now. Now they had to get these people back to Cascade and wire the Railroad to tell them about their wrecked train.

##############

Jim and Blair sat on the sofa in their lounge. It was nearly midnight and both men were exhausted. Blair's clinic was full of injured passengers. The local hotel was hosting the walking wounded. Pru, Emily and Tommy had been flat out since they had returned to Cascade, feeding the injured.

Jim had insisted on tending to the cut over Blair's left eye. It was only minor once the blood had been washed away.

"Sorry about your conference, Doc."

"That's okay, Jim, there will be other conferences."

"Can you remember what happened?"

"I was reading and I heard a loud bang, the train shook and then there was pandemonium. I think we hit something. I don't remember much of the crash, it all happened too fast. I remember being thrown into the air as the train tilted and then the next thing I was on the floor. I heard moaning from the other passengers and I realised we had crashed. "

"I'm glad you're all right, Doc."

Blair touched the small wound above his eye, it was his only injury barring a few scrapes, though he was sure he would feel sore by morning.

"Thanks, Jim. I think I'll go to bed. Night, Jim."

"Night, Blair."

Jim watched Blair walk downstairs and then cast his senses out to listen as the doctor checked on each of his patients and then laid down on a cot, so that he would be close-by should they need him during the night.

Only when Jim heard Blair settle did he get up and go to his own bed. He was asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

##############

Next morning and Emily and Tommy brought breakfast in from the next door restaurant into Blair's surgery for the worst injured of the train wreck survivors. Blair was glad he hadn't had to operate on anyone; the majority of the injuries were cuts and broken bones.

It had taken Blair a while that morning to get mobile himself, he had felt stiff and sore. On reflection the doctor realised they had gotten off lightly considering the deaths that had occurred.

"Morning, Blair, here's some breakfast for you," Emily said putting a tray down on his desk.

"I was going to grab something later," Blair replied.

"If you remembered," Emily responded.

"Probably, though there's a mother hen upstairs that would have probably hounded me into eating something."

"I've got some breakfast for the sheriff too," she added.

Blair was scrutinising the young woman.

"Are you alright, Em, you look a bit pale."

"Truth is I have been feeling a bit peaky lately."

"Come see me later and I'll examine you."

"I don't want to be a bother, Doctor, you've got enough on your plate at the moment."

"It's no bother, Em."

"Okay, I'll come see you later."

Tommy had fetched a tray of food and was about to deliver it up to Jim when the sheriff came down the stairs from the upstairs apartment.

"Is that breakfast I can smell," Jim said as he poked his head round Blair's office door.

"Sure is," Emily said with a smile.

Blair was smiling knowing his friend's Guardian senses were alert that morning.

Jim pulled up a chair opposite Blair. Tommy put the tray down in front of the sheriff. Jim was soon tucking into eggs, mushrooms, toast and bacon.

"We could get used to this," Jim said. "We ought to have breakfast every morning in the restaurant."

"If we eat this every morning for breakfast we'll never fit through the door to get into the restaurant," Blair countered.

Both men laughed. "How are you feeling this morning, Doc?" Jim enquired.

Blair sobered a little. "A bit sore but I'm okay. We were lucky, Jim. It all happened so fast. There was no warning, one minute the train was hurtling along the track and the next thing it was pandemonium and people were dying round me. What could have caused the train to derail like that?" Blair pondered.

"I have a theory," Jim replied, knowing Blair wasn't going to like what that was.

"And that is?"

"I found some logs by the side of the track; it looked like the train hit them."

"So some trees fell onto the track."

"No, it's worse than that. The logs were cut."

"You mean someone deliberately put logs on the line so the train would hit them." Blair said incensed and Jim nodded. "Jim, who would do such a thing?"

"The Kanatchee."

"Surely even they wouldn't stoop to murder."

"There were axe marks on the ends of the trunks. You said it yourself they hate all white people. The track borders their land; it would be the perfect way to get back at us."

Blair didn't want to contemplate how a people's hatred could cause them to strike out at innocent people, people they didn't even know and who had never been a threat to them.

"What can we do?" Blair asked.

"Nothing," the sheriff replied with a sigh. "I used my senses to feel the cut marks; I can't use that as evidence. Even if we could go to the Kanatchee they would deny it. There's not much we can do. All we can do is hope they don't do it again. If they do we'll have to go to the army about it."

"But they'll come in here and round them up, maybe even kill them."

"I know," Jim replied sadly.

They continued their breakfast in a sombre silence.

##############

Later that morning Blair examined Emily. She explained how tired she was and that she often felt nauseous in the afternoons. Blair asked her some questions.

"When was your last monthly cycle?"

"Come to think about it probably about three months and I'm usually pretty regular."

"Any tenderness around your nipples?"

"Actually yes they have been sensitive lately."

Then Blair examined Emily's stomach, by palpating all around her lower stomach area. He could definitely feel a slight swelling there.

Blair made some notes.

"So what's wrong with me?" Emily asked concerned.

"My diagnosis is," Blair said in all seriousness and then he was smiling. "Congratulation, Emily, you're pregnant."

Emily was stunned for a moment. "I can't be. Can I?"

"Yes, you have all the symptoms," Blair said coming round his desk to give her a hug.

"Mike and I are going to have a baby," she said unnecessarily, a huge grin on her face.

"You sure are I'm so happy for you both."

"I've got to tell Pru," Emily gushed. She hugged Blair and then went into the restaurant's kitchen.

Blair followed at a distance and could tell the moment Pru was told by the scream he heard. Jim had just entered the restaurant and came running into the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" he asked concernedly.

"Nothing," Emily replied happily.

"I heard a scream."

"Sorry, Jim, that was me," Pru replied a little chagrined and embarrassed, she was usually prim and proper and the epitome of a middle-aged spinster.

"I gave Pru some good news. I'm pregnant."

"Oh," Jim said as he took in the news. "Oh!" Jim said as her words sunk in. "You shouldn't be working. Sit down," Jim fussed.

"I'm having a baby, Jim, I'm not sick. I can work for months yet."

"Only if you are able to, the baby comes first."

Blair was smiling at his friend's concern. Jim was a good employer and he cared about people in general; it was his Guardian instinct to protect all those around him especially those he cared about.

"Why don't you finish early today," Jim said "and go give Mike the good news."

Emily was beaming with delight.

"Thank you, Jim, I'll cook Mike his favourite meal. He's going to be so happy; he's always wanted a large family."

"Go home then, Em. I can cover the rest of your shift," Jim added.

"Are you sure, sheriff?" Emily asked.

"Of course, I started this restaurant; I know how to wait a table. Besides no one would dare leave without paying if I'm waiting on them and crime's a bit slow at the moment."

Emily gave them each a hug and then happily left the restaurant.

"You softie," Blair whispered knowing Jim would hear him.

August 1894

Life continued in Cascade. The worst injured survivors of the train derailment healed sufficiently to be able to go home to recover.

The train track that the Kanatchee destroyed was rebuilt and service restored to the Pacific North West. No action was taken against them; Jim had no proof other than what he had detected with his Guardian senses. Despite fifteen people having died and scores more injured, including Blair, Jim felt they had suffered enough. Their land was diminishing with the advance of the white man and they had lashed out through this anger. As long as there were no more incidents of violence he decided to let it ride.

Emily continued to glow as her pregnancy progressed. Jim fussed round her nearly as much as her husband Mike did. Blair was amused at first but his thoughts turned scientific and he wondered if it was due to his being a Guardian. He wondered if it was born in a Guardian to protect everyone around them. Blair started documenting his thoughts on this in a journal he had started about Jim. It was just his thoughts and what he noticed about Jim's enhanced senses. He tried to help Jim every day hone them and help him keep them in control, so he was able to live with them but not be ruled by them. Blair reasoned there were other Guardians out there and he hoped one day his observations might also help them.

As things got back to normal Jim and Blair continued to visit the Duwamish. Blair treated any ailments they had and Jim, who had been adopted by the tribe, went on search with the braves.

One hot summer afternoon as Jim and Blair neared the Duwamish village. Jim's ears pricked up as he had heard shouting within the village.

"Jim, what is it?" Blair asked, he could tell by the look his friend got on his face when he was using his senses.

"One of the mothers is upset," Jim explained as they galloped the rest of the way to the village.

They found Little River, one of the young mothers crying, she was being comforted by two other women. Seahawk spoke to them and the mother explained that her six year old daughter had dropped a dish which had spilled food onto the floor; the mother had been annoyed and had shouted at her daughter for her clumsiness who had then run out of the longhouse. She had run into the woods and hadn't come back. That was hours ago and it would be dark in a few hours and the mother was getting increasingly worried about her daughter. She felt guilty for snapping at her daughter.

"Could you find her?" Blair asked his Guardian friend.

"I could try," Jim replied.

"I will search for your daughter," Jim told the upset mother in Duwamish. "Have you got something of hers that has her scent on it?"

"Thank you, Hunting Elk," the woman replied, her tears a little less as she knew if anyone could find her daughter it would be this man. "I will fetch you something."

Knowing the little girl, Chase Butterfly, couldn't have gone that far, the two men prepared to follow her trail. Blair grabbed his doctor's bag and Jim got some water. He walked over to the family's longhouse where the mother handed him an article of the child's clothing. Jim scented the clothing imprinting the child's scent into his mind. He checked the area for any signs of her. He saw a broken twig and sniffed around the break, taking the spoor in. The child's scent was on there. He had found her trail and with Blair beside him, the two men set off to follow with other members of the tribe. They all followed behind the Guardian so as not to contaminate the trail he was following.

About a half an hour later and Jim stopped; all eyes were on him as he sniffed the air. He could detect another odour, and then he heard a distant growl. Moving forward again he found another spoor, and knew it was a mountain cat and it was stalking the little girl's trail.

Jim broke into a run and the others followed behind him. They had to find the little girl and quickly.

A few minutes later and they came upon a jumble of boulders. The mountain cat was walking up and down and taking interest in one particular area. Jim could hear a little girl's quiet sobbing and he knew the little girl had wedged herself inside out of the mountain cat's reach.

The six men running towards the mountain cat spooked her and she turned and beat a hasty retreat, the odds were no longer in her favour and she decided to find a meal elsewhere.

Bending down Jim peered inside the little nook of rocks. He could see the little girl right at the back, huddle into a sobbing ball.

"Chase Butterfly, it's all right now, the big cat has gone, you are safe," he told her in Duwamish.

She didn't move too traumatised to acknowledge him.

"Chase Butterfly, it's Hunting Elk and Healing Wolf we have come to take you home to your mama."

"Mama," the little girl said sobbing even harder. "Mama, mad at me."

"No she isn't, she's sorry that she yelled at you," Jim told the little girl who was still sobbing but not so hard. "Can you come out so we can take you home?"

Slowly the little girl moved and started to crawl forward. She finally emerged from her hiding place, dirty and dishevelled but unharmed. Jim gave her some water and used his neckerchief to wipe some of the dirt from her face. Blair checked her over to make sure she was okay but he couldn't find any injuries other than a few scrapes.

Jim cradled her in his arms and then they began their trek back to the village.

"She's lucky," Blair said as they walked back.

"Very," Jim replied solemnly. "She's lucky the mountain lion didn't get her or that no snakes were taking a siesta in that outcrop of rocks she hid in."

"You saved her life," Blair stated and Jim just shrugged. "We would never have found her if not for your Guardian abilities."

"I'm just glad we did," Jim replied and Blair nodded.

When they reached the Duwamish village, Chase Butterfly's mother was relieved to see her daughter carried by Hunting Elk and that she was all right.

"Thank goodness, Chase Butterfly, you're all right."

"Yes, Mama," the little girl replied a little chagrined that she had caused so much worry to her mother.

"Don't you ever do that again," he mother said as she held her daughter tightly. When she found her missing she didn't think she would ever get the chance to hold her in her arms ever again.

"I'm sorry, Mama. Hunting Elk found me," the little girl enthused excitedly. "I didn't mean to run off. I was upset, I ran and then I got lost and couldn't find my way back. I heard a big cat, it was following me, I kept running but I couldn't run anymore. So I hid. Then I saw Hunting Elk and not the big cat and I knew I was safe."

News soon spread around the tribe that Chase Butterfly had been found safe and well by their adopted tribe member. It was full dark now and everyone thanked Jim or patted him on the back. He was a little unnerved by their attention but was just glad his gift had been of use.

Jim and Blair decided to spend the night instead of trying to make their way back to town in the dark. The tribe celebrated well into the night the safe return of one of their children. Then the celebrations finally wound down and quiet descended. Only then did Jim relax his vigil and fall asleep, Blair had long since gone to sleep. Jim couldn't sleep until the tribe was quiet and all was well within the village.

##############

Next day Jim and Blair returned to their lives in Cascade. They enjoyed their lives in Cascade; but they also enjoyed their times with the Duwamish. The Duwamish expected nothing from them, not to enforce the law or cure every ill; they accepted them for their friendship and nothing more. They could relax there and the Duwamish village was like a sanctuary for them both in their otherwise busy lives.

Jim was patrolling the streets of Cascade when he heard a commotion down an alley near to the saloon. He could hear the sounds of a scuffle and using his enhanced hearing the Guardian moved quickly towards the sounds of the disturbance. Down an alley by the saloon he came across a brawl. He waded in and separated the two men throwing punches at each other.

"Break it up! What's going on?" he asked once they were both separated.

"Buck pushed me," one man said his speech slurred.

"It was an accident, Stewart, I tripped and bumped into him," Buck replied and his voice was equally slurred.

Jim deduced that both men were drunk.

"You fellas can sleep it off in the gaol," Jim said grabbing hold of both men's arms. The two drunks resisted.

"Come on, sheriff, it was nothing," Stewart pleaded.

"You both need to sober up and you can do that at the gaol," Jim told them.

"Do you need a hand, sheriff?" Mike Sandford, Emily's husband, asked suddenly from behind the sheriff, he'd been passing and had heard the commotion as well.

"Thanks, Mike," Jim replied, glad for the help as the two men were quite a handful.

Mike grabbed the nearest drunk's arm who wriggled trying to get out of the grip.

"Come on, Stewart, a few hours sleep in the gaol and you'll feel a new man," Jim said.

"Get your hands off me!" Stewart shouted as he tried to get out of Mike's grip.

"Come quietly, Stewart," Jim said as he held onto Buck.

"I've got him," Mike replied keeping a firm grip on the drunken man's arm.

Jim took a step forward with Buck who was resigned to spending a few hours in gaol. A scuffle behind him caught the sheriff's attention, he started to turn to tell Steward to stop giving Mike a hard time and to come quietly instead. Jim heard a loud bang and realised it was a shot ringing out and then he was falling to the floor with darkness calling to him, half dragging Buck with him whom he still had a grip of. Jim only just realised he'd been shot when he fell into the calling darkness.

Buck stared at Stewart who had a shocked look on his face. Buck's eyes travelled down to the gun the man was still holding in his hand, it was still smoking thin tendrils of grey smoke out of the end of the barrel. Then Buck's eyes travelled down to the supine forms of the sheriff and Mike Sandford, neither man was moving. Buck moved backwards his hands held up in supplication, he had quickly sobered up. There was steely glint in Stewart's eyes and his eyes narrowed as he realised Buck was the only other witness.

A second shot rang out.

Stewart looked round but there was no one around but someone would have heard the shots, he bolted and disappeared. A few moments later and a member of the public appeared at the head of the alley. He'd heard the shots and was investigating, though cautiously.

"Get help!" he screamed when he saw the three unmoving bodies lying on the alley's floor.

A crowd began to gather in shock as they saw the bloody outcome of the shooting.

##############

Blair was poring over his patient notes. A noise caught his attention. He realised they were two gunshots close together but he occasionally heard gunshots in Cascade, it was nothing that Jim couldn't handle. But after a few moments Blair looked up and glanced at the door. He felt uneasy about something; he wasn't sure why this time the gunshots were bothering him so much. The doctor took off his glasses and stood up to stretch his legs. He walked to the front door and stepped out onto the wooden verandah. He looked up and down the street. He saw a commotion near the saloon and people were running to the scene. He thought he heard the word 'sheriff' mentioned and then he was also running to the scene.

"Let me through!" he shouted as he tried to get through the milling crowd of people.

Once through he saw three bodies on the ground. Jim and Mike were lying side by side on the ground, a growing pool of blood around each man's body. A third body was lying a short distance away.

"Jim!" Blair cried as he knelt beside his friend.

Quickly Blair assessed Jim's condition and found two wounds one to his back and the other to his front that were bleeding heavily. Blair checked Mike and to his horror discovered he was already dead as was the third person. He was shocked for a moment, Emily's husband was dead. Thoughts of the baby to be and Mike never seeing him or her grow up flashed through his head; but he pushed them aside. He couldn't help Mike now but he could help his friend.

"Jim, can you hear me?" Blair asked but his friend was deeply unconscious.

Blair pointed at four of Cascade's citizens "Carry the sheriff to my surgery as quickly but gently as you can. Move!" he shouted when they didn't move fast enough. The four men quickly picked up the fallen man. Blair's last sight at the scene of the shooting was someone putting a jacket over Mike's face. Then Blair rushed back to his surgery ahead of the four men carrying Jim, he had to prepare to do emergency surgery on his friend.

He called in at the restaurant first; he had to tell Emily himself.

"What's going on?" Pru asked as he went into the kitchen. "We heard gunshots."

Blair couldn't help but look at Emily. How could he tell her?

"I'm sorry," Blair stammered looking at Emily.

"What?"

"Is it Jim?" Pru asked.

"It's Mike isn't it," Emily said quietly. She could see the look of pain in the doctor's eyes and she knew instinctively it was for her husband. "He's dead."

Blair nodded his mouth going dry. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh, dear Lord," Pru said going to Emily's side and putting her arms round the young woman's shoulders.

"Jim's hurt," Blair said, his heart grieved for his friend but he also had Jim to consider "and I need to operate. Tommy, I need your help," Blair added looking over at the young man who was standing there looking stunned.

"Whatever I can do for Sheriff Ellison just ask," the young man replied, immediately pulling himself together and pushing aside his shock.

"Thank you. Some men are carrying Jim to my surgery, show them through to my operating room when they get here." Tommy nodded grimly, and then the doctor looked over at the young pregnant woman. "Emily, I" but he didn't have the words or the time to stay and give comfort to the young woman.

"Go help Jim," Pru said "We'll be all right."

But Blair didn't think Pru meant what she said. How could anything be all right again? Emily was gently crying and cradling her stomach as Blair rushed through the connecting door from the restaurant into his surgery with Tommy behind him. He had to prepare to operate.

A short time later and the four men carrying Jim entered through the front door of Blair's surgery.

"They're here, Doctor Sandburg," Tommy called as he opened the door for the four men to enter with Jim.

Blair was busy getting his surgical instruments ready. He wasn't sure what he was going to encounter only that Jim had been shot. He briefly wondered who had shot both Jim and Mike, as deputy sheriff, he had to help maintain order in Cascade whilst the sheriff was incapacitated but he didn't have the time at the moment. Jim came first.

Blair watched as the men carrying Jim laid him on his examination table.

"Gently," Blair told the men.

Blair supported Jim's head as he was turned and laid on his front. A mass of blood was evident on his blue shirt at the back and front.

"Thank you, gentlemen," Blair told the helpers as they filed from the room. Tommy hovered at the doorway not sure what to do.

"Tommy, I could use your help," the doctor said.

"Whatever I can do, Doc," Tommy replied straight away walking forward to the examination table. The sheriff had given him a job when he had come to Cascade and Tommy would never forget that. He'd only had a few dollars left and wasn't sure where he was going to spend the night or even when he was going to eat next; the sheriff had given him a job when most wouldn't to a young untrained kid off the streets. Tommy audibly swallowed when he saw the amount of blood on the sheriff's shirt.

"Thanks, Tommy," the doctor replied. Tommy glanced at the doctor, he appeared cool and professional on the outside, but the young man knew how close they were, the doctor would be in turmoil on the inside.

Blair picked up a pair of scissors and cut Jim's shirt and removed it from his patient. Blair gauged both wounds and it was immediately apparent that Jim had been shot in the back. The back wound was small; it was close to the side of his back above his kidney, so that was good. The doctor checked the exit wound on the front. It looked a clean wound, he wouldn't be a hundred percent sure until he operated but Blair was thinking that the bullet had gone clean through and shouldn't have hit anything vital during its course through his friend's body.

Jim was still unconscious but Blair didn't want him waking up during the operation. Even though there was no bullet inside his friend he still had to operate to make sure no dirt or bits of cloth were inside. Even the slightest bit of dirt would cause an infection that could become potentially fatal.

"Tommy, can you administer the chloroform whilst I operate?"

The young man was a bit hesitant but he looked at Jim's inert form and it was enough to steel his resolve, he would do anything for the sheriff.

Blair put a few drops onto gauze and put it over Jim's nose and mouth.

"Every few minutes I want you to add a couple of drops onto the gauze. Make sure you don't inhale the chloroform yourself."

Tommy nodded his eyes like saucers.

"It's going to be alright," Blair told the frightened the young man. Tommy took a deep breath and nodded.

Before he began the operation Blair used his stethoscope to listen to Jim's heart. It was still steady and beating strongly. Using the chloroform had frightened him a little at first with his friend's sensitivities to drugs, but he had to use it. It would be worse if his friend woke up during the operation. He didn't want him to feel the pain of the operation.

Blair cleaned his hands and rubbed alcohol on them. His scalpel and other instrument had been preboiled, so everything was as sterile as he could make them.

Blair took a deep breath and then made a small incision above and below the bullet hole. He prised the skin apart so he could see inside the wound. Using tweezers he probed for anything that shouldn't be there. The doctor followed the trajectory of the bullet inside his friend but the wound looked okay. As he had suspected it had not hit any major organs as it ploughed through. He repeated the operation on the front, firstly with Tommy's help, they rolled Jim over. The front wound was larger. First Blair probed and cleaned, and then using boiled rain water, the doctor irrigated the wounds front and back. There was nothing else to do but to suture and bandage the wounds.

Blair was confident that barring any complications Jim would make a full recovery.

Blair finished the operation by bandaging Jim's torso. There was nothing more the doctor could do but wait for his patient to wake up.

Blair, with Tommy's help, made Jim comfortable and moved him into one of the beds in the ward.

"Thanks for your help, Tommy, why don't you get off home now."

"I can stay if you'd like," Tommy replied immediately, he needed to know that Jim was okay.

It was now early evening and the doctor could see the young man was exhausted.

"You can help Jim out more if you look after yourself. I'll send for you if there's any change."

"You promise?" Tommy asked and Blair nodded. "Okay," Tommy acquiesced.

"Night, Tommy, and don't worry the sheriff will be okay," the doctor said trying to reassure the young man.

"Thank, Doc," the young man replied and with a last look at Jim as he left for his home in a nearby boarding house.

After Tommy had left there was silence in the surgery. Jim was still asleep and Blair got a chair and sat down next to his bed. He checked his pulse and found it strong. He placed Jim's hand back on the bed and left his hand on top, willing his own strength into his friend. There was no sign that Jim was making any signs of waking.

Sometime later and Pru came into the surgery with Emily.

"We shut the restaurant early," Pru said as she walked in with the pregnant woman.

"That's fine," Blair replied standing and guiding Emily to his vacated seat.

"How's Jim?" Emily asked.

"He's holding his own. The bullet went through but didn't hit any major organs."

"I'm glad," she replied quietly.

Blair could see how upset she was. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot and her hands were subconsciously holding her stomach.

"EmI" Blair began but didn't know what to say.

"It's all right, Blair," Emily said holding out her hand which Blair grasped. "I just need to know who did this."

"We will, Em, as soon as Jim wakes up I'll ask him who did this and as Jim's deputy I will personally arrest the man who shot Jim and Mike."

"Thanks, Blair, I know you will."

"You need to rest, Em, why don't you go home?"

"She's coming home with me, Blair," Pru replied. Prudence was a spinster and had no family, she was glad to take the young woman home with her.

"I can give you something to help you sleep," Blair added.

"Thanks, Doc, but I'd rather not. I don't want to risk the baby, he's all I've got" and Emily started to cry again. "Sorry," she sobbed.

"It's all right," Blair replied.

Taking hold of Emily's shaking shoulders Pru helped her stand and together they left the surgery. Jim hadn't moved.

Blair wanted to know who had shot Jim as well, but of the three witnesses to the crime, two were dead and one was unconscious and unable to tell. And where was the murder weapon? Blair hadn't noticed a gun when he had found Jim and Mike but he had been distracted by his need to help the casualties. He thought about asking Cascade's former sheriff, Ashford Solon, for help. Blair couldn't investigate the shootings as he needed to be at Jim's side. Blair was torn. His role as a doctor always came first, but a murderer was loose in Cascade and needed to be found and the deputy side of him wanted to investigate.

Blair pottered around the surgery, he made coffee and a sandwich, and though he wasn't hungry it was something to do. He finished his patient notes and tidied up the surgery. Every few minutes he checked on his friend for signs that he was waking up.

Finally with nothing else to do that he could think of, the doctor sat beside his friend's bed. He pulled out his grandfather's pocket watch and checked the time.

2.24am.

Blair yawned, it had been a long day, and he was tired but he wanted to be awake when his friend woke up. Jim would be in pain and Blair wanted to make sure his friend had some pain medication and a soporific to help him start to heal from his wounds.

Blair fondled the pocket watch in his hand. It felt good to caress the watch that meant so much to him. He had managed to recover it before the fire had consumed his house during the waterfront fire and it had been lost forever. The watch his mother had given him. Blair was sad for a moment at the thought of finding and losing his mother again in such a short amount of time. Blair thought of visiting his mother's grave again. Once Jim was well enough to ride they would go there and spend some time at the waterfall, just the two of them. The waterfall was such a tranquil place. Maybe they could take a picnic and relax for a couple of hours. Jim would need some time to recuperate after his injury.

If he survives, a voice sudden said in his mind. No he wouldn't comprehend such a thought. Jim would live; and he would fully recover from his injury. Blair couldn't contemplate losing the two most important people in his life in the same year. Blair almost staggered at that prospect.

Blair rubbed his eyes and shook away the melancholy thoughts, they did no good.

3.06am.

Blair sat beside his friend and picked up a book. He was too tired to read but he didn't know what else do to. He had checked Jim's vital signs again and they were just the same as before. Blair walked over to the window and looked out but Cascade was dark and quiet and he couldn't see anything. There wasn't even a moon to illuminate the darkness.

Then he heard a low moan. Blair's head turned and he heard the moan again. He was at his friend's bedside in a moment. Jim's eyes moved under his closed lids and his head moved slightly.

"Jim?"

Jim's eyelids opened a slit. Blair was glad the room was in semi-darkness, only the glow of one lantern spilling light into the room.

"Jim? Can you hear me, Jim?"

The Guardian winced as his head moved away from Blair's direction a fraction and the doctor could tell his friend had heard him.

"Are you okay, Jim?"

"Too loud," the Guardian whispered.

Blair wasn't surprised the Guardian's senses were spiking.

"Turn it down, Jim; picture the elk taking the noise with it until it's comfortable."

It was difficult but Jim managed to get his hearing down to where Blair's voice sounded normal and not booming in his ears.

"What about your other senses?"

"All too high," Jim complained.

"Start with sight, reset it, until it's comfortable."

It took some time but eventually Jim's senses were set back to normal.

"What happened?" Jim croaked his voice rough.

"I'll get you some water," the doctor replied and then answered his question. "You were shot."

Jim tried to lick his dry lips, but his mouth felt like sandpaper. Shot? It was all hazy; he wasn't sure what had happened. He didn't remember being shot.

"Jim, do you know who fired the shot?"

It was all too hazy. "It's all a blur," Jim replied clearly agitated at his inability to remember what had happened.

"Shh, it's okay, you don't have to remember now," the doctor replied, putting a glass to Jim's lips and helping him drink some water.

"It's important," Jim replied as he put his head back on the pillow.

"It can wait. You've just had surgery. You need to rest. Are you in any pain?"

"Not really, I've dialled it down."

"You have!" the doctor replied delighted.

"The elk is taking the pain away, just as you taught me."

"That's great." Blair was amazed that Jim could remember his teachings despite the trauma he had been through.

Something else swam through the fog in Jim's brain.

"Blair."

"Yeah, Jim."

"I rememberMike was there. Mike will know who shot me."

Blair looked away unable to look at his friend. Jim had noticed his friend's demeanour had changed. He concentrated his senses on the doctor and could detect that his heart was hammering in his chest.

"Doc, what aren't you telling me?"

"It can wait until later," the doctor replied and then moved closer to the bed and picked up Jim's wrist to take his pulse.

Jim's free hand moved on top of his friend's, even though the movement caused him to wince.

"Tell me, Doc."

Their eyes locked.

"It's Mike," Blair began.

"What about Mike?" Jim suddenly realised all the other beds were empty so Mike couldn't have been seriously injured. Then a more sinister thought emerged, one that Jim didn't want to face.

"I'm sorry, Jim, but Mike died."

"What, but, how, that can't be." Jim couldnt comprehend the words. "I was the one that was shot."

"I think the bullet passed through Mike and then went into you. Buck Taylor's also dead, his body was found near to Mike's."

Jim's eyes clouded with pain, but it wasn't physical pain, it was the emotional pain of feeling a friend's death. Buck Taylor was there. Did he shoot him and Mike? But then how did he get shot? None of it made any sense.

"Dear God, Emily," he whispered his voice carrying physical pain.

"She's okay. She's staying with Pru tonight. Are you in pain, Jim?" Jim's face was scrunched up in pain.

"I've dialled it down, but it's hard to keep it in focus."

"That's understandable you've had quite a trauma. I can give you something for the pain and to help you sleep."

"No, I'm all right. It was just a shock," and Jim took a breath "Emily, the baby, Mike will never." And he couldn't say anymore as the tears welled in his eyes and threatened to spill down his face.

"I know, Jim," Blair replied and sat on the bed next to his friend and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I need to remember who did this."

"You will. Rest now; it will all seem clearer in the morning."

Jim knew his friend was right and he did feel bone weary exhausted.

"Go to sleep, I'll be nearby if you need me."

But Jim was already slipping into sleep.

Blair moved and lowered the wick on the lantern, so only a soft glow filled the room and then moved and lay down on the bed next to his friend. Jim wasn't the only one who was tired. The day caught up with Blair and now that Jim was out of the woods he was finally able to think about Mike and his devastating loss; but he was also exhausted and he soon slid into sleep.

##############

Jim woke with a start. It took him a few moments to realise where he was and what had happened. Only a low lambent light lit up the doctor's ward where patients slept who were too sick to go home. He lifted his head and glanced around, Blair was fast asleep in the bed next to his. The Guardian glanced over at the window and no glow was shining in, so it was still night. There seemed to be a slight lifting of black so he reasoned dawn was not far off.

He heard a sound and reasoned that it was what had awakened him. There was a sort of squeak follow by a light rattle. Jim knew it was Blair's office window lifting up. Then he heard a rustle and the sound of clothing moving on clothing as someone climbed into the building.

Jim sat up gingerly, wincing at the pain in his back. The Guardian managed to get to his feet without falling over and the slight dizziness he felt soon past. He cast his hearing out and could hear the intruder stub his toe on a chair in the Blair's office. He didn't have the advantage of Guardian eyesight.

Jim glanced over at Blair and saw he was deeply asleep. The Guardian weighed up his options. He could wake Blair who was likely to object to him taking on an intruder in his condition or he could look for a weapon and tackle the intruder himself. Jim didn't want Blair to endanger himself, he was the Guardian, and it was up to him to protect his friend. Jim looked round for his gun, since becoming sheriff he had taken to wearing a Colt in a holster when he was on duty, but he couldn't see it. Blair had probably locked it away as soon as he had been brought in.

Jim had moments to come up with a plan and make a decision. He needed a weapon. Blair was safe for the moment the intruder wouldn't be able to see much in the dark and Jim had a good idea who it was. His instincts and reasoning were telling him what was happening. Jim was remembered everything and it was all fitting into place. Mike had been behind him with Stewart Logan. Stewart had shot Mike and the bullet had passed through him into Jim. Stewart had then killed Buck to silence the only other witness to his crime. Jim was alive, if he was dead there would be no witnesses to what Stewart Logan had done and he would get off Scott free. Jim thought where he was most likely to find a weapon on the ground floor. He opted for the surgery and he moved as quickly as his wound allowed him to. He had the advantage over the intruder in being able to see perfectly in the dark.

In the surgery Jim looked for a weapon and quickly found a scalpel. He moved silently back into the ward area. He was about to wake Blair when he realised he had run out of time, the intruder was on the other side of the door.

The door opened slowly and silently. Jim moved up behind the door. A dark figure stepped into the room, looking in the lambent light to see if the beds were occupied. Jim could immediately smell alcohol and then saw Stewart Logan. A moment later and Jim saw the gun in his hand.

Jim knew that Stewart was here to kill him. He was the only person alive who knew what had unfolded in the alley that afternoon.

Silently, in the darkness, Jim raised the scalpel to Stewart's throat.

"Drop the gun, Stewart," he said.

Stewart started, shocked that Jim had got the drop on him but recovered quickly.

"Sorry, Sheriff, I can't do that."

"I will kill you, Stewart. I won't say it again, drop the gun."

"I'll hang if you testify against me."

"You shot and killed a good man. A good man who was about to become a father for the first time."

"Emily's pregnant, oh God, I swear, Sheriff, I had no idea. I didn't mean to kill him. I was drunk. All I wanted to do was scare Mike into letting me go. If I go to gaol again my wife will leave me. The gun just went off. It was an accident."

"You can tell all that to the judge, the district judge will give you a fair trial which is more than you deserve."

"It's too late for that."

"Last chance, Stewart, drop the gun."

"I can't," those words were barely more than a whisper but Jim heard them and the threat behind them.

Stewart raised the gun and started to turn it towards Jim, his finger poised on the trigger. Jim reacted instinctively; he drew the razor-sharp scalpel across Stewart's throat. The same scalpel that had saved his life mere hours ago was now going to take the life of another. Immediately Stewart started to gurgle on his own blood. He tried to squeeze the trigger but he found that his fingers weren't working, a moment later Jim had removed the gun from his lax hand. Stewart turned his fear laden brown eyes on Jim, who could see the fear in the dark depths.

Stewart collapsed to the ground, blood continuing to seep from the wound.

The sound of Stewart's body hitting the floor awoke Blair with a start.

"Jim!!" he immediately called in alarm as he had glanced over upon waking to see his friend's bed empty.

"I'm fine, Doc."

Blair's head turned to the sound of Jim's voice by the door and then he sat up. He heightened the flame on the lantern which bathed the room in a golden glow. Blair took in the scene with horror. A body was lying on the floor at Jim's feet.

"Fine!" the doctor grumbled. "You're the one waltzing round after surgery."

Blair walked over to the body and recognised Stewart Logan; he checked him for a pulse.

"He's dead," Blair announced but Jim already knew as he couldn't hear any heart beat.

"Why?" Blair trusted Jim implicitly but he couldn't understand what Stewart Logan was doing in his surgery at dawn with a gun and Jim standing over him with a bloody scalpel in his hand.

"He killed Mike," Jim responded.

"But why?" Blair asked why anyone would want to kill someone as gentle as Mike.

"I remembered what happened. I arrested Stewart Logan and Buck Taylor for being drunk and disorderly. Stewart was afraid his wife would leave him if I arrested him again for being drunk."

"But that's" and Blair had no words.

"Senseless."

"Yeah," Blair replied. "Totally senseless, now three men are dead because one man didn't want his wife to find out he'd been drinking. It doesn't make sense."

Jim was starting to sag as the adrenaline of the incident wore off. The Guardian raised his hand to steady himself on the wall.

Blair noticed his patient waver. "Back to bed with you."

"I'm fine, Doc."

"Now!!" Blair replied firmly. "That wasn't a request."

"Yes, Doctor," Jim replied knowing when not to go against doctor's orders.

Jim was grateful to sit back on the bed as his legs were becoming a bit wobbly.

"I need to check your wounds and make sure you haven't pulled any stitches out."

"I'd smell the blood if I'd reopened them. The wounds are fine."

"You could have torn something inside," Blair muttered as he fussed around his friend. "What were you thinking taking on an intruder like that?" Blair huffed.

"Saving our lives," the sheriff countered.

"Well there is that," Blair acquiesced with a smile, his anger dissipating. "And I am grateful. Now I want you to stay in that bed for the rest of today."

"Whatever, Doc," Jim replied.

Blair looked at his friend, he had agreed too readily to stay in bed. Blair was expecting an argument. The doctor felt his friend's forehead for any signs of a fever. Jim's skin felt normal.

"I'd smell it if the wound was infected, Doc," Jim replied knowing what his friend was doing and trying to stifle a yawn.

"I know but I'm the doctor here, leave me something to do."

Jim smiled at Blair's attempt to lighten the situation but he could see the hollow look in his eyes. Jim knew he had come close to dying, if Mike's body hadn't taken the full force of the bullet first he would have died. That made him sad as he thought about Emily all alone to raise their baby. No not alone, she didn't have her husband, but she had them. Jim was glad to be alive because he knew Blair would be the one who would be grieving right now.

He also knew that if he hadn't heard Stewart entering their house, Stewart would have killed them both, as he was leaving no witnesses alive.

As Blair tucked the blankets in on his bed; fussing round his friend. Jim lightly grabbed Blair's arm.

"I'm fine, Doc, I'm all right," Jim said gently.

Blair stopped for a moment and seemed to sag a little, then he straightened and put his free hand on top of Jim's but he couldn't speak as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He nodded and then stood up. Stewart's body was still lying on the ward's floor and needed taking care of.

Sunlight was starting to filter into the room.

"I'll go wake the undertaker and tell him he has yet another customer," Blair said grimacing at the dead body lying on his surgery floor.

Jim watched him go and then glanced sadly down at the figure lying on the floor. Stewart had been selfish in his actions; Jim's thoughts were not for the man he'd had to kill in self defence; all he could think of was Mike and Emily. A family torn apart by one man's selfishness.

##############

After the dead body had been removed and the blood on the floor dealt with, Blair returned to his patient.

"You look worse than I do, Doc," Jim said as he observed his tired friend. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"A few hours," the doctor replied.

"Why don't you lie down and have a few hours sleep."

"I don't think I could sleep right now," the Doctor replied feeling too energised to sleep, it wasn't every day your best friend killed someone in your surgery. "I am still wearing yesterday's clothes. I think I'll go freshen up a bit and change."

"Blair, you need to rest."

"I've got patients to attend to."

"I don't want you to end up as one of them," Jim replied concerned.

"I won't. It's not the first time I've had an all nighter. You won't believe how long some babies take to be born. If I feel tired later I'll have a nap after rounds. Okay!?" Blair added a little more snappier than he meant to. "Sorry, Jim, I didn't mean to bite your head off."

"It's all right, Doc, I just don't want you running yourself ragged that's all," Jim defended.

"I know, Jim. I just can't stop thinking about Emily."

"I know, I wonder how" and Jim trailed off.

"Wonder what?"

Jim glanced away then back at his friend. "How I'm going to face her. Her husband's dead and I'm alive."

"You can't think like that, it was just one of those things. It's Stewart's fault, he made the choice, he drew the gun and pulled the trigger."

"I know but"

"We can't do anything for Mike now but we can help Emily and the baby when he or she is born."

"You're right," Jim said as he had had thoughts along those lines as well. "We'll make sure Em and the baby are both all right."

On that Blair moved to the door to go upstairs and change out of his crumpled clothes.

After Blair had washed and changed clothes he felt a lot better. He went back downstairs and into his surgery. As he walked back into the ward he stopped dead in his tracks. The bed Jim was supposed to be resting in was empty. Blair was thinking he was going to have to tie his patient down if he was going to keep him in that bed.

"Jim!" Blair called out.

"In your office, Doc," he heard the reply.

Blair was preparing to cut a strip off his friend; he needed to rest if he was going to heal.

As he stepped into his office he saw his friend sat at his desk a plate of food in front of him which he was tucking into. A separate plate was covered opposite to him.

"Sit down, Doc," Jim said pouring his friend a cup of coffee.

"Is that fresh coffee?" Blair asked forgetting his rebuttal, as the smell of coffee wafted over to him.

"Yes," Jim replied. "And bacon, eggs and hash browns. Pru's handiwork," the Guardian explained. "She came in after you went upstairs to get changed and asked if we'd had breakfast yet."

Blair took a drink of the coffee, it was good. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he took the cover off the plate that was keeping his breakfast warm.

"I feel fine. I promise to take it easy," Jim said knowing his friend couldn't help but fuss.

"Any pain?"

"I've tapered it down like you showed me."

"You pictured the elk?"

"I pictured it walking away and taking the pain with it."

"Thats excellent, Jim," Blair replied.

He chopped off a piece of bacon and put it in his mouth. "This is good," Blair said not realising how hungry he was. He realised he hadn't eaten since the dinner time the day before.

"I know I don't pay Pru enough."

"I'll tell her that," Blair replied smiling.

"You would as well," Jim retorted.

Both men were smiling as they continued to consume their breakfasts.

"Did Pru mention how Emily was?"

"She said Emily's mom and dad came round to Pru's first thing this morning and are staying with her whilst Pru's at the restaurant."

"It's going to be hard on Em now without Mike, especially as she's pregnant."

"I know," Jim replied thoughtfully. "I keep going over it in my head, Mike helping me with the drunks."

"It should have been me, I'm your deputy."

"Part time deputy, you're the town's doctor first and foremost, I understood that when I asked you."

"Maybe you need to get some full time help."

"Maybe," the sheriff replied thoughtfully.

"Anyone in mind?"

"I'll have to think on it."

"Well you can think on it in bed."

"Yes, Doctor," Jim replied good naturedly knowing he had walked into that one.

Jim knew he was going to be on bed rest for the rest of the day at least.

##############

A month later and Jim had recovered well from his gunshot wound. He was back full time as sheriff of Cascade, though he was still under doctor's orders not to overdo it. During his recovery the former Sheriff Ashford Solon had stepped in and taken over temporary sheriff duties. Jim had been concerned that Blair would have been on the front line too much and in too much danger as he tried to take on the town's criminals on his own. The former sheriff had been delighted to come out of retirement for a brief time. When Jim had come along he saw in him that he had good instincts and would make a good law man, plus he had the best tracking skills he had ever seen. He had tracked the outlaw Calico Joe like a bloodhound. Retirement had its perks but it had its downside too, Solon had enjoyed stepping into the sheriff's shoes for a few weeks but he was also glad to relinquish control back to Jim once he was fit again.

Mike's funeral was a sombre affair. A lot of tears were shed as he was laid to rest. Emily had weekly check-ups with Blair and she was blooming. The baby growing inside of her gave her purpose to continue and thrive. The baby was Mike's legacy, he or she wouldn't know her father but Emily vowed to tell them as much about him as she could. Her focus now was getting ready for the baby's birth in a few months and being the best mother she could be. She knew she had a good family, her mom and dad had been magnificent in being there for her. But she was also wealthy with friends, Jim, Blair, Pru and Tommy had been there every step of the way for her. She couldn't have got this far without them. Emily still grieved for her husband, he had been her soul mate and best friend; she felt empty without him but her friends helped her every day continue to live.

Jim was feeling antsy; he was feeling better and was chomping at the bit. Blair had restricted his movements and how much he could do, it hadn't been easy; but the Guardian had tried to listen to his Guide. Before Blair would give Jim a clean bill of health Jim had proposed they ride out to the Duwamish. Blair would know then if he rode there and back he was back to his fitness before the injury.

It was the end of August and the days were still hot as they rode out of Cascade. The sun was shining hotly on them but there was a pleasant breeze coming in off the ocean. Jim was looking forward to seeing his Duwamish friends and brushing up on his Duwamish again.

They stopped at the waterfall on their way and Blair left flowers on his mother's grave. It was always a sombre moment but Blair took solace from the fact he could come and speak to his mother, even though she couldn't answer him back. Jim always gave his friend a few minutes alone before they left so he could speak to her alone. Jim always checked the horses and waited patiently for his friend to finish. Jim sometimes found himself thinking about his own family. It was strange as he hadn't really thought about them in years, only when Blair's mother had arrived had he even thought of his father and brother. He still didn't care enough about them to want to find out if they were alive or whether they were still on the plantation. Blair was all the family he needed or wanted now.

Jim's eyesight saw something ahead of them and they rode over to it. An unsaddled horse was grazing next to the body of a man.

As they got closer they realised it was a Native American lying on the ground. Neither Blair nor Jim recognised him as being Duwamish. Suddenly Jim realised he was Kanatchee who were dangerous to all white people.

"Careful, Doc, he's Kanatchee," Jim cautioned as his friend squatted down next to the supine man. Jim looked and listened in the immediate vicinity checking for threats or dangers.

The man's eyes were closed, he was unconscious but he was still breathing.

"Can you hear me?" Blair asked the man in Duwamish, there were differences in the two languages but there were enough commonalities that the young man would understand him.

But the young man didn't move. Blair touched his forehead and felt the heat emanating from him; the young brave had a fever. Blair could tell by his sallow skin that he was dehydrated. There was also a noticeable rash on his arms that disappeared under the sleeves of his tunic. Moving aside the material of the neck Blair could see the rash was on his torso as well.

"Stay back, Jim," the doctor warned "it might be contagious."

The Kanatchee moaned and then opened his eyes. He was instantly irritated when he saw Blair leaning over him and tried to get up but he was too weak.

"It's okay, were not going to hurt you," Blair said in a gentle voice trying to reassure the young man. "I'm a medicine man; I can help you if you'll let me." The young man didn't say anything so Blair continued. "When did the rash start?"

The Kanatchee was silent a few moments and then resigned he spoke.

"A couple of days ago. It was after something bit me."

"What bit you?"

"An insect, I didn't see it, but felt it."

"Where?"

"On my back."

"May I see it?"

The young man nodded and rolled over slightly. Blair raised the tunic and saw the bite mark, it was swollen and angry looking. The young man's back was covered in the rash.

"We need to get you back to your people," Blair said helping the man stand.

"Blair," Jim asked concernedly. "Do you know what the young man has?" he asked him in English knowing the Indian wouldn't understand him.

"I'm not sure; we have to take him back to his people and make sure no one else is sick."

"Blair, that's too dangerous, the Kanatchee hate us, don't forget they derailed the train and killed all those people."

"That was an isolated incident. We can't leave him here or risk taking him to the Duwamish or Cascade; and he's too weak to make it on his own."

"All right but it's a mistake," Jim replied, knowing his friend was unmoveable on medical matters but he knew this was a very bad idea. "Remember I said that when they fill us full of arrows."

Blair smiled but if this Kanatchee brave had what he was thinking he had, the doctor didn't think the Kanatchee were going to be much of a problem.

##############

They approached the Kanatchee village and immediately they were surrounded by braves with bows and arrows all trained on them. The sick Indian and his horse was lead away.

An elderly man came forward and from his bearing Jim and Blair knew he was the Chief.

"Go," he said to them.

"I'm a medicine man, I can help the sick brave," Blair said emphatically. "You need to keep him separate from the rest of your people. Are any other people sick in the village?"

"Your help is not needed or wanted, white man," the Chief replied not answering the doctor's question or keeping the loathing and derision from his voice.

"But" Blair tried to argue the point.

The Chief raised his hand for silence. "Leave now. Do not return," he said with an edge of finality and turned to walk away.

Blair was about to argue the point when Jim spoke.

"It's no use, Doc, you can't help them if they don't want it."

Sadly Blair knew his friend was right. With sadness Blair wheeled Lightning away and Jim followed a moment later. As their horses took them away from the village, Blair looked back over his shoulder and saw the horse with the sick Kanatchee brave on it disappear into the village. The other braves still had their bows and arrows trained on them. Blair turned away from the village knowing he could do nothing to help.

"That brave looked very sick, Doc. Do you know what's wrong with him?"

Blair nodded. "From the fever and the rash the brave has I think it's Typhus."

Jim didn't say anything; he had heard of Typhus and knew full well what it could mean. If it became an epidemic it could affect all of them. People could die from Typhus.

Jim and Blair rode back to the waterfall. They undressed and immersed themselves in the cold water.

"We don't know how Typhus is spread, whether it's in the air or on contact with other people. All we can do is clean our clothes and ourselves and hopefully prevent any contamination," Blair explained.

Blair thought he was more likely to be infected than his friend. He had been the one who had actually touched the Kanatchee Indian. They also thoroughly washed their clothes as a precaution.

They continued to the Duwamish in their wet clothes, hours later than they planned to arrive. At least the August sun was warm on them. As always, Seahawk was pleased to see them.

"You are both wet," he said noticing their wet appearances. "There has been no rain today," he added bemused.

"It's a long story," Jim explained.

"Has anyone in the village complained of headaches or come down with rashes or fevers lately?" Blair asked the old chief.

"None that I am aware of, Healing Wolf. Come, you and Hunting Elk will catch your own sickness if you don't get out of those wet clothes. We will find you some clothes and a sweat lodge will be prepared so you can cleanse yourselves."

Jim and Blair huddled in blankets as the sweat lodge was prepared. Their own clothes were hanging out to dry. Later Jim and Blair shared a meal with their Duwamish friends. They felt better, but it had been a tiring day, so they decided to spend the night and return to Cascade the following morning.

##############

The next morning they returned to Cascade but Blair couldn't stop thinking about the Kanatchee. Jim knew his friend and could tell he was dwelling on the situation with the Kanatchee. Over lunch Jim voiced his concerns.

"They don't want your help, Doc," Jim stated.

"I know, Jim," Blair replied with a sigh knowing that his friend was right. "But I'm a doctor and it's hard to stand by and not give medical help where it's needed."

"I know it's tearing you up inside, Doc, but it's their decision. The Kanatchee are dangerous. Don't forget that. They are diametrically opposed to white people. Emily needs you here. We all need you here. I need you here!" Jim added emphatically.

"I know," Blair replied sadly wishing he could do something but knowing his allegiance was to the people of Cascade who wanted his help.

Blair lasted a week before he couldnt stand it any longer. He had to find out if the Kanatchee, and the Kanatchee brave they had helped back to his village, were okay. Blair left Cascade after rounds.

The doctor rode to the Kanatchee village. As he approached the village the quiet was deafening. No braves came out to challenge him or stop him from entering. Blair dismounted, and leading Lightning, he walked into the village. Everything was still; there was no movement and no sound. Then a figure emerged from one of the Kanatchee longhouses. The Chief carried a large bundle in his arms. He didn't seem to notice Blair, he seemed in a daze. Blair followed him to the edge of the village where raised platforms had been built. Blair could see a lot of blanket encased forms on the platforms.

The Chief placed the body he was carrying on the platform and then climbed down. It was then he noticed Blair but he didn't speak. From the deathly silence all around, Blair realised with sadness that the Chief was the only one still alive; the typhus had rampaged through the village and had killed them all bar him.

"I could have helped you," Blair said emphatically.

"That is not our way. Leave now," the Chief replied without emotion.

"Please let me help you," Blair pleaded.

"No, you are a white man. White man only destroys."

"I'm a doctor, a medicine man; I help any man who is sick no matter the colour of his skin."

"This sickness," the elderly Chief said reliving the horror of the past few weeks watching everyone he loved and cared about become sick and die, some of his anger had gone, there was no one left so nothing mattered any more. "Is a white man's sickness? The Kanatchee never had this sickness until the white man came to our lands."

Blair couldn't deny the old Chief's words. "The Duwamish call me Healing Wolf, I help them, I could have treated you and your people."

"Our time is at an end," the Chief sadly stated. "The gods have willed it. Leave now and do not return. The Kanatchee are no more."

The old man turned back to the raised platforms so that the young doctor could not see his tears. He began to chant for the family and friends who had gone into the afterlife without him. He would soon be joining them; he had no desire to live in an empty world devoid of good hunting, family and laughing children.

Blair wondered where the Kanatchee had picked up the sickness. So far he had no cases either amongst the people of Cascade or the Duwamish. As sad as it was, hopefully the disease was contained to the Kanatchee.

To the sound of chanting Blair left the old Chief to his grief for all that he had lost.

Blair rode solemnly back to Cascade. He rubbed Lightning down to work off some frustration and despondency. Then Blair took off his clothes and boiled them, hopefully killing any contamination. Finally he had a bath with a good antiseptic soap that Jim would smell the moment he stepped into the apartment.

##############

Later that afternoon when Jim returned home he found a subdued Blair in their kitchen, the doctor was so lost in thought he didn't hear him enter at first.

"You okay, Doc?"

"Huh, oh, hi Jim. Yeah, fine."

"What have you been doing today? I looked for you dinner time but couldn't find you. I figured you were at a patient's house or something."

"I went to the Kanatchee village," Blair confessed even though he knew this would upset the Guardian.

"You did what! Blair, you could have been killed!!" Jim replied angrily.

"Well obviously I wasn't! I had to, Jim, I'm a doctor."

Jim understood that and reined in his temper, that was what he admired about his friend the most, his passion to help others and his ethics. The Hippocratic Oath was sacred to Blair.

"What did you find?"

"They're all dead but one, the Chief was the only one still alive. He didn't want my help either."

"You did all you could. You can't help someone if they don't want that help."

"I know, Jim, but an entire nation of people are soon going to be gone forever."

Jim knew how deeply his friend would feel that loss.

"Blair, I" but Jim didn't know what to say to his friend to help him. "Did you see Emily today?" Jim asked trying to distract his friend.

"I'm going to see her tomorrow morning."

Then Blair smiled as he knew what his friend was doing. "I'm all right, Jim; really, just feel a bit powerless at the moment."

"You are an excellent and caring doctor, I know that, but you are only human."

"I know," Blair conceded with a sigh.

"Why don't I cook us something nice for supper? What do you fancy?"

Blair always enjoyed his friend's cooking. Jim was checking their larder and seeing what he could find to cook. Blair tried to shrug off his melancholy mood, he knew he couldn't do any more to help the Kanatchee; now he had to focus and help those, like Emily, that he could.

##############

The locomotive steamed into Cascade and came to a rest at the station. The passengers disembarked each going to their destinations. A tall black man disembarked and looked round. He had never been to Cascade before. He looked round at the people milling about, searching each face, as if he was looking for someone.

He left the station and headed straight for the sheriff's office. That was always his first port of call when he arrived in a new town. The man walked in and saw the sheriff sat behind his desk. The sheriff appraised the newcomer knowing instantly they hadn't met before.

"Good morning, Sheriff, my name is Simon Banks."

The sheriff stood and proffered his right hand, the man shook it.

"Jim Ellison, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for my seventeen year old son. He ran away from home nearly a year ago and I've been searching for him ever since."

"Do you think he's in Cascade?"

"I don't know, I'm just looking in as many places as I can," but there was a resignation about the man as if he knew he was looking for a needle in a haystack.

Jim indicated for the man to sit and he took out a pad and pencil to make some notes.

"What's your son's full name?"

"Daryl Thomas Banks."

"I don't know anyone of that name in Cascade," Jim replied but his mind was already thinking of anyone that had passed through Cascade recently that could fit this Banks' description.

"Why did your son run away?" the sheriff asked wanting to find out some back ground information on this man and his family.

"Daryl didn't get on with his step mom. If I'd have known Daryl would run away I would have done things differently. I didn't listen to Daryl enough and then one day he was gone. I want to talk to him and sort things out and hopefully get him to return home with me."

"How long are you planning on staying in town?"

"Just a couple of days. Is there a good hotel in town you could recommend?"

"Yes, on New Street. It's clean and the meals are good."

"I'll be staying there then. I'll also be walking around town to see if he's here."

"I'll let you know if I find out anything."

"I'd appreciate that, Sheriff," Simon replied standing up and holding out his hand, Jim shook it and the man left. Jim watched the tall and imposing man leave; he seemed decent, genuine and sincere in wanting to find his son.

##############

Shortly afterwards and Jim went to the restaurant. He found Tommy in the back helping Pru get ready for lunchtime.

He exchanged pleasantries with them both and then poured himself a cup of coffee. He walked over to Tommy who was peeling potatoes.

"Sheriff Ellison," the young man acknowledged.

"I've told you before to call me Jim."

"Yes, Sheriff, I mean, Sheriff Jim."

Jim shook his head knowing he wouldn't win that one. He had something he needed to ask his young employee.

"Tommy, do you know a Simon Banks?"

Tommy stopped what he was doing and looked at Jim in astonishment. Then he looked away trying to recover from the shock of hearing that name. Jim's senses detected Tommy's heart rate skyrocket. That was all the proof Jim needed. Ever since his conversation with Simon Banks that morning something had been nagging at him. Jim had a hunch and was right; Tommy was Simon's missing son.

"Your Dad's in town and looking for you. I don't know what happened between the two of you but he seems a decent man. If he didn't care about you he wouldn't have spent all this time looking for you. Talk to him and sort whatever it is through with your Dad. If you want Blair and me there to support you we will."

"I can't," Tommy's sad voice replied.

"I never got on with my Dad and I left as soon as I could and joined the Army. My father was an unreasonable man and chose my brother over me. It's too late for us but I often think if I'd have handled things differently we might have at least parted on better terms. Over the years my bitterness towards my father has turned to hatred. Don't let that happen to you, Tommy.

"I think I'm quite good at reading people and when I met your Dad I found him to be a good man. He's followed you, that says something about his love for you. It's not too late for you both." But Tommy didn't say anything. "Just think about it."

Jim didn't say anything else; he left Tommy to his work and his thoughts. Jim figured the young man had a lot to think about.

##############

Over lunch Jim told Blair that Tommy's father was in Cascade looking for him. He hadn't told Simon Banks what he suspected and later confirmed, leaving it to his employee to make the decision. He was the one who had run away after all.

Blair had a chance to speak to Tommy when he refilled their coffee cups.

"Jim tells me your Dad's in town."

"Yeah, the sheriff told me," Tommy replied then went back to his washing up but then said. "My Dad chose my step-mom over me. She accused me of stealing some money from her and my Dad believed her. There were other things, little things, but that was the final straw I couldn't stand it anymore. How could he believe her? I would never steal from anyone and especially not my family."

"We know how honest and truthful you are, Tommy. You're Dad's only going to be in town for a few days, at least speak to him before he leaves, clear the air. We all make mistakes and we all do and say things we don't mean."

Tommy was silent and Blair left him to think it over.

That evening Simon went into the restaurant for a meal. Tommy hid in the kitchen and watched his dad from the door. He looked the same imposing figure. Blair walked up behind the kitchen hand and saw him looking intently into the restaurant.

"That your Dad?"

"Yeah," Tommy replied.

"He looks like a nice man."

"He is."

"Remember it's never too late to sort it out. My Mom found me after we were apart for many years. She was dying and she came to find me, I could have turned her away because she hadn't sought me out in all those lost years but I didn't. I was able to spend some time with her before she died. I wouldn't trade that time for anything."

"My Dad's not sick is he?" Tommy asked alarmed.

"No, Tommy, I didn't mean to imply that he was. But none of us know how much time we have."

"It's complicated."

"Families always are."

"I said things," Tommy admitted. "Not very nice things."

"I'm sure your Dad did too," and Tommy nodded at that. "I'm sure he's forgotten all that. He's come a long way to find you, Tommy."

Tommy seemed to soften for a moment. "No, it's too late," Tommy replied resolutely and returned to his work.

Sadly Blair watched the young man walk away but it was Tommy's choice and he respected that.

Blair walked over to where Simon was sitting reading a newspaper.

"Hello, I'm Dr Blair Sandburg."

Simon stood and shook Blair's hand. "Simon Banks."

"You're new in town."

"That's right, got in this morning."

"I hope you enjoy your stay in town. Cascade is a nice place."

"I don't plan to stay long. Would you like to join me, Dr Sandburg, I do so hate eating alone?"

"I'd be delighted," Blair replied and eagerly sat down; he wanted Simon's view on why Tommy ran away.

Tommy watched from the kitchen as Blair sat down to have lunch with his father. He was feeling conflicting emotions. It had been so good seeing his father again and seeing him look well; but the old feelings arose of betrayal and anger and the young man turned away. It was his father's fault; he hadn't believed him when he told him he hadn't stolen any money from his wife. She was his father's wife, Tommy had refused to ever consider her his mom. Tommy could never forgive his father for believing her over him.

"My partner and I own this restaurant," Blair said.

"Partner?"

"Business partner, you may already know him, Sheriff Ellison, he's the best cook in Cascade."

"Really, I didn't realise the sheriff had two jobs," Simon added and wondering what other talents the sheriff might be harbouring.

"Oh, he doesn't get chance to cook like he used to, now that he's sheriff. Cascade isn't the most dangerous place in America; but it has its moments. I was kidnapped by an outlaw and Jim tracked me and rescued me, but he wasn't sheriff then." Simon was looking at Blair incredulously. "It's a long story," Blair gushed.

Simon was looking at Blair with a bemused expression. The doctor certainly was enthusiastic when he spoke even about an unfortunate incident like being kidnapped. Lunch was going to be quite entertaining.

"So, Doctor Sandburg"

"Blair, please."

"Okay, Blair, what do you recommend on the menu?"

A chalk board on the wall listed what was available to order.

"The fish is always excellent. Jim and I catch it ourselves. The steak and the chicken are always good too. For lunch I tend to just have a sandwich. Jim usually cooks supper so I tend to save myself for then."

After they'd given their choices to Pru they continued to chat. Simon found Blair easy to talk to and he soon felt relaxed.

"So, Simon, what brings you to Cascade?"

"That's a very long story," Simon replied with a noticeable sadness in his voice.

"I have plenty of time," Blair replied, gently prodding Simon for information.

"A year ago my son ran away from home," Simon began and told Blair everything from his point of view.

"Don't give up on your son, Simon," Blair implored after he'd heard Simon's story.

"I won't, but it's getting harder. I've been searching for months and I'm tired, Blair. America is too big a country to find just one boy, he could be anywhere by now."

Or even in this restaurant's kitchen, Blair thought to himself but didn't say anything.

"I'm finally realising I'm never going to find him. If I can't find Daryl here I thought I'd go home. I don't want to give up but I have to admit each place I have looked I become more disheartened. I wire back home as often as I can to see if Daryl's returned home but he hasn't. Daryl means everything to me but I think I may have lost my son for good. I'm just tired," Simon admitted. "I think it may be Daryl's turn to find me if he wants to."

"When are you thinking about leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Simon replied, now that he had come to the decision he couldn't wait to leave and go home. The search was wearing him out; he knew it was time to realise that and to stop.

Blair was thinking that it didn't leave much time to work on Tommy.

"There's a train at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning I plan to be on it," Simon said with resigned finality.

"Jim and I would like to see you off," Blair said with sadness.

"That would be nice," Simon replied, overwhelmed at how friendly and welcoming the people of Cascade had been to him.

"Simon, would you like to have supper with Jim and me tonight?"

"I'd be delighted. It's been a long time since I've had anything home cooked."

Simon liked the idea better than dining alone or sitting alone in a hotel room. Now that he had decided to go home and let Daryl come to him, he felt a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He could do no more; it was up to his son now to find his way home.

"I'll just get us some of Pru's apple pie, I won't be a moment."

Blair moved into the kitchen. Tommy didn't look up at Blair as he entered. Blair cut two pieces of apple pie and put them in dishes, and then he picked up the dishes but before walking back out to the restaurant area he paused and then walked over to Tommy.

"Your Dad is leaving tomorrow morning and is going back home. He's joining me and Jim for supper tonight and we'd like you to come as well Tommy," but the young man didn't respond. "Think about it."

Tommy nodded but didn't speak and continued with his duties.

Knowing he could do no more Blair went back to Simon with the apple pie.

##############

Simon came for supper but Tommy didn't show up. Jim and Blair were very disappointed. It was killing them not to tell Simon that his son was in town and not very far away; but they had talked about it and they felt it wasn't their place to do so.

They both enjoyed Simon's company and they chatted for hours. Simon and Jim talked about their army careers; and Blair listened with interest as he had an interest in people in general.

Finally it was time for Simon to leave and he left for his hotel telling his two hosts that he had enjoyed the evening very much.

##############

Next morning and Jim and Blair had walked to the hotel, met up with Simon and then walked with him to the train station. They waited with him on the platform and the train pulled in on time. Blair kept looking up and down the platform and his distraction didn't go unnoticed by Simon.

"Are you okay, Blair?" Simon asked finally as he saw Blair look up and down the platform for the umpteenth time.

"Fine, Simon, fine," he replied with a hint of frustration in his voice.

Blair looked at Jim who just shrugged. Blair was extremely annoyed with Tommy and also annoyed with Jim for his laid back attitude in that it was fine with him whatever Tommy chose to do. For Blair there was only choice Tommy could make and that was to at least speak to his father and let him know he was all right. Blair was thinking he should have told Simon the previous evening that his son was here in Cascade. He could still tell him now, stop him getting on the train and somehow still get father and son reunited.

Simon put his case on the train and turned to shake Jim and Blair's hands.

Blair was in a daze, he had to tell Simon now before it was too late.

"Thank you for" and Simon stopped as something had caught his eyes over his two friends' shoulders. Jim and Blair looked over their shoulders to where Simon was looking hoping to see the one figure they wanted standing there. They weren't disappointed.

Tommy stood at the end of the platform, not looking too sure but still there.

Simon was stunned at first and he couldn't move or speak. Jim moved and took Simon's case off the train a few moments before the train started to depart. There was no sound other than the power of the train as it began to move slowly forward and out of the station.

Simon's shock wore off and he started to walk towards his son and his son started to walk towards his father. The two met and Simon grabbed his son and held him tightly almost crushing him.

"I'm sorry, Dad," his son said. "I didn't"

"It's all right, son, it's going to be all right now."

Jim and Blair come up behind them delighted smiles on their faces as father and son were reunited.

"Tommy, have the rest of the day off and catch up with your Dad," Jim said.

"Thank you, Sheriff Jim, and my name's Daryl."

"You're welcome, Daryl," Jim replied.

Father and son walked away arm in arm to catch up after the year they had been apart.

Jim and Blair watched them walk away.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Blair asked.

"Yeah, I think they will now," Jim replied.

"Do you think Tommy, I mean Daryl, will stay in Cascade?"

"I don't know. He's a good worker, I'd hate to lose him at the restaurant. Did Simon tell you anything about his wife, Daryl's step-mom?"

"Only that she accused Daryl of stealing money from her," Blair replied. "Simon believed her at first but later she confessed it was untrue, it was revenge for a crystal vase of her mother's that Daryl had accidentally broken. Simon left her after that and began his search for his son. I don't think Simon really has anything to go back to."

"Then maybe they will both stay in Cascade. With me being sheriff the restaurant could use a manager. Daryl lives in a boarding house, maybe they could get something bigger together. It would do them both good to have a real home again."

"I was thinking that with Simon having been in the army that he'd make a good deputy and I think Pru already runs the restaurant better than we ever did."

"I have a deputy already and you're right Pru is all ready a good manager," the sheriff countered.

"I'm only part time. After Mike" and Blair had to stop a moment as the memories of that dark day returned. "You need someone full time to back you up, I can't do that. It might be prudent to tell Simon about your senses too."

"I'll think about it, Doc. You're getting ahead of yourself; Simon might not stay in Cascade anyway."

Jim and Blair walked back from the train station, Jim went to the sheriff's office and Blair returned to his surgery. As he entered he heard a commotion in his surgery and upon rushing into his office he found Pru there with Emily. Emily was doubled over and in obvious pain. She was sat on a chair with Pru holding her hand.

"Doctor Sandburg, thank goodness!" Pru exclaimed. "I didn't want to leave Emily alone."

Blair rushed over to the young woman and knelt down beside her.

"Em," he said grimly. "What is it?"

"Blair, the baby's coming."

Blair glanced up at Pru and they shared the same expression. It was too soon for the baby to be born.

"Pru, help me get Emily onto the table, I want to examine her."

Between them they helped the young woman stand and step forward. They helped her to lie on the examination table. Blair lifted her dress and moved her underclothes aside and felt round her stomach, feeling for the baby. Everything felt fine; he could find no reasons for the baby to be coming early.

"The baby isn't coming yet, Emily."

"But, Blair, I can feel the contractions."

"They are contractions but not labour contractions."

"I don't understand," Emily replied. They felt so strong. She was sure they were labour pains.

Blair washed and dried his hands and then moved back to the examination table, where Pru was still diligently holding the young woman's hand.

"Emily, I've read a paper by an English doctor called John Braxton Hicks, he discovered that many women could feel contractions, like you have, but they are not in labour. It can be confusing but your waters haven't broken so I am sure that what you are feeling are these Braxton Hicks. You've had a difficult pregnancy, with the stress of losing Mike and everything, you just need to take things easier for the next few months before the baby is born."

"I keep busy so that I don't dwell on Mike," Emily said.

"You need to keep active, just don't overdo it," Blair replied. "I want to see you daily at first and then weekly until the baby is born. Okay?"

"Yes, Doctor," Emily replied and sitting up, the contractions had stopped. She could feel the baby kicking and she knew everything was all right.

"I'll make sure she doesn't overdo it," Pru added as the two women left and returned to the restaurant next door.

##############

"Is this where you've been living?" Simon asked his son as they entered his small boarding house room.

It was small with only a few pieces of furniture; a bed, a chest of drawers and a chair; but it was clean and mostly tidy.

"It's all I can afford, Jim's a generous employer but he can only pay so much."

"I didn't mean anything by it," Simon defended. "It's just I was thinking about our house back home."

"I'm not going back there."

"No, I was thinking how much this feels more like a home than back there ever did."

"I don't understand," Daryl replied looking at his father puzzled.

"I'm not expressing myself very well," Simon sighed and gathered his thoughts. "I was at the train station all ready to go home. But when I saw you on the railway platform I realised where home was. It isn't a place necessarily. Home is wherever you are, Daryl. These past months have been so hard, not knowing if you were warm, eating, or even if you were alive."

"I'm sorry I put you through all that, I didn't mean to I guess I was just angry with your wife. I took it out on you when you believed her and not me. I'm not sure I can ever forgive you for that. I'm your son you should have believed me."

"I know that now. It's all my fault; I was trying desperately to believe I'd made the right choice in marrying her. The day you left I realised it was all a sham and I left the same day. I guess I ran away too."

"You haven't been home since?"

"No, it never was home for either of us, was it?

"I guess not," Daryl replied amazed at his father's confession.

"Daryl, I don't want to lose you ever again. If we ever have problems again we must talk about them and not run away from them."

"I won't, Dad, ever. I won't ever run away again, I promise I will always talk to you even if it's something you might not want to hear."

"Good," Simon replied satisfied that his son meant what he said, and then hugged his son again, so thankful was he to have him back in his life.

"What about the future?" Simon asked. "What plans have you got?"

Daryl looked at his father. "I quite like it here in Cascade; I've made some good friends."

"You mean Jim and Blair, they seem decent men."

"They are and Pru and Emily at the restaurant are my friends as well. Emily's husband died recently and she's going to have a baby, I'd like to stick around and help her if I can."

Simon looked at his son and realised he had grown up in the last year, and that realisation surprised him. Maybe running away had done him some good after all.

"Then we stay in Cascade," Simon replied, thinking that he had to find a job. The money he'd been using to find Daryl wouldn't last forever. He wasn't sure what he could do but he was sure, god willing, that an opportunity would present itself.

Simon sat on the only chair in the room as Daryl sat on the bed and the two just continued to talk, catching up and filling each other in on what they'd done the year they had been apart.

##############

That evening Jim and Blair helped in the restaurant, as they planned to do every night for a few hours, until Emily's baby was born.

During the evening Simon and Daryl entered the restaurant and sat at a table. When it was quiet and only a few customers remained, Jim and Blair joined them and it seemed that father and son had sorted out their differences.

"We've had a long talk," Simon said "and cleared the air."

"Then you two are all right?" Blair asked.

"We're fine," Daryl replied. "It's all behind us now."

Jim and Blair were really pleased for the father and son. Blair knew what it was like to sort things out with a parent before it was too late. Jim could only wonder what that was like as his family was long lost to him. They didn't know where he was and Jim didn't know if they were still on the plantation in Georgia and he had no plans to ever go back there and find out.

"What are your plans now, Simon?" Blair asked.

"I'm thinking about staying in Cascade," Simon replied. "Daryl is happy here and I've got nothing to go home to."

Blair looked at Jim and inclined his head slightly to prompt Jim to talk to Simon.

"There's something I'd like to ask you, Simon," Jim said.

"You know you can ask me anything, Jim," Simon replied.

"Would you be my deputy?"

"You do," Simon replied incredulous that wasn't a question he had been expecting. "You don't know me that well and the obvious thing is I am black."

"That has no bearing on it. People here see the person not the colour of their skin, or so I've found so far. The Duwamish often come to Cascade and they are always treated with respect. You know how to handle yourself and I think you'd be good at it. You don't have to give me an answer now but think about it."

Simon looked at his son wondering what Daryl would think about it but Daryl didn't look horrified or upset at the prospect of his father doing a dangerous job.

"Daryl, what do you think?" Simon asked.

"It's your decision, Dad; I'll stand by you whatever you decide."

"Then I don't need to think about it," Simon told the sheriff "I accept."

He knew he needed to find a job in Cascade but hadn't even thought about being a lawman but as soon as Jim had asked him he knew he wanted to do it.

"That's great," Jim replied. "After lunch I'll swear you in."

"Congratulations, Dad," Daryl said and he meant it. Simon felt better having his son's approval.

"Congratulations, Deputy Banks," Blair added.

The conversation continued and then they heard a loud crash in the kitchen.

"I'll go check," Daryl said getting up from the table knowing that Pru was in the kitchen on her own.

"There's something else I need to tell you," Jim added, after Daryl was out of earshot. "I have heightened senses."

"Heightened what?" Simon replied unsure of what to make of that statement.

"Senses, all five of Jim's senses are better than a normal person's," Blair explained. "He can see, hear, smell, taste and touch better than anyone. The Duwamish call him a Guardian."

"When I swear you in I'll give you a demonstration," Jim said. "At first I thought my senses were a burden but Blair has helped me to control them and I've found them useful. I was able to use my senses to track an outlaw when he kidnapped Blair."

"Jim saved my life," Blair added. Simon remembered that story from when he had first met Blair over lunch in the restaurant; Blair had told it him from his point of view.

Later when Jim demonstrated his senses, Simon realised they were a natural part of him; so he came to accept them although hesitantly. Simon was in awe of Jim's abilities but a little daunted by them too.

Simon and Daryl moved into an apartment together and Simon soon settled into life in Cascade and became an asset to Jim. It also reassured Blair that Jim had someone to watch his back as he dispensed law in Cascade. He never wanted the situation with Mike to ever happen again to anyone else in the town. He was Jim's deputy, and could be called upon when needed, but he was a doctor first and Jim had always respected that.

October 1894

Two months went by and the first leaves had begun to change on the trees. Autumn was coming. Emily went into labour. Blair was on hand to help her give birth to her baby. It was a bittersweet moment for Emily. She was eager to see her new baby but there was also sadness that Mike would never get to see his child.

The three of them were in Blair's surgery, as ever Pru was with Emily, she had been Emily's rock since her husband's death, and had helped her through some of her darkest hours. For the spinster Emily needing her help had energised her, she loved the young woman like the daughter she had never had. Pru held Emily's hand as she encouraged the young woman to push, even though she was exhausted from the long and prolonged labour. Her child was taking their time to come into the world, when so many were looking forward to meeting him or her.

Finally the baby's head crowned and it came down the birth canal and emerged into the new world. The sound of the baby's first cries echoed round the doctor's surgery.

Blair did his doctor thing and told Emily immediately that it was a girl.

Emily cried tears of delight at hearing the news. Mike's daughter.

Blair tied off the umbilical cord and cut it; he checked the baby over, cleaned her up quickly and handed her over to her waiting mom.

"She's beautiful, Em," Pru said as she glanced over at the precious bundle in Emily's arms.

At first Emily was too emotional to speak; all she could do was gaze lovingly at the baby in her arms.

"Hello, Michaela," she finally whispered to the baby.

"Is that her name?" Pru asked.

"Yes, Mike wanted to call a boy Oliver and a girl Lillian; but I'm going to call her after her father."

"Perfect," Blair replied.

"It's a lovely name," Pru added.

Then there was a knock at the door of the surgery. Blair answered it to find Jim, Simon and Daryl stood on the other side all waiting for news on the baby, and each holding gifts in their hands.

They looked in and saw Emily sat up in bed with the baby wrapped in a blanket in her arms.

"It's a girl," Blair dutifully told them. "Emily's called her Michaela, she's perfect, mother and baby are doing well, as you can see, and I haven't had chance to weigh the baby yet," he reported to the eager three men.

"Can we come in?" Jim asked.

"Emily needs to rest, it's been a difficult delivery," the doctor replied.

"It's alright, Blair," Emily said "they can come in," she wanted her friends to see her baby.

"Okay, but only for a few minutes," the doctor acquiesced.

The three men entered and walked over to the bed, they were silent as they gazed down at Cascade's newest citizen.

"She's beautiful," Simon commented. "I remember when Daryl was that small," he added reminiscing when his late first wife Joan had given birth to his only son. A son he thought he had lost but now had been given a second chance with.

"Dad!" Daryl replied horrified and not a little embarrassed by his father.

Jim and Blair were smiling to themselves as they glanced back at mother and daughter.

"We've brought a few things for the baby," Jim said and they put their gifts down for Emily to open later on. There were blankets, tiny clothes, bootees and mittens and terry towelling for nappies.

"Thank you all so much," Emily replied overwhelmed by her friends' generosity. "Michaela and I are blessed to have such good friends."

"She looks just like you," Jim said then he craned his head slightly as he heard something only the Guardian could hear.

"Duty calls," he said quickly as the Guardian had heard a gunshot in Cascade. He nodded towards his deputy.

Jim kissed Emily on the forehead and started for the door.

"Don't you dare kiss me, Dad," Daryl immediately replied.

Simon smiled so glad to have his precocious teenage son back in his life. He gave the reluctant teenager a hug instead. Daryl didn't stop him as he knew his Dad had a dangerous job but he didn't dwell on it. He did secretly enjoy the hugs his dad gave him; though as a teenager he would never admit to it.

"Be careful," Blair called to the two retreating lawmen.

"Always am, Doc," Jim replied and was gone through the door before Blair could reply with Simon right behind him.

Blair looked at the closed door for a moment, which Simon had closed behind him as he followed the sheriff out, hoping the two lawmen would be safe as they protected Cascade.

He looked back at the bed where Emily was gazing lovingly at her new daughter. Emily had been through a difficult year, the joy of finding out she was pregnant, to the grief of losing her husband so tragically.

Blair thoughts turned to his life since Jim had wandered into it that dark night two years ago. There had been good and bad times. Good times had to be finding out about Jim's incredible abilities and helping him control them, then Jim deciding to stay in Cascade and opening his restaurant. The Duwamish continued to be a source of pleasure to them both. Blair had gained valuable knowledge from the Duwamish about medicinal plants but also just from visiting the gentle people and being apart of their every day lives. Jim had also been embraced by the Duwamish and had learned their language. Bad times had to be the horror of the mine cave-in and having to amputate a man's arm underground. They had nearly lost their lives in the waterfront fire that had taken their home but not their lives; their decision to stay and rebuilt their lives and home had been the right one.

There had been some really dark days; losing his mom to a terrible disease, Mike dying and Jim being shot, the Kanatchee being wiped out when they had stubbornly and fatally not accepted any help.

However, a father and son had been reunited and now a new life had been born. They were good memories to hold onto.

These were things to be thankful for and it was going to be Thanksgiving in a few weeks' time and Blair would remember all that they had to be thankful for.

And Blair was looking forward to the next year and what life in Cascade had in store for Jim and himself and for all their friends.

THE END

January 2016