By Special request. What if Charles and Almanzo had returned earlier than expected and found Laura lying unconscious in the orchard? A one shot.
Stone Soup
(Season 8, Episode 13 rewritten)
Laura Ingalls Wilder couldn't have been happier. She had been waiting for something, anything, to show up in the mail and now, finally, a postcard had arrived. She had to politely rip it out of Mrs. Oleson's grubby hands to read it, but she finally did.
Her new husband, Almanzo Wilder and her father, Charles Ingalls, were just passing through Colorado and were making great time. They were halfway there, which was the good part. Hopefully, they would reach Arizona in a little under two weeks' time with the mining equipment that they were hauling.
The two of them left Walnut Grove early three long weeks ago on a Tuesday morning, headed for Sleepy Eye where they would pick up the equipment the next day. They would make three hundred dollars on this deal and they sure could use it. Well, it would be split evenly; one fifty for Charles and one fifty for Manly, but what's fair is fair.
Laura read the postcard over; she didn't even look at the picture on the back. Manly had only been gone for three weeks and already she missed him. Somehow, she wished that all four of them could have traveled together, but of course, Ma had to stay home, she had to tend to her two jobs just as Laura had to tend to her own.
"Looks like you heard from Pa and Almanzo," Albert said as he moved closer to his sister. "How are they? Are they making good time?"
Laura smiled and handed the card to Albert. "I just got it from Mrs. Foster. It came in last night. They're in Colorado. According to Manly, they are making excellent time. They are almost there. They are hoping to be back by next month."
"Isn't that too soon?" Albert asked. He looked at her. "You know, maybe it's a good thing that they're coming home earlier at that. Laura, you're five months pregnant. You ought to be taking..."
Albert caught Laura looking at him with a frown. "You know I can handle this, Albert, don't you?"
Her brother looked at her and smiled sheepishly and nodded his head.
He grabbed for Laura's books and stuck the postcard inside the top cover.
"I'll carry these in," he said. "You go ring the bell. See you inside."
As he walked up the steps, Laura had to admire him. He was growing up. She smiled as she watched him, shaking her head. Soon he'd be a man with a wife and kids of his own. Where did the time go? With a sigh, she followed him up the stairs and as Albert walked inside, Laura rang the school bell, calling her class to order.
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School was over and Laura couldn't believe how tired she felt. It hit her quickly as she was cleaning her blackboards. Probably the heat, she thought, she had let the children out early because of it. Besides she could use the extra time to water those trees. She couldn't have Manly coming back to a bunch of dead orchard, now could she? Her money was tied up in those trees as well. She would make it work, she was determined and that was that. She didn't need help as Ma kept suggesting. Laura would do all the work herself, besides Albert was needed on the farm to help Ma. No, Laura thought as she picked her books up from the desk. She was determined and she knew that she'd make it work. She walked to the door, opened it and stepped outside into the heat.
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Three more weeks had passed. Another postcard came from Arizona this time. Pa and Manly were still making great time. The equipment had already been delivered and they were on their way back. Laura thought Manly was being a little too optimistic when he wrote that they were almost home and should arrive in Walnut Grove any day now.
Laura was hoping that Manly was right. She didn't know how long she could keep this up. She'd fallen asleep in class more than once and she had also been coming in late. She was thankful that Willie and sometimes Albert had taken over the class, but she couldn't rely on them. Her hands were red and sore from carrying the pails of water.
She had to continue, it was an obligation now, a challenge. She wouldn't, couldn't let those trees die. Laura carried out the empty pails to the lake behind the Wilder house. The well had gone dry a week ago now. Walking wasn't easy anymore, sometimes her legs felt wobbly, as if they would give way. She was able to talk herself into keeping them moving, but it was getting harder with each step. The pails seemed to be getting heavier and heavier as she walked back up the hill with each pail full of water. She wasn't sure how many trees were out there, it just seemed so many of them all of a sudden.
Laura knelt down on the scorched earth to remove the pails from the water carrier. She managed to stand, even though her feet kept slipping. She forced herself again to stand, as she had done so many times in the past. This time though, it was not as easy. She was feeling tired, very tired. Sleep would be good; especially now. She was starting to feel dizzy; the entire yard was spinning around her. Once again, she forced herself upright, but this time it wouldn't come. Her legs gave way and she crashed to the ground. She tried to move again, to pick herself up, but she couldn't move a muscle.
Laura thought she heard hoof beats and wagon wheels, but she couldn't have. Then she heard the voices calling her name over and over. She tried to answer; to alert them to where she was, but her voice wouldn't come. It was then that everything went dark and Laura knew no more.
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She was in the desert searching for Almanzo. She needed to tell him that the trees were dying, the orchard was all but gone in this blistering heat. She needed to apologize; it had been all her fault. She tried to walk, but her legs gave way, but instead of falling to the ground, she fell into a lake. It was an icy lake and it felt good, but it was much too cold for her to move. She looked around her but everything was gone, everything, the house, the barn and the orchard. There was nothing left but the cold water.
"Manly?" she called out to nothing, to no one. "Manly?"
"I'm here, darlin', " a voice called out through the darkness, rousing her. "I'm here at the edge of the bed."
"Manly?" she whispered, it was all she could get out. Her voice was weak. "What are you doing here?" She tried to sit up, but she couldn't, she was too dizzy. That's when she noticed the ice.
"Lie still," Almanzo said. "You need rest. "
"Why am I surrounded by ice?" I thought that I was…"
Almanzo shook his head. "You have heat stroke, Beth. Doc Baker just left with Charles, Caroline and the school kids."
"The orchard, Manly," Laura whispered, "the trees need to be…"
Almanzo shook his head. "It's all been taken care of, Beth; all with a little faith and a little stone soup."
Laura frowned. "Stone soup?"
He smiled. "It's a long story, Beth. We'll explain it to you when you feel better. Now you rest up and take it easy. Caroline is dropping off some chicken broth for us and I'll make some tea for you. You just take it easy and get some rest. "
The next day found Laura weak, but she was able to get up out of bed. She watched as the Willie, Albert, Nancy and the rest of the children helped Almanzo water the trees. Later that night, Charles, Caroline and Doc Baker paid a surprise visit to the Wilder house. They brought along more broth for Laura, broiled chicken and Caroline's special potato salad. As a special request from Laura, Caroline and Doc Baker, Charles and Almanzo shared the story of their adventure out west and how the Navajos helped them find a shortcut through Arizona that helped them get home three days earlier than expected.
The kids had come by faithfully along with Ma and Pa and helped supply Laura and Almanzo with food, company and lots of love. The stone soup story was explained and now Laura understood what it was all about.
Two days later, Laura was strong enough to help Almanzo water the trees. The morning had started out hot and sunny, but it clouded up during the afternoon. Almanzo was standing at one end of the orchard while Laura was standing at the other end.
"Looks like rain," Almanzo said, as the first thunder clap sounded. A single drop fell on his nose.
It turned dark and windy all of a sudden. Laura looked up. "Here it comes," she said as the skies opened up.
"Beth?" Almanzo shouted, but she was already in his arms, kissing him.
"It's beautiful," she said, when they came up for air. "And it's a miracle. The drought is finally over."
"You're the miracle, Beth," he whispered, moving her wet hair off her face so he could see her better. "And you're so beautiful in the rain. I love you so much."
They kissed again with the rain soaking them thoroughly. It wasn't until another clap of thunder sounded followed by lightning that they broke apart and looked up.
"I think we'd better get out of this rain," Almanzo said, grabbing her hand. "Come on,"' and they took cover inside the barn where they stayed until the storm let up.
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