The Return Home A Little House fanfic

 

 

 The Return Home

A sequel to The Hunters

Author's Note:

This story was done as a special request for The Writer's Fool who helped out with the plot and some of the dialogue. I wanted to give them credit and thank them for their help.

It was a normal day in Walnut Grove, a quiet and peaceful afternoon out on the prairie. Mary had been home from school hours ago and was doing her homework as she watched her youngest sister, Carrie while Caroline was outside finishing up her chores for the day. The sound of hoof beats and wagon wheels was something she had gotten used to over the years. It wasn't exactly a busy road they lived off of, but every once in a while, you could spot a rig driving past.  

But she never expected what happened next. She heard a familiar voice call out her name from behind her as she hung up the last of Charles' newly washed underwear on the clothesline.

"Caroline?"

She turned to find Isaiah Edwards staring at her, a concerned look on his face that replaced his usual cheerful and happy go lucky grin.

"Mr. Edwards, what are you doing here? Did something happen? Is everything alight? Where's Charles? Where's Laura? "

"There's been an accident, Caroline," Mr. Edwards said, locking eyes with her. "It's Charles."

Caroline gasped and shook her head. She stared back at him, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Where is he? Is Laura with him?"

"Don't you worry, Caroline, Charles is alright, there's nothin' to fret over." Mr. Edwards smiled. "Right now he's got two two doctors lookin' out for him and a lovin' daughter keepin' him company. There's only one thing missin' and that's you by his side. Come on, I'll take you over there. "

Caroline smiled, through her tears. She pulled him close, pecked his cheek and released him. "Let me tell the girls I've got to go into town for a while. I'll be right back."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Charles lay on the examining table waiting for Caroline to come. Doc Baker told him to wait there; he wanted to check on him one last time before he sent Charles home. He was outside right now discussing his condition with Doctor Canby.

He looked over at Laura; she had fallen asleep opposite him in a chair that Doc Baker moved inside from the waiting room. He couldn't have been prouder of his little half pint. He couldn't have done any of this without her. She was the only one who finally convinced old Sam Shelby to get out of that cabin of his. His own son couldn't do it, no matter how hard he tried. Sometimes, Charles thought, as he lay there on his own, sometimes you needed a woman's touch, a soft and loving woman to get you going, right? And it was especially true if that woman loved and cared for you. Why, they could convince you to do anything, couldn't they?

Laura was that kind of woman. Everyone said that about her. If she set her mind to something, she was going to do it, no matter what anyone told her. She would never give up until she got what she wanted. Look at how she had convinced him to take her hunting.

Charles wasn't sure if he could do it, but somehow, he had to convince Caroline to let her come along. He told her that she was getting older and that Laura would be a woman the rest of her life. This was her last chance to be a tomboy. Now what was wrong with that?

Even Edwards tried to convince him that taking a woman along wasn't the proper thing to do. And it was bad luck, besides.

But Laura was just as good as any son, wasn't she? She had followed his directions to Morgan's Creek to the letter and she had found Isaiah waiting for them, right where he was supposed to be.

But then, it wasn't only Laura that found him, was it? Sam Shelby started to remember things about the area, things he saw before he went blind. He recognized the sounds and smells of the area and, i1n remembering, he knew which way they had to go.

Charles had heard something about that. He had heard that people could see even though they were blind. He had heard that if one person's sense was impaired, their other senses took over and those senses became sharper and clearer.

And that's what happened to old Sam Shelby.

Charles was sure that it was because Laura was by his side. She had convinced him to keep going, to keep moving no matter the cost. A life was worth saving. And Laura loved her Pa so much that she was going to save him.

But it was her fault, wasn't it? Maybe Edwards was right after all. It was bad luck to bring a woman hunting. If she hadn't moved that bedroll around, none of this would have happened and he wouldn't be laid up in Doc Baker's office right now. He would have been out in the woods doing a little hunting while Isaiah made his delivery. He wouldn't have been lying in that trapper's cabin all by himself, bleeding to death.

And he had been thirsty. Charles could never remember being so thirsty in his entire life. If he hadn't tipped over that pail of water, he wouldn't have forced himself to get more from the creek.

Edwards had told him that they found him lying, unconscious, on his back. His head was on a rock and his face was sideways, tilted toward the water. He could have drowned; he could have hurt himself on those rocks. And it was all because of….

No, it wasn't her fault. He couldn't tell Caroline it was all her fault, she'd never let Half Pint go with him again. It was his fault; it was Charles Ingalls who had been careless and he knew it. He left the gun unguarded, propped up against the tree and fully loaded to boot. He thought that it would be fine to leave it there where he'd be able to grab it at a moment's notice. That's what hunting was all about, wasn't it? It wasn't the first time he had done something like that and that meant it was okay, right

No, he thought, it wasn't right, nothing about this was right. No matter how many times he had done it, Charles hadn't thought of the consequences. Anyone could have hit that gun and it would have gone off. It could have been an animal brushing against it; it could have been Edwards, why it could even have been Sam Shelby.

And worst of all, it could have been Laura, his daughter, who he loved so much. She was the girl he bonded with, the girl who was just like him in every way possible.

He would never have forgiven himself.

He looked over at Laura and the tears began to roll down his cheeks. Stop it, Charles, he thought to himself, he couldn't let Caroline see him like this. Where was everyone anyway, Edwards should have been back now. How long could it take for those two doctors to go over his condition? He wanted to go home, he wanted to sleep; he needed sleep.

Still facing his daughter, Charles closed his eyes and knew no more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Laura's Remembrance Book

The conference between Doc Baker and Doctor Canby had been interrupted with the arrival of Ma and Mr. Edwards. Pa and I were woken up when the four of them entered the examining room. I ran to Ma's side and she hugged me.  I wanted to ask her what she had heard, but she told me to be quiet and listen. And I did listen as Doctor Canby explained that Charles was much better, the fever had stayed down and that they could go on home any time they wanted. The wound was healing nicely, he continued and it could take anywhere from thirteen days to a year to heal fully.

Doc Baker told Ma and me that we could finally take Pa home, but he wanted to see him back in a week to check on his wound.

Later that night, while Pa was asleep, Ma heard me climbing down from the loft. She caught me as I opened the front door to go outside. She knew that I had been crying and she wrapped her arms me, She told me it would better if we walked over to the barn and got out of the damp night air.

She comforted me and told me that she was glad I had gone. Ma told me that she was so proud of me and how quickly I made my decision to save Pa.  It wasn't my fault , she told me. and that it was meant to happen. It's a good lesson for us all to learn. It was the same thing that Mr. Shelby had said in the trapper's cabin when I told him it was my fault.

I hugged her and told her that I understood. She nodded her head and put her arm around me. And we walked back to the little house together.

But there was something I didn't tell her, something that I kept secret and something that can only be found in these pages.

Pa was sleeping on and off and I wanted to keep an eye on him until Ma and Mr. Edwards arrived. I had asked Doc Baker if I could stay in the room and be there for him in case he needed anything. He agreed and placed a chair inside the examining room and asked me to keep him informed.

I was in the room when both doctors went outside to talk. I stood at the window and watched them for a while until I heard Pa call my name.  

"Yes, Pa?" I said, as I ran over to him.  "Do you need anything?"

"Half Pint," he said, looking at me, "I am going to tell you something and I don't want you to repeat it to anyone else,  Promise me that you won't tell anyone." 

I shook my head. "I won't tell anyone, Pa, I promise."

Pa smiled and stroked my hair. "Listen to me Laura," he said, kissing my forehead.  He pulled me close. "I want to thank you for everything you've done. You and Mr. Shelby saved my life and I will always remember that. And I want you to know that none of this was your fault. You hear me? None of what happened was ever your fault. I want you to remember that, Half Pint, always."

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. "And I want you to know how much I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too, Pa," I whispered back, as he let me go. I didn't have a chance to tell him that Mr. Shelby had already explained this to me because he had fallen asleep again.

To this day, I don't remember when or how I wandered back to my chair in the examining room. What I do remember is how peaceful and calm Pa looked while he slept. And I remember that I watched him until my own eyes grew tired.

I never told anyone else about my secret, not even Ma or Pa.  No one knows, except you and me.

And I hope you'll never tell anyone else.