Bonanza: "Broken Promises."

Chapter Four

Ben and Tom search along the rocks and debris for an opening as Tom says to Ben. "We might need some matches to light our way, we won't be able to see in the dark. I got some right here in my pocket." Ben then tells him. "Save them, there's still some daylight left for now." Tom then asks him. "How do you even know anyone is even trying to get us out? They probably think we're all dead." "Clem wouldn't leave us down here dead or alive." Ben tells him. "My son, Joseph wouldn't either." "Joseph?" Tom says in curiosity. "Yes, he's my youngest son. He was away taking care of some business for me, he should be back now." Ben says. "Maggie mentioned him." Tom tells him. "Maggie?" Ben says in puzzlement. "Yeah, she's my wife." Tom says. Ben then asks. "Does she know what you've been up to?" "Not this, but..she knows about my past with Rusty and Gunner." Tom replies. Ben then says to him. "She must really love you." "Yeah..she does. And I love her." Tom responds.

Ben then hears the voice of Jamie cry out. "Pa?" Ben stops and turns his head as he says, softly. "Jamie." He hurries back over to him and Tom follows after him. Ben kneels down to Jamie as he places his hand up to the side of his face and tells him. "I'm here, son, I'm right here." Jamie then cries. "It really hurts, Pa." "I know, I know." Ben tells him. "But I need you to hold on, we'll get you help as soon as we can, alright?" Tom looks down at the debris covering Jamie's leg and then asks. "Can he move?" "No, he says he can't." Ben tells him. Tom then tells him. "I'm gonna try and see if I can get this off of him." "Alright, but be careful." Ben says and Tom then attempts to move the debris from Jamie's leg. He uses all his strength as he grunts. He then puts it back down in exhaustion as he says. "I can't, it's too heavy. It's gonna take more than one man to lift it." "I can try, but my shoulder." Ben takes hold of his shoulder as he winces. "I think it's dislocated."

Ben then hears Hannah speak up and say, anxiously. "Mr. Cartwright, it's Alice, she's waking up." Ben looks at Jamie as he strokes his head and then gets up and hurries over to Alice who slowly starts coming to.
Ben bends down to her and places one hand up to the side of her face and then takes her hand with the other as he says. "Alice?" Her eyes flutter open as she turns her head to Ben. "Ben?" She says, weakly. "Yes, darling. Are you alright? Can you move?" He asks. She nods. "I think so." She sits herself up a little too fast as Ben tells her. "Take it easy, take it easy, not too fast now." She squints her eyes and then remarks. "I really should start remembering to do that." Ben gives a soft chuckle and Hannah then asks. "Have you been able to find us a way out of here?" "No, not yet." Ben replies and then looks around as he says. "We could try..digging a tunnel, but I'm just afraid of what might happen if we even try to move those rocks." "We could be digging our own grave." Tom says. Hannah then says as her eyes fill with tears. "You mean we're..trapped?" "We'll get out of here somehow." Ben says. "I'm sure Clem, Joe and Candy are doing everything they can." "How do you know?" Hannah asks. "Because I know them." Ben tells her. "They wouldn't leave us down here. You must believe that." Alice turns her head to her as she responds. "He's right, they'll find us. Joe would never.." She trails off when she's hit with a sharp pain. She cries out as she clutches at her stomach. "Ah!!" She doubles over in pain as Ben asks her in alarm. "Alice, what's wrong?" She tries to catch her breath as she cries. "I don't know..I think something's wrong with the baby." Her breath shutters as she bursts into tears. Tom's expression turns to disbelief as he says. "Baby?" "Yes, she's with child." Ben tells him.

Tom is then hit with even more guilt as he thinks of his own pregnant wife. Alice continues withering in pain as Ben says. "We need to get a doctor. Jamie's leg could be broken and now Alice is in terrible pain..we'll just have to take a chance and dig our way out." "But you said yourself, if we even try moving those rocks, the whole thing could come down on top of us." Tom says in exasperation. Ben then responds. "I know what I said, but it doesn't look like we have much of a choice, we have to try. I'm gonna need your help, I can't do it by myself, not with a dislocated shoulder. So, will you?" Tom gives a contemplative look but at this point he's willing to do anything to make us for everything he's done and so driven by guilt that he agrees. "Alright." Ben then places his hand up to Alice's face and tells her. "It's going to be alright. We're gonna try to find a way out so we can get you and Jamie a doctor. I need you to hold on." She nods through her pain and Ben then says to Hannah. "Stay with her and keep her comfortable." He gets up and then says to Tom. "Let's go." They start moving down the pathway from which they came again.