Bonanza: "The Legacy of Joe Cartwright."

Chapter Three

The next morning is uneventful for Alice as she makes breakfast and then does the morning chores. She had not felt any pain since last night and figured maybe it was a false alarm after all as she looks forward to the day ahead. The storm had let up a bit so that afternoon, Alice decides to do some laundry before another storm hits again.

The sky is a cloudy gray with a gentle breeze. Little Sara Marie is in her bedroom taking a nap while Alice is outside as she pins a bedsheet to the clothes line. The wind starts to pick up again as she finishes pinning up the bedsheet. She is then hit with another sharp pain. She doubles over as she yelps out. "Ah!" She takes a breath and then slowly makes her way back inside the house while clutching at her swollen belly.

As she enters the house, thunder rumbles and she then slowly makes her way to the kitchen. She makes it halfway and stops as she leans her hand against the entrance to the kitchen with her other hand over her belly as she winces. The pain then starts to become more intense and she then cries out in agony.

Meanwhile, Hannah is packing some cornbread in a little basket with a blue checkered handkerchief in the kitchen of her and Candy's house as Candy sits at the kitchen table finishing his lunch that Hannah made for him. He downs the rest of his lemonade and then gets up from the table as he tells her. "I gotta head back to the ranch, see if Hal and Andy finished tallying the herd." "Alright. I'm bringing Alice some cornbread." Hannah says. "I was going to see if she wanted to have a picnic since she's been cooped up in that house for so long." Candy nods his head towards the window as he responds. "Well, it doesn't look like that's possible with that storm out there." "I know, but I can still visit with her and keep her company." Hannah tells him.

They then hear the sound of thunder rumbling outside as they both look up and Candy then tells her. "You better hurry before it starts pouring down again." "You're right." She picks up the basket and turns to Candy and tells him. "You be careful in that storm." "I will." He says and then tells her. "You be careful too." She smiles as she replies. "I will." They exchange a kiss and he then says. "I'll see you later." He turns and heads out of the kitchen and grabs his hat as he heads out the door.

Hannah arrives at Alice's house as she pulls the buggy to a stop. She steps down off of the buggy and then picks up the basket off of the seat. She turns and sees the clothesline blowing in the wind with the bedsheets hanging down and a laundry basket on the ground next to it. She gives a puzzled look and then makes her way to the door.

She knocks on the door and then opens it slightly as she says. "Alice?" She opens the door a little more to see Alice hunched over near the kitchen. She drops the basket down and hurries over to her. Alice groans as Hannah places her hands on her shoulders and asks her in concern. "Alice, what's wrong?" "I don't know." She replies as she struggles to breathe. "I was having these pains that would come and go..and now they seem to be getting..worse, ah!" She doubles over in pain as Hannah tells her. "Here, you need to lie down." She brings her into the bedroom and helps her lie down on the bed. "I'll have Candy get the doctor." She hurries out of the room as Alice tries to calm herself and focus on her breathing.

At the Ponderosa, Ben's ranch hands, Hal and Andy are sitting on top of a fence and counting all of the cattle huddled together in a herd when Candy comes up to them and asks as he places his arms over the fence. "Hey, have you two finished tallying that herd yet?" "We're going as fast as we can." Hal tells him. "Yeah, lay off us will ya?" Andy says. "Who made you king boss anyway?" "Hey, I'm just following orders. Mr. Cartwright left me in charge while he's away." Candy tells him. "Well, we're working on it." Hal says. "Well, hurry up, we don't want any strays in that storm." Candy says.

Hannah then comes riding up fast as she calls out. "Candy!!" Candy turns his head to her as Hal and Andy look up and Hal then starts teasing Candy. "Hey, here comes the little woman." Andy gives a soft chuckle as he says. "Sounds like you're in a heap of trouble." "Will you two shut up and get back to work?" Candy tells them as Hannah pulls the buggy to a stop and quickly hops down. She runs up to him in a panic and he places his hands on her shoulders as he tells her. "Hey, slow down, what's wrong?" Hannah tries to catch her breath as she tells him. "It's Alice..she's in terrible pain, we need to get Doctor Martin." "Alright." Candy says as he places his hand up to the side of her face. "I'll go get him, just hold on." He then hurries over to his horse as Hal asks. "What's going on?" "It's Alice Cartwright, she's in pain, I need to ride into town and get Doc Martin." Candy tells him as he mounts onto his horse. Andy then says. "Somebody oughta go and tell Little Joe." "We can't, he's in Placerville, he won't be back for a couple of days." Candy says and then kicks his legs to get his horse moving. "Yah!" He takes off galloping fast and Hannah hurries back into the buggy and takes off back to Alice's house.

Candy arrives in Virginia City as he stops his horse in front of J.P Martin's Office and mounts down and then tethers the reins of his horse to the hitching post. He then hurries up to the door as he quickly knocks on it. "Doctor Martin? Doc it's Candy, are you in there?" No answer. Candy then looks around to see Sam the bartender sweeping outside. He hurries over to him as he says in a panic. "Sam?" He stops sweeping and looks up to see Candy running towards him.

Candy stops in front of him and then asks him as he tries to catch his breath. "Sam, where's Doc Martin?" "Last I heard he was in Carson City, he won't be back until morning." Sam tells him. Candy sighs as he responds, softly. "Great." He then asks him. "You know of any other doctors around here?" "No. Who's ailing?" Sam asks. "It's Joe's wife, she's close to having the baby, but she's in a lot of pain, there might be something wrong." Candy tells him. "Oh, well, I'll keep an eye out and let him know if I see him." Sam says. "Thanks Sam." Candy replies and Sam gets back to sweeping the walkway as Candy sighs, trying to think of what to do.

Meanwhile, Hannah applies a damp cloth to Alice's forehead as she breathes heavily in and out. Thunder rumbles as it pours rain outside. Alice then asks Hannah in distress. "What's taking him so long with the doctor?" "I don't know, it could be the storm delaying them,  but they'll be here." Hannah tells her. She then cries out. "This baby can't be coming now, it can't!" Hannah dabs at her forehead as she tries to calm her down. "Shh. Now, you don't know that. For all we know it could be nothing at all." There's then a knock at the door and Hannah turns her head and then says to Alice. "That might be them now."

She hurries out of the bedroom and over to the front door and opens it as Candy rushes through the door and out of the rain. Hannah closes the door as she asks him, anxiously. "Where's the doctor?" "He's in Carson, he won't be back until morning." Candy replies. "Oh, no." She responds in a disappointed tone. "Well, what are we going to do? She needs a doctor." "I know, but there's not one within ten miles of here." Candy tells her. Hannah sighs and Candy then asks as he nods towards the bedroom door. "How is she?" Hannah looks at the bedroom door and replies. "She's still in pain, but it comes and goes. She's worried what the pains could mean, but I have a terrible feeling those pains might be labor." "Well, if she is in labor, what then?" Candy asks. "I've never delivered a baby before, I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to do it." "I've seen it done before, but the way she's in pain, I'm afraid she's going to need a doctor." Hannah tells him. Candy then asks. "So what do we do?" "We just pray the doctor gets back sooner." Hannah replies. They then hear Alice cry out. "Hannah?" Hannah then hurries back into the bedroom with Candy following.

Meanwhile, Joe and Ben are riding along the trail to Placerville while pulling the steers from behind when they come across a tree blocking their path. They stop their horses and Joe then asks. "How do you suppose that got there?" "I don't know." Ben replies. "Could be from the storm." "Is there any way around it?" Joe asks. Ben looks around and replies. "It doesn't look like it. We'll have to turn back around and find another way into Placerville." "What?" Joe says in disbelief. "That's just gonna delay our trip even further, we've wasted enough time as it is." "I know, but there's just no way we'll be able to get those steers through here, we just can't." Ben tells him. Joe then asks. "Well, what if we try moving it?" Ben looks at him in annoyance as he responds. "Joe, even with the both of us, it wouldn't be enough to move it, not even your brother Hoss could lift it. You would need at least ten strong and able bodied men to lift it, there's just no way, we'll just have to find another way around it." Joe sighs in frustration as he replies. "Alright, alright. Let's go." They turn their horses around and head back in the other direction along with the steers.