Out Of Time

Little Hosea

Earlier that day...

Consciousness began to swim into the front of Hosea's head as his eyes fluttered open. He was in pain, so much pain. And...covered in dirt? Clarice was digging and scratching at his face and head, but not so fiercely as to hurt him. Was she...digging him up? Was he in the ground? Why was he in the ground? Clarice was shrieking and chirping at this point, bouncing up and down on him but it made him flinch and bring a hand to his chest. The last thing he remembered was getting shot...and then passing out in his mother's arms...and then a buck telling him not to die? Telling him to hang on? What was going on?

Hosea groaned as he tried to sit up but it was difficult. His chest hurt a lot. Where was everyone? Where was he? Hosea knew he was in the forest and he looked around to see he was just inside the tree line of it. He could see the farm off a ways. Clarice was chirping now and picking dirt out of Hosea's blonde hair.

"Clarice, would you stop making all that racket?" Hosea heard Charles yell from somewhere. "You're gonna..." Charles appeared from behind a tree with a small, makeshift cross. He took one look at Hosea and dropped it. "...H-Hosea?!"

Hosea started to tremble. "U-Uncle Charles, why am I in the ground?" he asked Charles.

Charles went to a knee beside him, looking him over. "Oh my God...we thought you were dead, kid."

"What?!"

Charles took a look at his chest and laughed in astonishment. "Boy, you are incredibly lucky. Now come on, you need to go see Dr. Hughes." Charles picked Hosea up in his arms and Clarice jumped up on Charles' shoulder. "And thank God your guardian angel dug you up."

X======================X

Arthur and Sam's jaws were dropped wide open. "W-What do you mean Hosea's alive?!" Sam asked in bewilderment.

John chuckled. "I mean Clarice dug the boy up and he was alive!"

Arthur turned to Sam and blinked. "But...you was certain he was dead!"

"I was! I checked for a pulse but...but...I was certain he didn't have one!"

"Well was he breathin'?!"

"I..." Sam's head lowered. "I...didn't check."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "You didn't check?!" he bellowed.

Sam started to cry and looked at him. "I'm sorry! I was...I was...fuck, Arthur. We buried our son alive..."

Arthur growled and shook her. "What is wrong with you, woman?! How could you do this?!"

Sam bawled even harder. "I didn't mean to!"

Arthur was angry with her, and Sam knew he had every right to be. "Did you do it on purpose?!"

Sam's eyes went wide and she looked at Arthur. "How can you say that?! Why the fuck would I do it on purpose, you fucking asshole?! What possible reason would I knowingly have our son buried alive?!"

Clint intervened between the two of them. "Arthur, think about what you're saying here, pal. You're accusing your wife of murdering your kid. You know she'd never do that."

Arthur looked between the two people and seemed to get a hold of himself...a little bit. "You, of all people, should've known to check thoroughly if he was still alive."

"Excuse me, but I was fucking distraught!" Sam barked. "I wasn't fucking thinking!"

"Damn right you wasn't thinkin'!" Arthur turned to John. "Where's he at?"