Part 3
His foot had caught on the root of a nearby tree. "Oohhh!" Jeremy moaned as he grabbed his head. After the stars went away Jeremy looked at his hand. Blood, not too much he noticed, he'd live. So he tried to get up and his left ankle gave out. "Great, just great," Jeremy cursed himself. 'Pa is going to kill me.' He knew he couldn't walk, and he definately couldn't hop up onto the horse. It being his left foot that he hurt, and the left foot being the one he used to get into the saddle. He laid back against the tree and thought. "What can I do?" Jeremy knew he needed help,'think, think,' he taunted himself. "Oh, Duhh," Jeremy said aloud. 'The horse knows the way home.' So Jeremy crawled to the horse and untied it, and sent it on it's way.
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Ned sat at his desk, now very worried. Isiac had come back and told him that he hadn't seen Jeremy. Jeremy was still ragged at the edges, and Ned worried that he would slip back into his old ways if given the chance. Ned heard the horse approach the house and neigh. He ran outside and grabbed the reins. It was Jeremy's horse, but no Jeremy. He met Isiac at the barn. "I heard the horse..." Isiac started, but he got one good look at Ned's eyes and finished, "he didn't come back with the horse." "No," Ned answered. He led the horse to his stall in the barn. Then he noticed the blood. "Isiac," he stammered. "Blood..." he said as he pointed at the horse. He fell back against the wall and gasped.
Sean, Clay, Alice, Isiac, and all of the other workers sat and listened to Ned as he gave instructions. Everyone was to pair off in groups of two. If they found Jeremy they were to ring the bell in front of the house. He told them about the blood, and said that if he was hurt, the other person was to go get the doctor. "Now, the horse wasn't tired, so he can't be too far off," Ned said, he took in a deep breath, held it a moment, exhaled and gave the word. The search party was off.
"Alice," Ned called,"you stay here,". When he saw the protest rising to her lips, he held up his hand. "Lexy will wake soon, and someone has to be here with her." He gave her a look that brooked no argument, and she simply answered with a "Yes Pa." But as he walked by her to head out she grabbed his arm. Their eyes locked, neither said a word, for a moment they shared a brief interlude. Thoughts, fears, and emotions exchanged without a word, then Ned broke the bond. "I know," he said simply, he squeezed her forearm and headed for the door.
Isiac met him at the door and handed him his coat. "Jeremy likes to sit by the river sometimes, when he wants to be alone. Maybe we should head out that way," he suggested. Ned's head snapped up, and their eyes meet. Isiac saw the hurt in his friends eyes. He knew that Ned considered Jeremy a son, and he also knew that it hurt him to know that Isiac knew the boy better then he did. But now was no time to tip toe, Jeremy needed their help. "Ok," Ned said with a nod. They mounted their horses and headed towards the river. **********************************************************************
Clay and Sean looked along the roadside in silence. Sean had grown rather attached to Jeremy, and he was worried about his new brother. Jeremy was street smart, and had a quick tongue, he could talk his way out of almost any situation. 'So something bad must have happened,' Sean thought to himself. He busied himself looking behind any tree or bush that could have hidden Jeremy from view of the road. He instructed Clay to do the same, if he had gotten in a fight his opponents may have hidden him not too far from the road.
After a while Sean noticed how uncharacteristically quiet Clay was. "You're awful quite," he pointed out, trying to draw his brother out of his shell. Clay looked up at Sean, and then away, as if ashamed. "I haven't exactly been a good brother to him you know, and ..." he started, "and your feeling guilty," Sean finished. Clay nodded and Sean continued. "Well don't be, Jeremy understands you. You two are too much alike, that's why you fight. He knows not to take it personally. Really," he pressed. Then he punched him lightly on the arm and told him to do his share of looking, he didn't want to walk by him. **********************************************************************
Alice paced back and forth down the hall. She felt so helpless. She had already gathered bandages, and all of the cleaning materials that they might need when they brought Jeremy back. She couldn't sleep, and she couldn't help. She kept the stove hot now. She would need to start breakfast soon, not that anyone would be there for it. But when they did find Jeremy, they would need to eat then. She had a brief thought that they might not find him by breakfast, and her efforts would be wasted. 'God please let it be breakfast,' she thought to herself. She stopped her pacing in front of the window in her father's office. She looked out, and up at the moon. She didn't pray much since her mother died, but she said a little prayer, and headed towards the kitchen, more determined now then ever that Jeremy would be back for breakfast. **********************************************************************
Jeremy took off his coat, and then his shirt. He balled up the shirt and pressed it to his head and put the jacket back on. The bleeding hadn't stopped and he knew he needed to do something. Unfortunately he found that all of his energy was drained from the little effort he put forth to stop the bleeding. "I'll just lay here and rest for a minute" he panted aloud. He was so tired, and his ankle was throbbing. "I'll deal with that in a minute," he said to himself, "one thing at a time." And he drifted into unconsciousness.
Continued...