WORRIES

Ben Cartwright was the first one to notice that his grandson Mitch had trouble with seeing. The little Cartwright almost walked up against the blue chair when he came downstairs. The rancher saw what was happening and could stop Mitch just in time.

“Mitch, what is the matter with you?”, asked Ben.

“I don't see much”, said Mitch.

Ben looked at his 4 year old grandson and noticed that the eyes of Mitch were very little and red.

“First I give you your breakfast and after that we go to see the doctor”, said Ben.

He carried the boy to the dining room and put him down on his chair. The Chinese cook Hop Sing put a hot bowl of oatmeal down. Ben grabbed the spoon and helped his only grandchild with eating.

“Grandpa, my eyes hurt”, Mitch said moaning.

“They are also little and red. Later on we let the doctor look at your eyes”, Ben said calm.

Cody, the shepherd dog of the Cartwright family, sat by his little master. He noticed that his little master needed him.

After breakfast foreman Candy Canaday prepared the wagon. He had seen his little friend and was also worried.

“Mr Cartwright, the wagon is ready”, he said when entering.

“We are ready with breakfast. Come Mitch, we go to Virginia City”, said the rancher.

He picked up his grandson and with Cody they walked to the wagon.

“Mr Cartwright, do you want me to come along?”, asked Candy.

“Just come along. Put Cody on it as well”, replied Ben.

Mitch and Cody got put on the wagon while Ben and Candy climbed upon the box. Mitch groped his way just until he had found his dog. Cody put his head near the boy.

In Virginia City Candy stopped the wagon in front of the practise of doctor Paul Martin.

“Candy, you and Cody wait here for us. I go inside with Mitch”, said the rancher.

He jumped from it and lifted Mitch from the wagon. Together they went inside.

Paul Martin looked up when he saw the Cartwrights coming in.

“Paul, Mitch has trouble with his eyes. He doesn’t see much. Can you examine him?”, asked the rancher.

“Of course”, said Paul.

After the examination the heal master said, “Ben, your grandson has a very serious eye inflammation. I will treat him with eye-drops. He must get it three times a day. Keep him inside for 2 weeks. Return then for a checkup”

Mitch got treated and went with Ben outside.

“Guess everybody is looking at me?”, Mitch asked worried.

“No, but 2 are. That are Candy and Cody. We go home”, replied the rancher.

They climbed upon the wagon and went back to the ranch.

At home Cody remained by Mitch.

“Must I warn Adam? He should have to know that his son is ill”, said Candy.

Ben nodded and asked teasing, “Haven't you warned him yet?”

The foreman left at once. Ben went inside to look after Mitch.

In the living room Mitch sat with Cody near the stairs.

“Cody, stay with me because I see nothing”, said the boy.

“Woof”, replied Cody.

He licked the young Cartwright. Ben saw the couple and was touched.

“Mitch, do you feel like having lunch?”, asked the rancher.

Mitch nodded. Ben grabbed him by the hand and together with Cody they walked to the dining room. Mitch had put his other hand on the back of Cody for guidance.

Meanwhile Candy had found Adam. He and his younger brothers were at the herd. They were branding the calves.

“There comes Candy. He is in a big hurry”, Hoss said amazed

The foreman stopped his horse and looked at the eldest Cartwright boy.

“Adam, you must go home at once because your son has serious inflamed eyes. He hardly can see”, Candy said hasty.

Adam didn't know how fast he had to mount on his horse and to go home. Hoss and Little Joe too became worried.

“Mr Cartwright and I have been with him to the doctor”, said Candy.

Adam rode in hurry-scurry back home. Mitch meant everything to him. The boy only had Adam as parent and that's why he was also very worried about him.

At the yard hand Jason Palmer saw Adam coming.

“Adam, what are you doing here? Mustn’t you be at the herd?”, asked Jason.

“Mustn’t you get to work?”, was the counter-question of van Adam.

He jumped from his horse and ran inside.

“Pa, what is the matter with Mitch? Candy said that he has serious inflamed eyes and hardly can see”, Adam said when entering.

“That is true. We have been to the doctor’s with Mitch and he has been prescribed eye-drops. Your son must get them 3 times a day and stay inside for 2 weeks”, replied Ben.

Adam walked through to the dining room where Mitch sat at the table.

“Kid, what is the matter with you?”, Adam asked worried.

“I see nothing”, replied the young Cartwright.

“How come?”, Adam wanted to know.

He went to sit next to his son and Ben at the head of the table like always.

Mitch began to tell, “I played in the sandbox when that new one said to me that I had to listen to him. I didn’t do that and then he threw sand into my eyes. Candy and Griff helped me but this morning I didn’t see anything.”

Adam stroke his son over his head and said, “Everything will be alright. Grandpa and I are here to help you and Cody too.”

“Mitch, why don’t you go bed for a while? Cody stays by you. Hop Sing is already busy making a delicious apple pie”, said Ben.

Mitch nodded. Adam lifted him up and carried him upstairs, followed by Cody. Ben watched them and was concerned about his only grandchild. He knew that Mitch didn’t lie and too that the hands cared a lot about him.

Mitch kept having inflamed eyes despite the eye-drops and Adam became more and more worried. One evening he spoke to his father about it.

“Pa, I am worried about Mitch. He hardly can see and I am afraid that if nothing happens Mitch will be blind soon. He is already lame”, said Adam.

“I understand it. That’s why I have arranged that Mitch can be treated in Boston. They day after tomorrow you and Mitch go by train and you will return when my grandson can see again. Just send the bill home”, said Ben.

“It can be that we stay away for a long time”, said Adam.

“That might be but I want that Mitch gets the best of the best. Although it costs me everything that I have”, replied his father.

“Mitch would like to hear that. He is already very good at begging and tricking money from especially his uncles”, Adam chuckled.

“From whom he would have that?”, Ben asked teasing.

“Probably from his mother because I am not like that”, Adam reacted dry.

“What has happened between you and Mary?”, Ben wanted to know.

“I met her in San Francisco during a vacation. We were very happy together but her family was against our relationship. By them we broke up. Her sister said that she had gone to New York. I didn’t know then that Mitch was already on his way. He also looks a lot like her. Also what her character concerns”, told Adam.

“Mitch looks a lot like you too. Go and tell it him”, said Ben.

In the bed room of his son Adam noticed that Mitch was still awake.

“Aren’t you sleeping yet?”, Adam asked amazed.

“No, I cannot sleep. That new hand keeps coming into my room at night. He treats my eyes with something sharp”, replied the boy.

Now Adam understood everything.

“You sleep in my room tonight. We will get him”, he said calm.

He picked him up and with Mitch he went downstairs. Mitch was a bit sleepy but yet awake. Ben, Hoss, Little Joe and Candy didn’t understand it at all.

“Adam, what is the matter with Mitch?”, Ben asked amazed.

“That new hand treats the eyes of Mitch with something sharp. That happens at night. I want to get him”, Adam said while he sat down with Mitch near him.

“How?”, asked Hoss.

“Wait for him in the room of Mitch. Mitch sleeps in my room”, said Adam.

“Adam, I stay here by Mitch while you get him”, said Ben.

“He is around midnight near the oak tree. I saw him standing for a couple of nights”, Candy remarked.

“Just pack him at the yard. I don’t want to see him anymore inside the house or at the ranch”, said the rancher.

“Well Mitch, Grandpa has the nice chore to babysit you”, Adam said to his son.

Mitch looked with little eyes at the burning wood. Ben picked him up and went to sit with his grandson in his red chair. The boys went to look up Jason Palmer.

Jason was outside at the oak tree. Like each evening he waited until everything was dark in the ranch house.

“Are you waiting for someone?”, asked Hoss.

The hand flew a meter into the air and looked at 3 Cartwrights and 1 Canaday.

“No. I may be outside or not?”, Jason asked with distrust.

“You are probably waiting until you can make a four year old boy blind?”, asked Little Joe.

“I would never do such a thing. Besides, there are no children here at all”, was the answer of Jason.

“Strange. I thought that I was a father for 4 years already but I must have imagined that. With what stuff have you treated the eyes of Mitch?”, asked Adam.

“With a mixture of dish soap, sand and shampoo. That kid was so looking at me all the time that I had to do something about it”, Jason confessed.

Adam smacked him in the face but Jason hit back.

“Adam, just let me”, Hoss said excited.

Adam pushed the hand to his brother who gave him a complete makeover. Jason screamed like a skinny sucking-pig where after he fled. The brothers and Candy watched him go with satisfaction. Jason didn’t get very far because the smacks of Adam and Hoss had made sure that the hand died not much later.

“Boys, good riddance. Now Mitch must get better”, said Adam.

“That will happen for sure”, Hoss assured his older brother.

They went inside where Ben, Mitch and Hop Sing heard everything.

Mitch began to see better and better and didn't have to go to Boston to great joy of Ben and Adam. Unfortunately for Hoss and Little Joe their nephew saw as good as before Mitch got inflamed eyes.

One morning Hoss said, “Adam, I believe that the brown eyes of Mitchy are now clearer and brighter than before.”

“That is indeed so. In a few years time he gets the girls with his eyes”, replied Adam.

“Then he can give his uncle Joe some more advice”, reacted Hoss.

Both brothers laughed. From then on Mitch watched out better concerning new hands at the ranch.