THE WALKER RANCH

Katherine came on the run, as Robert's signature crack signalled his arrival back at the house. She ran back to Khaat's room. "Oh, dear God," she said softly. She ran into the bathroom and got several warm wet cloths and some towels. She began to sponge the mud off Khaat's face.

Robert came in with his equipment. He sat down on the bed beside her. He laid his hand on her head again, assessing her from head to toe, and then laid his hand on her stomach. "Most of the damage seems to be to her head, her shoulder and her ribs. Nothing to Abbey that I can feel. There's some neck damage, and her right arm is damaged, down into her fingers. Setting all this will take time. She'll recover, but I don't think she'll be jumping up later today. Maybe a couple of days, but her concussion may stall that even a bit. Kate, help me get her into bed. And I'll start setting the bones. Is that your bread I smell?"

"Oh, my bread!" Katherine was upset, "Its going to burn. Steven, while we get Khaat into bed, can you rescue our bread and then check on the boys?"

steven stod for amoment trying to take in what robert had said , when kathrine spoke to him it took a few seconds to register "huh , what, ow, sssure" he said still looking at Khaat . he stood for a moment then turned heading into the kitchen . taking an oven cloth he took out the bread its top a golden brown . then with a sigh he moved heading to the games room where peeking in he saw them all playing pool. slowly he closed the dor nd head ed back to Khaats room "there fine there playing pool " he said leaning on the door frame once more.

Khaat began to come around, slowly, her head pounding, along with everything else. She was surprised to find herself in her room at the farm.

"Khaat," Robert said gently, "What on earth were you doing up there in that weather, honey? I know you know better. Remus and I both taught you better."

"You wouldn't understand," she said softly, remembering.

"Ah," he said softly, "What part, exactly, about grief, about missing Remus do I not understand, my dear? But you certainly keep me busy when you do this. You have some broken bones and a whale of a concussion. You have to let me work for awhile now."

"I don't care," she said softly, barely above a whisper. He laid his hand on her forehead sending her into a deep sleep.

Steven watched al tht went on in the room he frownd as she said she didn't care , he had gone thrtew grif same as she ahd but he hadn't gone off and put himself in danger because of it , no hed finally acceprted it that she wasn't coming back and moved on , now he though Khaat should do the same and was being foolish to put ehr unborn child in risk because of her selfishness. He hit the door frame in his anger and walked back to the kitchen, where he turned out the bread onto a cooling wire it gave him somthing to do while he calmbed down he would not go to the boys as he knew they would ask what was wrong.

Katherine followed him out to the kitchen. "Don't be too angry with her, Steven," she said, already seeing and knowing. "Rob treats her like dirt and she doesn't feel like she can leave--because of Abbey and because of how much her own love for him traps her into staying. She can't live with him and doesn't know how to live without him. It makes her go back to wanting to be with Remus. Remus made her feel safe no matter what. I don't know what the real issue is between them, and Robert and I aren't asking. Although we would like her to separate from him and move home here with us before her love for him kills her completely. Rob sometimes is an utter idiot. And Khaat cannot even fathom a life without him. No matter what it costs her to keep him. If she can't have that, she's not sure she wants any of it at all. I don't see her as actively suicidal, but she is hurting. That's why I say, don't be too hard on her. You know what its like to hurt and not know what to do next to make it ease up just a little bit."

he looked at her "I do know what its like and that why i am angry, I found in janet what she ahs in rob yet Khaat is acting like a love sick girl not a head strong woman I know she is, she needs to use that head of hers and not her ehart so much , this rob dosn't care for her, if he did why isn't her here for her now" he vented turning his back he spoke again this time softer "if she was my wife I would naver leave her side nor see her put her self in this kind of danger, she need a wake up call " he said bluntly "I am sorry if I offended you Kathrine but it hurts me to see her braking down like this and I can'tr do anything to help her over it but stand around taking bread out of the oven" he looked at her over his shoulder his own tears now showing in his eyes.

Khaat could feel Steven's tensions even though he was at teh other end of the house. It unnerved her. If she had truly intended on harming herself, she'd have certainly done a better job than this and not in her father's yard, for heaven's sake. She watched her father splinting her clear down her left arm, from her neck to her fingers. "Let me go home, Daddy. I made a mistake coming here," she said softly.

"And where would you go, my darling?" he asked. "Home? Where you're the only one there? To your office where you'd try to rest all these injuries on the sofa? Where would you go, Baby?"

"I don't care,"she said, "I can't stay here. I won't."

"Go to sleep, Khaat," Robert said softly, always able to know her heart, no matter what. He laid his hand on her head, and sent her into one of his deepest sleep spells. She had no choice. She had to sleep.

steven moved to the back door " I'll be in the barn somthing tells me I should stay out the house for a while, at lest till I calm down " he said heading for the door and straight for the barn where seeing a pile of hay he sat down his foot up on it as he looked back to the house the rain now nothing more than a light mist and the dark clouds made way for a clear star lit sky. he saw the rabo pigmys in there pen and chuckled as soft squeeking came from them as they slept.

"you should not be so hard on your self " he rembvered janet saying as the same thing hapening back on his farm she ahd crossed to where he sat "hes a growing boy don't beat your self up over somthing he will learn" she ahd said to him on that occashion he ahd only to hold her and he felt better now she ws gone he took a dep breath and sighed "janet even in death you still make sence " he said with a smile.

Robert finished setting her bones and setting spells in place for her internal injuries. "I just wanted to be near Remus awhile. I should have remembered that old rotten tree," she said sleepily, waking to find him still there. "I'm sorry."

"You should not be out in that sort of weather, tree or not. Pregnant or not. I want you here in bed resting for a couple of days until you and Abbey are out of danger. This is your home. And if you want to talk to Remus, I'll bring his portrait in here and you can talk to him as long as you can hold out against my sleep spell."

"It would just be nice if he were closer," she said, trying not to cry.

"Rest," He soothed her, putting another sleep spell on her, "He'll be here when you wake,"

standing up he moved back to the house his straw in his mouth he threw it down to the ground as he entered . Moving into the living room he took down a book and began to read quietly to himself not mush else he could do till the boys were ready to go home but more rain against te wndows told him they had only been in the eye of the storm nothing more and he sighed he ahd not seen so much rain .,