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Jake tried to pull his coat tight across his chest. Not that it mattered much. Even with the rain poncho he was wearing, he was soaked to the skin. When you were in the rain for this long, it had a way of seeping in. He felt a tightness in his chest and a tickle low in his throat. Like the words from the book, he tried to ignore it. He cleared his throat and urged Chief into a trot, then caught up with his sons. They looked as miserable as he felt.
J.T. looked at him from under the brim of his hat. “I’ve lost track of where we are. How much further do you think?”
“I think we’re about there. That’s the bluff overlooking the camp. Another couple of miles, these cows will be home for the winter.”
Sawyer adjusted his hat. “I’m pretty sure I’venever been more miserable.”
Jake laughed. “I can think of one time. That day, you decided to get your hands on the beehive in the old oak tree by the pond. Twenty bee stings, was it?”
Sawyer groaned. “Yeah. That was worse. I still have a panic attack when I see a bee.”
J.T. laughed. “Yeah. You haven’t touched honey since, either.”
An hour later, the cows were settling into their winter home, the horses were in the corral for the night, and the seven men were all trying to dry out around the two heaters in the kitchen cabin.
Jake felt the tickle again, but this time couldn’t stop it from turning into a cough. It was like someone had lit a fire in his chest, and once it started, he coughed several times, each one hurting more. He tried not to let on to the others though. He got himself some water and sat down at the table on legs too weak to hold him up.
Sawyer sat across from him. “Are you okay, Dad?”
Jake cleared his throat and refrained from rubbing his chest. The pain had settled into a simmering bed of coals. “Yeah. Not sure where that came from.”
J.T. joined them. “Ray’s making some chili and we’ve got corn bread muffins.”
The thought of food was not appealing to Jake. “I think I’m going to go get on some dryclothes and call it a night.”
“Without dinner? And at seven o’clock?”
Jake stood. “Yeah. I think I’m coming down with a cold. Serves me right. A few hours back, I was thankful your granddad didn’t make the trip. Figuring the weather wouldn’t do him any good. Now it seems I’m the old man of the group.” He coughed again.
Sawyer stood. “You don’t sound very good, Dad. J.T. or I could drive you home in the old pickup. The fire road should still be clear.”
They kept an old truck and a small trailer at the camp in case of a sick cow or an injured horse. It was a long bumpy ride back to the house, but they’ve had to use it more than once.
Jake waved a hand at him. “I’m fine. I just need some rest. The ride home tomorrow will be short and we won’t be chasing cows. Maybe the rain will even stop.” He looked at the other men. “Thanks for your work today, guys. It was a miserable day.”A cloudy, wet, and miserable day.Shut up, Billy Buck.He sighed. “But we made it.”
He left the kitchen and made a dash for the cabin he’d be sharing with J.T. and Sawyer. The rain had let up and was more of a drizzle, but he was tired of being wet. Dashing the fifty feet left him winded though. Not a good sign.
He took off his wet clothes and put on a pair of thermal underwear. He cranked the stove up, then climbed under two wool blankets. He was still cold and was shivering intermittently. Hewas pretty sure he was running a fever. He just wanted to be home in his bed. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Somehow he managed to fall asleep or maybe he passed out from exhaustion, but in any case, the cabin was dark when he woke up coughing. The fire in his chest was even worse, and he couldn’t seem to catch his breath. He raised up onto an elbow and felt the room swim around him.
J.T. and Sawyer were suddenly next to him. Sawyer knelt.
“Dad?” He put a hand on Jake’s forehead. “Man. You’re burning up.”
Jake dropped down onto his back. “I’m pretty sure I’m dying.”
J.T. shook his head. “Not here, and not tonight.”
Sawyer put a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “We’re going to get you home, Dad.”
Jake nodded. “Home sounds good.”
J.T. put his pants on over his long johns. “I’ll go tell the men we’re taking the truck back. Sawyer, help Dad get dressed.” He put on his coat and went out the door.
Sawyer helped Jake into a sitting position. “Can you stand?”
“Yeah. Maybe.” He rose slowly to his feet as the room swirled around him. Sawyer helped him get his pants on, before he sat back down with a groan. He struggled into his flannel shirtwhile Sawyer helped him get into his boots.
