Disclaimer: BBM and all of its characters belong to its creators (not me). If you don't recognize the person/place/thing/story from the movie, then it's mine. Otherwise, give the money to someone else. :)

Author’s Note: Sorry for the delay…RL is crazy!!! And I’m leaving tomorrow for a trip to Memphis, and will be there all weekend. Leave me comments and I will reply whenever I get back! :) YAY!

In Sickness and In Health

Part 9

by Jen (WCUGirl)

Elizabeth’s eyes popped open at the unfamiliar sound. She wracked her brain, trying to understand what it was she was hearing. She glanced over her shoulder at KE who was snuggled up close to her, still sound asleep. He obviously hadn’t heard whatever the noise was which woke her up. She heard the sound again, and slid out of bed going to investigate.

There was nothing outside the house to explain the strange noise. She heard it again as she came back inside and quickly determined it was coming from the boys’ room. She stepped quietly down the hall and knocked softly on the door. There was no answer and when she heard the sound again she opened the door and peeked inside.

Jack was clinging tightly to Ennis, breathing ragged, tears pouring from his eyes, quietly moaning in pain. Immediately she understood what she’d been hearing.

“Boys? Everything ok?” Knowing full well it wasn’t.

Ennis glanced up at her. “He’s hurting again. Hips, shoulders, knees, elbow…I just gave him a pain pill. Sorry we woke you.”

Elizabeth sat down on Jack’s side of the bed. She reached out and fingered his hair lightly. “I thought he was better?”

Ennis shook his head. “Doc said it could come back. His fever is starting to go up too.”

Elizabeth stood up. “I’ll get him some aspirin and more water. You need anything Ennis?”

He looked sadly up at her. “Nothin I need,” he said quietly, “not unless you can make him well.”

She shook her head sadly and left the room.

“Ennis,” Jack whispered pitifully.

“I’m here baby,” he kissed Jack’s forehead, “I’m right here, I got you.”

Tears filled Jack’s blue eyes. “I miss my momma,” he whimpered.

It broke Ennis’ heart to see Jack going through this. He knew what it felt like for your parents to die. He had no idea what it felt like for you parents to completely reject you, want you dead. He didn’t know what to do with this.

“Gonna be ok Lil Darlin…gonna be just fine…you’ll see.”

“Don’t think Momma knows about all this mess. She wouldn’t act like that Ennis. She won’t hate us…she’d love you Cowboy.”

Ennis chuckled. “I must be just irresistible to you Twists, then?”

Jack giggled softly, ending in a moan of pain. “Definitely. Know you’re irresistible to me.”

Elizabeth returned and she and Ennis tended to Jack for the rest of the night. The higher Jack’s fever got, the more he cried out for his mother. Ennis figured it was the knowledge that he couldn’t go home, mixed with the fever, which was making him act that way.

As the sun rose into the sky and the rooster crowed, an idea formed in Ennis’ head. He had to get in touch with Jack’s momma.

Sarah Twist strolled slowly to the mailbox at the end of the driveway. John was gone to town for the day and Sarah (thankfully) had been left to her own devices. She was not sitting idly by, however—there were many things to do! It was early October—Jack would be coming home soon! She hadn’t heard from him in close to a month though, and she was getting a bit concerned.

An envelope addressed to her written in unfamiliar handwriting was the only mail in the box today. She closed the box and began opening the envelope as she returned up to the house.

Dear Mrs. Twist.

I hope this letter finds you healthy, we heard you were bad off sick. I’m writing to let you know that Jack and I already came down off the mountain and he is staying with me. He’s very sick. He got bit by a tick up on the mountain and has caught Lime Disease. He’s been running a real high fever and his joints are hurting him pretty bad. He was getting better but now he’s sick and hurting again. We’re glad he ain’t coughing like he did last time. He’s been sick for over a month now. Don’t know if you’ve heard what happened or not—Jack being sick is the reason we came down off the mountain so early. Mr. Aguirre wasn’t taking care of us…that’s part of why Jack got so sick. Jack’s been begging for you and begging to go home, but we heard his daddy’s gonna come after him if he comes back. So he’s with me in Kirby. I wanted to tell you Jack misses you and loves you. Please don’t show this letter to Mr. Twist.

Sincerely,

Ennis Del Mar.

Sarah stopped walking and read the words again. Once she was finished, she began walking again and mulling over the countless questions in her head. Who would have told Jack she was sick? Why would they do such a thing? To hurt her? To hurt Jack? To make Jack worry unnecessarily? To trick him into coming home? Why? What would be accomplished by that? Jack had been sick for a whole month? No one had told her that her precious baby was sick!

She wondered if her husband knew. She suspected he did, especially if Jack had been warned by someone not to come home. She knew he was safe where he was—she knew about Ennis and who he was. Jack had written to her about him on several different occasions this summer.

She walked back into the house and sat down in Jack’s seat at the kitchen table. She ran a weary hand over her forehead. She looked at the letter again and decided she needed some answers. She picked up the phone and dialed Information.

Elizabeth moved quickly to the phone, wanting to silence its ringing before it could wake Jack up. Poor thing he’d finally fallen asleep, he needed the rest, she didn’t want him to be awakened.

“Hello?”

“Yes hello. I’m trying to reach the del Mar residence.”

The voice was unfamiliar, but seemed pleasant enough.

“Well you found us! Which del Mar did you want?”

Elizabeth heard the woman’s quiet hesitation and narrowed her eyes a bit.

“I’d like…I’d like to speak to Ennis, please ma’am.”

Something froze inside Elizabeth. A small pit of fear that was tiny moments ago suddenly quadrupled in size and gripped her gut. She let out a long breath. Her voice was cold as ice when she spoke.

“Who is calling, please?”

“My name is Sarah Twist. I’m Jack’s mother.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes.

“Hold on one moment. I’ll see if he’s awake.”

Elizabeth set the phone on the kitchen counter and walked down the hall to the boys’ bedroom. It occurred to her that she didn’t think of the room as a guest room anymore. It belonged to Jack and Ennis.

“Ennis?”

“Hmm?” He raised his steady gaze from Jack’s face to look at her. “Everything ok Elizabeth?”

“Can you come out here a minute?”

Ennis followed her without question, anxiety rising in his stomach and chest.

“You’ve got a phone call…”

Ennis quickly noted her apprehension. “Do you know who it is?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Sarah Twist. Jack’s momma.”

Ennis ran to the phone and immediately picked it up and placed it to his ear.

“Hello? Mrs. Twist?”

“Yes! Is this Ennis? Do you mind if I call you that?”

“Yes it is and no I don’t mind. What can we do for you? Are you feeling better?”

“Ennis I wasn’t ever sick! Someone told you boys wrong!”

Ennis closed his eyes, his suspicions confirmed. “Probably someone trying to hurry Jack along home…” he murmured.

“Is he ok? Can I talk to him?” Ennis’ heart broke at the desperation in this woman’s voice.

“He’s sleeping now. Been real sick. Keeps asking for you though.”

“You said he has tick fever?”

“Yeah, doc calls it Lyme Disease. He’s been sick over a month now.”

“Running a fever?”

“Highest I’ve ever seen…”

Sarah’s heart broke. Her poor Jack—so sick, there with Ennis, but also strangers…no one who knew him well enough to instinctively know how to make him feel better…

“Ennis will you all do me a favor?”

“Sure ma’am if I can.”

“Is there anyone there…anyone who might be able to make a gelatin?”

“Uh…well Elizabeth might be able to?”

“I always make it for Jack when he gets ill. I cut him up some bananas in it. Do you think Elizabeth would care to make that for Jack?”

“I’ll be sure and ask, Mrs. Twist. Any special flavor?”

“Oh I usually use whatever kind of berries I have here. He does prefer strawberry usually.”

“Well I will see what we can do. Mrs. Twist…do you have any idea what is going on with Mr. Twist and Mr. Aguirre?”

“No…”

For the next fifteen minutes Ennis told her about everything that had happened. Told her about Jack getting sick, Joe finding them asleep together, leaving the mountain, Randall calling…all of it. Ennis promised her that she would be able to talk to Jack soon before they hung up. She returned the phone to its cradle, sat back down in her chair and cried.

She’d never felt so helpless in all her life.

TBC…