Love Conquers All

by Abbi G

Andi Carter was positively thrilled. She was going off into the mountains with Taffy. Oh! She was also going with Chad. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, it was no secret that she and Chad often didn’t see eye to eye. They were brother and sister however, and they still loved each other. 

Mitch had planned to go, but at the last minute he had changed his mind to see a young lady visiting from the east named, Annalise. Andi found that interesting, and also slightly concerning. Annalise was far too much of a “proper” name for her liking. The fact that her brother would choose to visit a lady over roughing it in the mountains was appalling, but she certainly wouldn’t let that get her down. 

Andi finished securing her last saddle bag, then turned to assess Chad’s current state. He was fighting to secure another bag to the back of the pack horse. 

“Are you sure you have everything y’all will need, son?” Mother’s worried eyes held Chad’s gaze.

“Yes, ma’am. Mother, we’ll be fine. There is no need to worry. We won’t go off too far, and we have plenty of supplies.” 

Mother hesitated, then nodded. “I suppose you’re right, Chad. Have a good time, son. You too, sweetheart! Stay safe, and stay together!” 

“Yes, ma’am! We will to both!” Andi called back, anxious to be on their way. Finally, they began their trek. The first while was a blast as Andi was intrigued with everything they crossed. All too soon, dusk settled and Andi and Chad set up camp for the night by a creek. 

“Well, Andi,” Chad began, smiling, “What say we catch some fish for dinner?”

“Yippee!” Andi shouted, grabbing her pole and running to the creek bank. Chad joined her seconds later, and the two fished for about an hour before coming up with a giant string of bass. 

“This will make a tasty dinner, Andi!” Chad smiled, smacking his lips hungrily. He started a fire and began cooking the fish. Fifteen minutes later, they were eating the delicious meal. 

Andi cleaned up, and stretched out on her bed roll beside Chad. She looked up at the vast sky with stars sprinkled everywhere. She drifted to sleep thinking of how big the world really was. 

The next morning, Andi and Chad packed up the campsite very quickly; eager to be on their way. The day progressed rather slowly, and the siblings remained fairly silent. Chad soon became frustrated at the slow-going, and that put Andi on edge. 

“Why so many trees? Where did the path go?” Chad groused.

“It’s called outside, Chad!” Andi retorted, “There are trees there. This is called the middle of nowhere, there’s not exactly going to be a cobblestone street.” 

Chad’s jaw clenched, and Andi winced. This was going to be fun. Finally, the shrubbery grew smaller, and farther apart. The horses picked up the pace, and with it, the moods rose too. Soon, the siblings rode into an open clearing. Smiling, Andi dismounted and rushed to the creek. Taffy stood beside her and took a long drink. Andi smiled as the old adage, 

“Never drink downstream from the herd,” flitted through her mind.

“Let’s get movin’,” Chad shouted. 

Andi frowned but mounted up beside Chad. The day was hot and the sun merciless. Andi pulled her hat from her head and fanned the stale air around her. Sweat trickled into her eye and she grimaced. She eyed Chad--who didn’t look much better. His shirt was dark with sweat and he looked done-in. 

Eventually, the outline of the small cabin came into view. Andi smiled in spite of her discomfort. Things were starting to get brighter. Andi pulled a pack of beef jerky from her saddle bags as her stomach grumbled loudly. She hesitated. Was it really worth putting the rancid thing in her mouth? Her stomach rumbled again and she tentatively licked the jerky. It didn’t seem that bad--she took a bite. Her face screwed as she chewed, and she launched the bite over Taffy’s side. She needed water! She lifted the jerky and studied it scrupulously. How could it be so salty? 

“What in tarnation?” 

Andi jerked as Chad’s bellow shattered the quiet. She looked up and was looking straight at the cabin. The door was hanging, and several holes shown in the walls. Chad’s eyes were stormy as he dismounted and stomped through the doorway. 

Andi heard his shouts of dismay and dismounted quickly. She secured their mounts before following her brother. The inside of the cabin was in disarray and she gasped. Two of the four chairs were broken and laying in pieces, several cans of food lay broken on the floor and mattress lay open on the ground, straw spilling out of the gaping hole. The bunk beds seemed intact however, and the backdoor was secure. 

“Who do you think would’ve done this?” Andi asked incredulously. 

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be here,” Chad snapped. 

Andi frowned and mimicked her brother’s tone. 

“Andrea.” His voice was dangerously low. 

“You don’t have to take it out on me,” She retorted, hot and bothered. 

“Well, clean it up while I go find some wood to patch these walls.”

 She sighed. She hated cleaning. She scooped the cans and what she could of the food out the door. She searched the cabin and finally found a needle and some thread. After stuffing the straw back into the mattress, and sewed it up with sloppy, uneven stitches.  She heaved both mattresses back onto the bunks and took the crooked broom from the corner to sweep the hay dust, and wood chips from the floor. 

Finally, she sat down on one of the unbroken chairs and heaved a sigh. Her fun trip had turned wrong for the second time. After her last trip with Mitch, Corey, and Jenny turned bad, she had thought this one would would go better.  There was no Hugh Baker, no robbed bank, but everything still went wrong. 

Andi went to take care of Taffy. Thankfully, the corral was still in great shape. She unsaddled Taffy, who protested at not getting her usual rub down. Andi patted her nose. 

“I know, girl, but you’ll get it soon.” She walked back into the cabin right as Chad returned. He was sweating even more, and the stagnant air in the cabin reeked within a few moments of his arrival. Andi longed for a breeze to shift the air to relieve her nose, but the breeze didn’t come. 

“Get over here.” Chad’s brusque order had her bristling. 

“Ever heard of ‘please’?” She snapped. 

“Ever heard of giving me a break?” Was his retort. 

Andi walked to his side and helped patch the hole. His stench clogged her nostrils and she coughed letting go of her side of the wood. 

“Andi!” He roared. 

“Hey! I’m hot and tired and I really didn’t plan on this, and you stink!” Andi’s frustration poured out as she yelled at her brother.

“Well I’m sorry that things happened that I can’t control! Maybe you just want to go home and leave what has to be done and you don’t smell too good yourself!” 

“Maybe I will!” Andi stormed from the cabin and saddled Taffy. Her promise to stay together long forgotten, she began riding, not really paying attention to where. She just had to cool off. 

 *****

Chad finished patching the last hole and sat back on his heels swiping his dripping shirt sleeve to clear the sweat from his eyes. He should go after Andi, but he was still frustrated with her for leaving. Instead, he stood and stumbled to the creek, took off his shirt and waded into the cool water, immediately dunking his head. It felt heavenly. He closed his eyes and relaxed his tense muscles. Andi would be fine for a little while. 

*****

Andi was just about to turn back around, when she noticed she was on the edge of a steep incline. Goodness! It was definitely time to go back before she got hurt. She was hot, bothered, thinking about Chad, and not paying attention to her surroundings. Caught up in her thoughts, she missed a distinct rattle, and Taffy reared. 

Andi’s error had been she was tired and not gripping Taffy. She was tossed like a ragdoll, and went over the steep drop. Pain exploded behind her eyes as her head struck a rock, and stars danced as the world went black. Her last thought was of Chad. She loved him. She was sorry. 

*****

It was time to go after her. Chad knew it. She had been gone far too long, and dusk had long since set across the land. He mounted Sky, patting the tired horses neck. 

“Not too long, boy,” He encouraged, “I promise, not too long and we’ll be home.” He turned the way he’d heard Andi go and gave Sky his head. They weaved through the brush under the ever-darkening sky. It was taking too long. Chad gritted his teeth and spurred Sky faster. 

Where was Andi? Why hadn’t he passed her? Why had he even let her go in the first place? His temper was going to seriously get him in trouble. Justin was going to kill him. Chad’s mind jumped from thought to thought as he searched for his sister, but his main thought...I love her! Sky abruptly halted and Chad had to fight to keep his seat. He was on the edge of a cliff. 

“Andi!” He hollered as fear gripped his heart, “Andi! Are you there?” A cold fist slammed into his gut as he heard a slight groan. “Andi! Taffy!” Chad whistled shrilly, and heard an answering whinny from behind. 

He spun as Taffy trotted up, covered in dirt and sweat. Andi was in the gully. He fought his panic as he carefully looped a rope around Sky’s saddle horn and held tightly as he made his way down. His foot slipped several times. 

“Oh! God! Give me strength. Keep Andi alive, God! I need her!” His foot hit something soft. Andi lay sprawled on her back, eyes closed, face pale, and blood soaked. Chad choked back the bile rising in his throat. 

“Oh, God,” He moaned as he felt for a pulse. She was alive. He had to get her back to the cabin, fast. He moved to lift her gently into his arms. Her lips parted and she groaned again. Chad grabbed the rope and begin climbing up. It was slow progress, and his elbows felt every fall as he kept Andi from feeling the impact. 

Finally, he made it. Lifting her into the saddle in front, Chad mounted behind her and spurred Sky towards the cabin, leading Taffy. It was slow going in the dark, and the hour felt like ten. However, they made it. Chad let the horses loose in the corral and carried Andi to the mattress. He lit several lanterns and begin to check her over. 

The gash on her head had him choking again. Head wounds bleed a lot, he reminded himself and set to work cleaning her wounds. He ran to the creek and drew a bucket of water. He used a rag to gently swipe the mud and blood from her body. He bandaged her head, and some of the more serious abrasions; however, the bruises would most likely be the most painful when she woke. He squeezed the rag to drip water on her cracked and bleeding lips. Finally, her lids fluttered. 

“Andi?” Chad’s voice was tight with emotion, and a lump rose in her throat. “Andi?” 

“Ch-Chad?” Her voice was barely audible, but it was the sweetest sound Chad had ever heard. 

“Yes! I’m here, Andi! Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” Her eyes were dull with pain and Chad layed a clean, wet cloth across her forehead. “Sleep, little sister, nothing’s going to hurt you when I’m here.” And she did. 

Chad stayed by her side all night, making sure her bleeding had subsided and waking her occasionally to make sure the head trauma hadn’t caused any worse internal injuries. The morning came and Chad could barely keep his eyes open. 

Andi smiled softly at him. “Sleep, big brother. I’m fine.” 

Chad stretched out on the floor beside her and fell into an exhausted slumber. When he woke that evening, Andi’s eyes were wide and alert. Chad smiled at her and silently thanked God. 

“Well, little sister, we give it one more night and if you’re still looking good, we can head home.” 

“Let’s do it right now,” Andi pleaded. Chad shook his head. 

“Nope. Not right now we need to give it a little bit.” 

Andi resigned herself to her fate and settled back, trying to cover a wince--that Chad noticed. 

He raised an eyebrow and nodded knowingly. “You’ll be sore for awhile. You got bruises everywhere.” Chad scraped together some beans and jerky for a meager meal. 

Andi’s face screwed up. “Eww.” 

“Mix it together and it won’t be as bad for you,” Chad smirked. Andi choked half the mixture down. Finally, Chad grabbed a bucket and went to refill the water. Andi tried to sit up, but groaned and clutched her head. Something was wrong. She lay still, fighting the urge to panic as the pain radiated through her skull. She flopped back down, blinking back tears as Chad entered the cabin again. 

“Are you okay?” The concern was evident in his taut features. 

“My head hurts,” She whispered. Chad walked to her side and laid a hand on her forehead. 

“You’re burning up!” Chad immediately rang out a rag and placed it over her forehead. He sat down, and prayed. Eventually, Andi fell into a troubled sleep, moaning and thrashing. Chad shook her shoulder gently, but couldn’t wake her. He tried again and again, but Andi was unresponsive. Finally, he rolled her onto her stomach, and removed the bandage from her gashed head. 

His stomach turned. The skin around the wound was puffy and bright red. There were hints of puss oozing from open spots along the gash. Chad washed the wound, the skin was hot to the touch and very swollen. 

An hour later, Andi fell silent. Still unable to wake her, Chad knew what he had to do. Her head was infected, and if he didn’t want that infection to spread any further, he had to drain in. Steeling himself against what was to come, Chad found a knife. He took time making a fire and bringing a pot of water to a boil. He let the knife rest in the boiling water for a few moments before patting it dry on a clean cloth. That was as sterile as he could make this procedure. He moved to Andi’s side, and lifted the knife. 

“God give me strength to save her!” He made one clean slice at the base of her wound and a stream of puss shot from the opening. Chad turned away, his stomach roiling. He found another cloth and laid it over the small pillow, then turned Andi’s head to drain over the cloth. Chad left the wound uncovered, and sat down to wait. 

The night passed uneventfully. Come morning, Chad groggily stood to feel Andi’s wound. It wasn’t hot. A good amount of puss lay on the rag and he tossed it out the door. That was one rag he wasn’t keeping. Chad moved to shake Andi’s shoulder and her eyes fluttered open. Looking into the depths of her blue irises, Chad cried. He cried out everything he’d been holding in, the panic, the guilt, and most of all, the thankfulness. 

“Chad? I had an awesome dream. God sent an angel to help me and He healed me.” Chad smiled through his tears. 

“I’m sure he did, Andi, I’m sure he did.” God had led his hands to save his baby sister so he could see her radiant smile once again. Andi’s brow furrowed. 

“Chad, I’m sorry we fought. None of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t left. I just got angry.” 

“It happens, Andi, but lesson learned, right? And, Andi, I love you, and love conquers all.”  Andi yawned and grinned up at him. 

“I love you too, big brother.” 

 *****

One week later, Andi was officially headache free and Doc had cleared her of any injuries worse than a few yellowing bruises. Andi sat around the dinner table watching her family and listening to the laughter. She picked up a biscuit and took a bite, closing her eyes in bliss. If she never saw beef jerky again in her life, that would not be long enough. 

“Well, honey,” Justin began, “What was the most important lesson you learned through this?” Andi thought for a moment, then shot Chad a sly smirk. 

“I learned that love conquers all.” 

“Wise words, sis,” Mitch grinned, now will you pass the biscuits?” Andi did so, then settled back to observe each member of her family. She was surrounded with love and caring. She was blessed.