"From a hillside grave a preacher writes, who could blame that girl for rushing back? Who amongst once had seen that place, would ever wanna step foot outside those gates? So goodbye farewell homesick angel. May heaven shores be a sight for your sore eyes. Oh I wish you well homesick angel. Yeah I just wish we'd had more time. God is god and I'm just a man. So I guess I'll never understand, but the fire inside that lights my faith is a smile I'll see upon her face when I hold her again that day." ~Homesick Angel~ Cadillac Sky~

Jackson James Silverman, a mere five years old, sat on the edge of the kitchen chair. He was swinging his feet as he ate his lunch of Mac 'n cheese and homemade applesauce. His mother, Maggie, a soft woman with a large heart and welcoming arms, stood at the counter peeling potatoes for supper. Jack looked around the table watching his older brothers Marcus and Luke eat their own lunch.

"Honey, stop swinging your feet." Jackson stopped immediately.

"Yes mama." Jackson loved his mama more than he would ever admit. Unlike most boys, he didn't mind the hugs and kisses. Being the baby of the family had its perks, he could do no wrong in his mother's eyes. His father, on the other hand, could care less if he did do something right. Jack smiled around a mouthful of macaroni's as his mother ruffled his already-messy coffee colored hair.

#

Maggie took ill when Jack was turned seven. She had looked tired all of the time, and could no longer venture outside. The strong woman he called "mama" was becoming weaker and weaker. Her friends Jenny and Bartholomew were at the house along with aunt Annabella. Jackson and his brothers sat in their small bedroom, picking at the rips in their too short jeans. Tears tracked down dirty cheeks as all three of them sat silently.

"Guys, what's wrong with mama?"

"She's got cancer, whatever that is." Luke kicked at the rug on the worn wood floor.

"Will she get better?" Jack's little forehead crinkled with worry.

Marcus, the oldest, shook his head. "She ain't gonna live much longer because dad wouldn't take her to the hospital."

"Why?"

"I don't know Jack!"

Jackson frowned, but didn't say anything as he looked back down at his feet.

A soft knock on the door made the glance up. "Boys, your mama wants to see you."

Jackson was the first to run out of his room to his mama's bedside. "Mama?" Jack curled up beside her on the bed; wrapping his thin arms around her. "I love you mama." She smoothed his wild hair and breathed in his little boy smell. "Mama, why do you have to go?"

"God wants me up there with Him."

"Why can't you tell Him 'no'?" His little bottom lip quivered.

"I can't say no to God, Honey. He's got plans for all of us."

"What's His plans for me Mama?"

"He wants you to grow big and strong; be a good man; get married and start a family. We'll all see each other again someday."

"When?" Maggie chuckled.

"Whenever God sees fit." She kissed his forehead and squeezed him as tight as her weak arms could. Marcus and Luke had tears in their eyes when it was their own turn to say goodbye.

Maggie clung to life just long enough for her boys to leave the room; by then, she could no longer fight the overwhelming weakness to just let go.

#

All three boys were dressed in their Easter Sunday suits and had their hair parted and combed. Jackson stood between his big brothers- barely able to stand. Marcus had a protective arm wrapped around Jack's shaking shoulders and Luke held his little brother's hand.

"Maggie Joy Silverman was a wonderful woman. A woman who loved God and all of those around her. She always had a ready smile, a cheerful laugh, and a warm embrace. She had a soft spot for three little boys with skinned up knees and messy hair. Maggie gladly worked her fingers to the bone to put clothes on her babies' backs, shoes on their feet and food in their bellies. She was never one to shy away from hard work...."

#

Marcus, Luke and Jackson bounced from Annabella's and Jenny's houses each weekend to spend time with their step in mother figures.

Rick Silverman took a dive off of the deep end when his Maggie died. His temper was explosive and he always drank more than he should. He worked the boys like they were grown men around the 180 acre farm. He couldn't afford modern equipment, so he used more 'antique' farming implements.

Despite lacking food for most of the week, the boys were growing strong.

Marcus withdrew from himself and was the protector of his younger brothers. He took the brunt of the beatings to save the other two from as much as he could. Marcus even made a trap door of sorts in the barn where the boys could hide if shit hit the fan- which it often did.

Luke tried to run away twice and was picked up by the Sheriff each time and brought back. But Luke was crafty. He could run the fastest out of the boys, he could run and get someone to help them when trouble came in the form of their very drunk father and his leather belt.

Jackson, well, Jackson became a force to be reckoned with. He was an angry child, who fought tooth and nail with his father. He was a trouble maker of sorts. He was even sent away to a boys home for a few years. Even that didn't keep him out of trouble. Somewhere along the way, he met a group of boys at school that didn't completely stop the shenanigans but toned it down considerably. After a while, he mellowed out some. One thing he never did was hurt a woman. He respected them far more than he did most men.

Jenny and Annabella worked hard to make clothes for the boys since neither of them had the money to buy anything more than discount fabric and used shoes. The boys were always excited when Jenny and Anna took them to Goodwill to get new duds. One thing both women definitely made sure of was that the boys went to school and church every week.

# 10 years later

Jackson had finally had enough with his father. Marcus and Luke were already gone using the military and college to get away. Jackson was tired of being pushed around, beaten, starved, and over worked. His friend Colten had offered to let him stay at his house with he and his parents. Jenny and Bartholomew had an extra room still and Anna didn't mind the help she got with her little girl, Fanny, when he was around. Fanny had come late into Annabella's life, having her first child at the age of forty had been a blessing, but also difficult when she had to go to work. Jack was happy to help with his 'little sister'.

Jackson saddled up his black stallion, Apache, and tied down his pack and canteen. It was a hot July night, even now at midnight it was in the high 80's. Jackson swung up into the saddle with practiced ease. He had a few stops to make before dawn. But he HAD to get out of there fast.

He winced as he adjusted his arm in the makeshift sling. It hadn't hurt until Rick had beat him near to death. His body ached as the horse galloped down the dirt road. Jackson nearly fell out of the saddle when he reached the site of his mother's grave. She had wanted to be buried on her grandfather's ranch that would be in Jackson's name as soon as he turned eighteen. Jack knelt in the tall grass that grew around his mother's resting place.

"Hey mama. How's Heaven? I bet I could tell you what Hell feels like." Jackson picked at the grass. "Forgive me mama for disobeying my father, but that man was going to kill me. I'm going to live with Annabella and little Fanny, and finish my schooling. Then I'll be back to work on this ranch." Jackson didn't know what he would do; there were so many things he needed to do. "I'll be back mama. I need to drop by Colten's house before I can go to Anna's."

Jackson pushed himself to his feet and pulled himself up into the saddle. It wouldn't take long to get to Colten's house. And Sheriff Jacobs, Colten's dad, was going to legally protect him, even if it meant throwing him in jail.

Jackson reigned in at Colten's house. After working to exhaustion all day and having to wait nearly all night for his father to go to sleep; then riding like the hounds of hell were after him, he slouched in the saddle. Colten and his dad rushed through the front door. Colten caught Jackson's feet as his dad pulled Jackson from the saddle. After depositing Jackson on the couch, Colten's mom, a nurse, started doctoring up the young man and making him comfortable.

It was late that afternoon that Jackson finally awoke. He sat up on the couch and looked around the room he was in. Mr. Tom Jacobs stood by the front door. "Son, why didn't you come sooner?"

"Fear, I suppose. Has he come yet?"

"He called. I said that you weren't here. Told him most runaways head toward the city, not a neighboring ranch."

"Did he buy it?"

"He won't for long. Boy, why didn't you come sooner? You could've been killed-"

"I still can be, Tom. That man wants to kill me, and make me miserable before he does. You saw how he reacted when I went to prom with Sandra. That man went crazy!"

"Well, I can lock you up to give us some time. Or we document everything and we make it a case."

"Which would keep him away from me?"

"If we take it to court, he can be put away for a while, but he can also bring up your record of being a juvenile delinquent."

"I wouldn't have acted that way if I wasn't trying to get away from him."

"I know son, but the court probably won't-"

"What about all of the good things I've done? I saved Old Man Wilson from dying from that heart attack. Or when Ms. Lacy got stuck in her driveway? I carried her back to her house and then dug out her entire driveway by hand. All I wanted in return was a few cookies." Tom held up his hand.

"Boy, I know how good you are. The fact is is that bad people can do good things-"

"But good people can also do bad things. Most would say that my dad was a good man, I beg to differ and I have the scars and welts to prove it."

#

Jackson had a blank face as he watched the officer take his father back to the jail. The man would only get nine to fourteen years, but Jackson was going to make sure that man never came near him again.

Marcus, who was on leave, gave his little brother a one armed hug. "Be safe baby brother."

Jack looked at the man he grew up with. "You too Marc."

Luke hadn't been able to get out of class to attend court, but they were able to get a deposition from him.

#

Jackson stormed into his house after hearing that one of his ranch hands had disappeared inside. His no good wife had pissed him off for the last time. Jack could hear them from the other side of the door. His jaw popped as he shook his head. Taking a step back, he raised his foot and broke the lock in one solid kick. Sandra fought to cover herself and his ranch hand almost had a heart attack. Jackson ripped both of them out of the bed he and his wife had shared just last night, he dragged them both out of the house and threw their naked asses out into the dirt at the bottom of the steps. Jack slammed the door shut and locked it, and all of the windows.

Out of pure spite, Jackson threw every one of Sandra's belongings out of the bedroom window, including their wedding picture.

*

Thanks for Reading the first Chapter of Healing In Medicine Bow! Please vote and tell me what you think!