Hiccups

By: Lynne G.

This morning was no different from most all mornings for the Cartwright family. Ben greeted his two older sons as they arrived at the diningroom table for breakfast.

As they waited for Hop Sing to finish making breakfast, there was one member of the family who hadn't shown up yet, the youngest member of the the family, Little Joe.

Little Joe hated to get up in the early hours of the morning, so one of this brothers or sometimes his father would have to go up stairs to the boy's room and wake him up, which none of the family enjoyed doing. When this boy was asleep, he was dead to the world, and it took several minutes to get the boy awake.

It was usually Hoss who had the honors of attemping to waken the baby of the family.

" Hoss, would you please and go wake up that little brother of yours before he is late for school again, Ben asked as he looked at his youngest son's empty chair. " Sure Pa. Wish me luck," Hoss teased as he got up from his chair and went to wake up his little brother.

" I just can't understand why it is so hard for that boy to get in the mornings. If he could have his own way, he would sleep most of the day and play all night long," Ben mumbled to Adam.

" I'm just relieved that Hoss seems to enjoy that ' big ' daily chore. I certainly have had more than my share of getting little brother awake and up in the morning. It's like trying to wake the dead," Adam declared as he was remembering back to all those mornings when he attemped to get the young boy awake so he wouldn't be late for school or chores.

As Hoss stood there watching his little brother in a very deep sleep, he had to smile. " He looks so sweet and innocent when he is sleeping," Hoss thought to himself.

" Sorry Punkin, but it's that time again," Hoss said as he shook the boys shoulder. There was no response. " Oh Little Joe, WAKE UP !" Hoss said a little louder. Still no response. Taking a deep breath, Hoss almost shouted this time. " JOEY, WAKE UP !"

Still no response or body movement. By now Hoss was getting a little upset.

" DADBURNIT !" Hoss declared, as he pulled back the blankets and quilts on the boy's bed and he pulled his brother out of bed and he landed on the floor with a thud.

Hoss stood there with his hands on his hips looking down at the youngster laying on the floor finally showing some signs of life.

As Little Joe attemped to sit up, his eyes refused to open and he mumbled, " What, what happened ? How'd I get down here? He kept yawning and rubbing his big green eyes trying to focus his sight.

" About time you woke up little brother. You better get a move on it and get washed and dressed and downstairs for breakfast in five minutes or else I'm gonna starve to death," Hoss strongly suggested.

While yet another yawn happened, Little Joe mumbled, " Go away Hoss, I'm goin' back ta bed !" " Oh no yer not !" Hoss declared as he took hold of the boy's shoulder and he pulled Little Joe up on his feet. " You got four minutes now, so HURRY up !" Hoss repeated as he watched his little brother still trying to wake up.

" Ok, ok, I'm up. Oh I hate mornings," the boy mumbled as he began to unbutton the buttons on his nightshirt and he pulled it over his head as he continued to mumble about how much he hated early mornings.

As soon as Hoss sat down in his chair, Hop Sing began to bring out platters of eggs, ham, fried potatoes, and toast. There was plenty of fresh hot coffee already on the table.

" Is Little Joe getting dressed Hoss?" Ben asked. " Yes, at least he had better be getting dressed. I tell ya Pa, that boy is just about impossible to get awake. When he's asleep, he's dead to the world. I had to pull him out of bed before he would wake up," Hoss explained.

Smiling, Ben replied, " Thank you Hoss. I wish I could sleep that sound !" " Don't we all," Adam added.

Finally a still sleepy Little Joe slowly walked down the stairs, yawning and rubbing his eyes. His hair was all disheveled making him look even younger than ten years old, and even more handsome if that was possible.

He sat down took a deep breath, looked blurry eyed at his family and mumbled, " Mornin'." " Good morning to you too sleeping beauty," they all said as they smiled at the boy.

" You better hurry up and eat your breakfast and get to school son," Ben suggested. " Oh and you didn't comb your hair did you?" Ben added.

" Huh ? " Your hair, you need to comb it. Can't have you going to school looking like that," Ben suggested. " Kay," Little Joe answered as he ran his fingers through his soft curly brown hair. Ben just sat there shaking his head as he continued to eat his breakfast.

" I need coffee !" Little Joe announced out of nowhere. " Sorry, but it's milk for you yet," Ben said. " I thought so," the boy mumbled as he took a bite of ham.

" Adam, I want you and Hoss to ride over to the lower pasture and double check the fence line for any damage before we bring the herds down from the upper pastures for the winter," Ben suggested. " Sure Pa," Adam happily replied.

" Pa, can I go and help Adam and Hoss too?" Little Joe asked as he gave Ben that look with his big puppy dog eyes. " Sorry son, you have to go to school," Ben told the youngster. Ben knew how badly the boy wanted to help out, but school was more important. " Yes sir," Little Joe answered softly as he continued to look at his plate, and feeling very disappointed. " Dadburn school !" he thought to himself.

" Little Joe, I want you to please come straight home after school today so you can get your chores finished before you start your homework," Ben reminded the boy.

Little Joe looked up at Ben with a sad, but sleepy look on his face as he nodded at Ben.

The school day seemed to take forever for Little Joe. He hated school and he hated to be confined all day in a stuffy classroom. Finally after what seemed to take a week to go by, the school day ended, and Little Joe couldn't be happier.

He did have some homework to do, but not very much. He mostly had to study for a history test that they were going to have that next day.

Little Joe did like history class as he thought it was very interesting, well most of it was, especially learning about all the different battles that had taken place all over the world. To the boy, that was extremely interesting.

He did get home in time to finish up all of his chores, so that after dinner he could study for his history test.

As he studied, he got the hiccups. " Dad [ hiccup, hiccup ] burnit ! " he mumbled as he continued to hiccup.

Almost an hour later, Little Joe hiccupped his way downstairs. " Pa [ hiccup, hiccup ] I can't [ hiccup, hiccup ] stop these [ hiccup, hiccup ] stupid hiccups !" [ hiccup, hiccup ] Little Joe complained.

Ben looked up at his son and he suggested, " Why don't you hold your breath and slowly count to ten in your head, then let out your breath."

" I dun [ hiccup, hiccup ] tried that it [ hiccup, hiccup ] and it dunt [ hiccup, hiccup ] work ! " the miserable looking boy answered.

" Little buddy, why don't you go and get a glass of water and hold a mouthful of water in your mouth and hold your breath for ten seconds then swallow. Keep trying that, because it does work," Adam suggested as he was feeling sorry for his little brother.

" Thanks [ hiccup, hiccup ] Adam," Little Joe said as he hiccupped his way to the kitchen.

Little Joe tried Adam's suggestion several times but it didn't seem to work for him. The boy sat down at the small table in the kitchen feeling awful and wishing his hiccups would go away.

Hop Sing who was in his room that was just off the kitchen, reading a book, heard Little Joe in the kitchen hiccuping, so he came out of his room to see if he could be of any help to the boy.

" Little Joe not get of hiccups? Hop Sing help little boy," Hop Sing declared. The youngster looked up at Hop Sing through his tears, and he nodded as he watched Hop Sing get a spoon and the sugar bowl. Then Hop Sing got a glass and put some warm water in it.

" Here, you take spoon of sugar, and swallow it down. Then you drink warm water. That help," Hop Sing suggested.

Little Joe thought that idea sounded a little strange, but he would try just about anything to get rid of the hiccups.

The boy dipped the spoon in the sugar bowl as he looked up at a smiling Hop Sing, and he put the spoon in his mouth and swallowed the sugar. All that did was make him cough, until he drank the warm water. He did this several times, but it didn't work at all.

Ben wondered why Little Joe hadn't come out of the kitchen yet as he could still hear the boy hiccuping, so he went out to the kitchen to see what was going on. The sight that greeted him was enough to make his heart break. There sat his young son with tears running down his face as he continued to hiccup.

" Mr.Cartlight, Little Joe no get rid of hiccups. Hop Sing give boy sugar and warm water. That usually work, but not help this time," Hop Sing sadly told Ben. They both felt sorry for the miserable looking boy, plus they were getting worried about the boy as well.

" Son, how long have you had the hiccups now?" Ben asked as he rubbed the boy's back. " Over [ hiccup, hiccup ] three hours [ hiccup, hiccup ] now," Little Joe mumbled.

As Adam and Hoss walked into the kitchen, they were also getting concerned about their little brother, and it also broke their hearts to see the boy looking so miserable.

" Still got the hiccups little brother ?" Adam asked. Little Joe looked up at Adam and Hoss and he nodded. " We could scare ya. That helps," Hoss suggested.

" BOO !" Hoss shouted. " Very funny [ hiccup, hiccup ] big brother," [ hiccup, hiccup ] the boy said as he was starting to get upset with the hiccups.

Hoss whispered something into Adam's ear which made him smile. Hoss pulled Little Joe out of his chair and lifted the boy in the air while Adam grabbed hold of the boy's ankles.

Suddenly without any warning, Little Joe found himself being held upside down in the air. " HOSS, ADAM !" the boy yelled, but the hiccups continued.

" Hoss, Adam, what on earth are you too trying to do ?" Ben almost shouted. " Maybe if'n we hold him upside down, his hiccups will go away," Hoss explained. Ben just shook his head in disbelief.

After a few minutes Little Joe begged Adam to let him down, which Adam did. " Thank you," [ hiccup, hiccup ] Little Joe mumbled.

" I have an idea. Come with me little buddy," Adam suggested as he led the boy outside. Once they reached the barn, Adam picked up Little Joe in his arms and he carried the boy over to the water trough, and he dropped the boy into the very cold water, which took Little Joe's breath away.

" Hey, whatcha [ hiccup, hiccup ] do that fer ?" [ hiccup. hiccup ] the boy protested.

" ADAM !" Ben declared. " I thought that maybe the cold water might help," Adam sadly replied. Little Joe just sat in the cold water shivering and hiccuping.

Ben pulled Little Joe out of the water and told him to go to the washroom and get out of his wet clothes while he went to get the boy's nightshirt.

" There's got to be something else that will help little brother," Hoss said hoping that Adam might have another idea. " Maybe we should keep doing what we have been doing to him. It's got to help one of these times. Poor kid," Adam suggested

Little Joe tried to sleep that night, but it was impossible because of the hiccups and by morning, the boy was exhausted.

Ben was at a loss of what to do. He felt so bad for his son. " Little Joe, why don't we go and see Paul and just maybe he might have something we can try.

Usually Little Joe wanted nothing to do with Dr.Paul Martin when he was ill, because he was always given medicines to take that tasted awful to the little boy, but this time with the non-ending hiccups, Little Joe was very willing to go and see Paul, in hopes that the doctor would have a cure for the hiccups.

Everything Paul suggested, Little Joe had already tried. By now, the boy was in tears most of the time, because he felt so awful.

Eating was also very hard for Little Joe with the never ending hiccups. He was getting so frustrated with trying to eat, that he gave up, and he would sit there with tears running down his face. Heck, he would rather be in school then to have the hiccups that wouldn't go away.

Little Joe was so tired, that he was beginning to get short tempered as well. Paul did send home with Ben some sleeping powders in hopes that would get the boy so relaxed that he would be able to get some sleep, but that didn't help either.

That next night Ben tried the sleeping powders again. " Here son, I want you to try the sleeping powders again, and hopefuly this time they will help," Ben suggested as he handed the boy a glass of water with the sleeping powders in it.

" Thanks Pa," [ hiccup, hiccup ]Little Joe replied as he drank down the bitter tasting water.

" Good boy, now lay down and try to get some sleep," Ben suggested as he covered up his son. " Night Pa. [ hiccup, hiccup ]. I love [ hiccup, hiccup ] ya," the boy mumbled as he snuggled down in his bed. [ hiccup, hiccup ].

" Good night son, and I love you too," Ben replied as he sat down next to Little Joe's bed for a couple of minutes as he wanted to see if the sleeping powders would help.

Every few seconds Little Joe continued to hiccup, an by now, he was crying. Ben felt so helpless at what to do to help his young son, who was totally exhausted and so miserable. Nothing worked for Little Joe.

A week later Little Joe still had the hiccups and he thought that he was going to go crazy. He couldn't sleep or barely eat anything, and he was now hurting from hiccuping so much.

Paul had sent a telegram to his brother, Andrew who was a doctor in New York to see if he might have an idea to help get rid of Little Joe's hiccups once and for all. Paul had also been in touch with hospitals and other doctors to see if they had any ideas as well, but everything that they had suggested didn't work on Little Joe either.

Finally Paul heard back from his brother, and he was now on his way out to the Ponderosa with Andrew's idea that he claimed has always worked for him. Paul hoped and prayed that Andrew's idea would help Little Joe.

" Ben, Little Joe, I heard back from Andrew and he suggested that we try a paper sack. He said that he has used this on his patients and it has worked everytime," Paul suggested.

Ben gave Paul a strange questioning look and asked, " how can a paper sack help?" Little Joe was too exhausted to care. He was about ready to drop.

" This is what Andrew explained Ben. He said that by breathing into a paper sack, you are breathing in more carbon dioxide. You only do this this for a minute or so at a time. If the hiccups continue, keep repeating this for several minutes, and it will work, according to Andrew," Paul suggested.

Paul made Little Joe sit in the middle of the settee between he and Ben. Ben was rubbing the boy's back, hoping that would also help.

Paul held the sack up to Little Joe's mouth and gathered it up at the mouth between his thumb and index finger, and he said, " Ok now son, I'm going to hold the sack up to your mouth and I want you breathe in the sack, slowly, but deeply. Just in and out for a couple of minutes."

Little Joe did what Paul had told him to do while Ben continued to rub the boy's back. Little Joe continued to hiccup a couple more times.

" Now, take a couple of more deeper breaths Little Joe, then slowly breathe in and out again. Good boy," Paul said as he smiled at the boy who was having a lot of trouble keeping his eyes open.

Ben found this whole idea very strange indeed, and he hoped and prayed that it would work. He was worried sick about his young son. He had never seen anyone who had the hiccups that had lasted for a week without stopping. He continued to rub Little Joe's back.

It had been at least a couple of minutes that Little Joe had been breathing into the paper sack, and he hadn't had any more hiccups except for the first few right after he had started breathing into the sack.

Paul had a big smile on his face as he took the sack away from Little Joe's mouth. " Well Little Joe, notice anything different ?" Paul asked.

Little Joe opened his eyes, as he was laying his head on Ben's shoulder, when it donned on him that his hiccups were gone.

" Did they go away?" he asked as he lifted his head up and looked at Paul. With a big smile, Paul replied," it certainly looks like it. Don't worry if they come back. Just use the paper sack again."

" Thank God !" Ben declared as he hugged Little Joe who was in tears at finally not having the hiccups anymore.

Hop Sing found this whole idea of using a paper sack to get rid of hiccups very interesting, and he was thrilled for Little Joe, who had laid his head back down on Ben's shoulder and fallen into a deep sleep instantly.

" Paul, I can't thank you enough for coming out here and trying this on Little Joe," Ben gratefully told Paul as he gave his son a kiss on top of his head.

" I'm just thankful it worked. Who would have thought just by breathing into a paper sack could get rid of hiccups. I'll send Andrew a telegram with the good news that Little Joe's hiccups have gone away. Now if he get the hiccups again Ben, just use the paper sack," Paul reminded Ben.

" We sure will Paul. Looks like my boy is out for the count," Ben happily said. " I'll second that comment Ben," Paul replied as he smiled.

" Why don't we take him up to his room so he can have a much needed nap Ben," Paul suggested as he held Little Joe so Ben could get up, and Ben picked up his deeply sleeping son and carried him up to his room.

Once they had Little Joe laying on his bed, Ben took off the boy's boots and covered him up with a quilt.

" It is so wonderful to see him actually sleeping again," Ben softly told Paul. " Yes it is. As much as I hate to say this, you are going to need to wake him up so he can eat dinner tonight. He needs to start to gain back the weight he has lost," Paul suggested.

Hop Sing was thrilled that Little Joe was sleeping peacefully once again. He invited Paul to stay for dinner, but Paul said he couldn't this time, but he certainly would next time.

Later that afternoon as Ben was reading his newspaper, he heard the front door open, so he looked up to see Adam and Hoss walk in.

" Hi boys, how'd it go today?" Ben asked. " We finished bringing all the strays back and they are now with the rest of the main herd," Adam replied. " That's good news. Thank you boys," Ben happily said. Adam and Hoss smiled back at Ben.

Hoss was looking around the room and he didn't see his little brother anywhere in sight.

" Where's little brother?" Hoss asked. " He's in his room sound to sleep," Ben said with a big smile on his face. Both Adam and Hoss looked at Ben with questioning eyes.

" You mean he's actually sleeping? What about his hiccups?" Adam asked as both he and Hoss were wondering.

" Believe it or not, his hiccups are gone," Ben declared. " They finally went away ? How'd that happen? Nothing has worked at all and now they are gone ?" both Adam and Hoss stated outloud with surprise in their voices.

Ben explained that Paul had come out to the ranch with an idea that he had from his brother, Andrew. " Well I'll be. Who would have thought that a paper sack could be a cure for hiccups. I bet Little Joe was thrilled to finally have got rid of those hiccups," Adam replied with a big smile on is face.

" I'm so happy for Short Shanks that I could just cry !" Hoss declared as tears filled up his eyes. Both Ben and Adam also had tears of happiness in their eyes as well.

As much as Ben hated to, he needed to wake up his young son so he could eat some dinner. Just the thought of the boy being able to eat a meal without hiccups was great.

Ben, Adam, and Hoss all went up stairs to Little Joe's room to wake up the boy for dinner. Just the sight of the peacefully sleeping boy brought tears to their eyes, and they felt bad about having to wake him up, but the boy needed to eat.

As Ben gently shook Little Joe's shoulder, he said, " Little Joe, wake up son, it's time for dinner." Ben had to do this several times before the boy slowly opened his eyes and mumbled something that they couldn't understand.

As he laid there yawning, Little Joe looked at Ben and said, " Hi Pa, Adam, Hoss." " Hi yourself. It's time for dinner. Are you hungry son?" Ben asked as he was smiling. " Uh huh ," Little Joe mumbled as he got up.

" Hey little brother, we can't tell you how happy we are that those nasty hiccups are finally gone. We sure have missed the ' real you ', Adam said, with Hoss agreeing to that statement.

" Thanks big brother. I have missed me too," the boy chuckled, as he totally agreed with Adam.

Little Joe was thoroughly enjoying his dinner that night, but as he soon as he finished eating, all he wanted to do was to go to bed for the night and sleep. He was having trouble keeping his open as he ate, which his family had noticed. They were just happy that the boy had wanted to eat, knowing how sleepy he was too.

Little Joe felt like he could sleep for a month when he went to bed that night. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was in a deep sleep. He could fall into a deep sleep so fast that it was almost as if he had been drugged.

Ben decided to keep Little Joe home from school for the rest of week. He knew his son needed the extra rest before going back to school that next week. Of course Little Joe wasn't looking forward to going back to school at all.

The End.

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