carter's Guestbook

Lynda could see how worried that Carter was getting just by his actions. She wouldn't know exactly the extent of Adam's injuries until she got there and looked him over. Lynda's face softened as she watched Carter fighting back tears, as she was trying to figure out exactly what to say to her grandson. Finally, Lynda let out a sigh as she began to explain to Carter as he was finishing up getting his schoolbooks together. "Honey, I don't know exactly the extent of his injuries until I get in there and check him out," she said softly. "But I promise you that I will do everything I can for him," she added as she felt his hand slip into hers.

She looked down and gave him a smile as she tried to hide the tears she was feeling. This was the second Cartwright son to go into the hospital within two weeks of each other. But she kept that to herself as she grabbed her purse and keys and walked out of the door with Carter holding her hand. "As for you visiting your dad and the hospital," she said softly as they were walking to his truck, Carter's backpack over his shoulder. Once they got to Lynda's truck and she opened the door for her grandson, she answered the rest of his questions as she helped him settle in. "As for you visiting your dad and the hospital, I would feel much better if you did your homework in my office while I check things out and see how bad they really are," she told him.

Then Lynda stood there for a few minutes deep in thought. She knew Carter was good and wouldn't cause a problem. So, she let out a sigh as she looked at her grandson and began to speak to him. "If you promise to be good and stay at the nurses' station and do your homework," Lynda told him in her most stern voice, to which she only used in emergencies like this. "Then I will let you come to the ER with me, but you have to stay out of the way and not say a word, okay?" she asked him before shutting his door and getting in the driver's side.

"I don't know," Lynda said softly trying not to let the worry come through her voice, though knowing that Carter could hear it. "I'll call your uncle Andrew and see what's going on," Lynda said and just as she was getting ready to do so, Lynda's work pager went off. She grabbed it and looked at the message. Lynda's face went white as she read and reread the message. Then she looked up at Carter, and she could feel her heart slow and her skin got cold. She didn't know what to tell her grandson to keep him from getting upset and worried. Finally, she swallowed and soon began to speak to Carter, trying to keep both the worry and the fear out of her voice, which she knew wasn't happening.

"Carter, honey," Lynda said already hearing the cracks in her voice. "I want you to pack up your homework and put it in your backpack," she instructed him, without telling him what was going on now. "Grandmas got to go into work for a little while and she needs you to come with her. Don't worry about your snacks or drink. Grandma will get you new ones at the hospital," she told him as she went on. "Seems there was an accident down at the corral where they break the horses and your dad got hurt," she told him. "Now, stay calm, and do as Grandma says. And don't worry, he's going to be fine. He's too stubborn to go anywhere," she said with a smile, hoping that helped him a little bit.

"Oh well," Lynda said with a playful smirk on her face. "I'll have to remember that for tomorrow when you come home for your after-school snack," she said with the same playful smirk. "I might just have to "warm up" by taking a nap until dinner time, which means no more after-school snacks," she said playfully, knowing she loved teasing her grandson just as much as he loved teasing her back.

"Yea I think so," she said. "Well, Adam and Andrew did say they were going to break a few horses before going and steaking out a piece of the Ponderosa near Lake Tahoe for Uncle Hoss and his special lady," she told him with a smile. "But if it will make you feel better, I will call your father or Uncle Andrew just to check on them and see how long they was going to be," she added as she went over and picked up the portable house phone.

Lynda smiled and kissed the top of Carter's head. "Of course I will," she said as she dialed first Adam's number and waited for him to answer. "Don't forget to change the date," she added with a smile. Then when Adam's voicemail clicked on, Lynda frowned. "That's odd, Adam always has his phone close to him. For some reason, he's not answering. Maybe I should call your Uncle Andrew," she said as she looked up at Carter with worry in her eyes.

"Don't worry sweetie," Lynda told Carter softly. "I'm sure he's in town or hanging out with Andrew," she told him softly as she brushed some hair out of Carter's eyes. "But I will tell you what," she said with a huge smile on her face. "If you will actually start your homework and not pretend that you are doing it," she said with a smile. "Grandma will over look the fact you tried to pull the wool over her eyes and she will call your dad and see where he's at, okay?" she asked Carter teasingly. 

Lynda couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. "Good. I'm glad you are learning to respect your things and understand how hard your dad and the rest of us work so you can have those toys," she told him. Lynda stood up and kissed Carter on the top of his head. "Oh Carter, " she said smiling as she sat back down. "You never make life dull," she added. 

Then she got a playful, yet serious look on her face. We had a deal, reammeber? I gave you a great snack AND a soda, and you would get your homework done," she told him.. "Besides, don't you wanna grow up and be as smart as your father and grandfather and all your Uncles and Aunt?" she asked him.