Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/alerted this story! I'm sad to say, this is the last chapter! Enjoy!

"It's a pity it take something like this to get the public's attention," Governor Jim Sadler sighed. He watched Adam, who had cleaned himself up from the day's event, fold his arms through his yellow jacket. "I'm sorry that you got caught up in all this, Adam. I never would have guessed a riot would break out in the middle of an inspection."

"If a riot had to happened, it should be on an inspection day," Adam articulated. "Someone had to see what was going on in that hole."

Sadler nodded, embarrassed that such poor treatment of inmates had been going on in his prison without his knowledge. "Adam, I really can't thank you enough."

"Yes, you can, Jim," Adam disputed good-humoredly. "Those original demands, they weren't out of line. Work," he listed. "They need it, Jim. Real and meaningful work." Adam suggested, "In the fields, maybe. They need real food, too. Not that garbage I saw today. And another thing, you could really use some humane guards here. You could hire them if you paid a decent wage. If those legislators could spend two days in one of those cells-"

"I know, Adam," the governor agreed. "My problem is to convince the public to care about men they'd rather forget."

Adam blinked at the poignant statement, recognizing how hard it would be to properly change the conditions of the Nevada State Prison. "Let's continue this in the other room."

Officer Calhoun immediately stood up to meet the two men. "Governor, Mr. Cartwright," he greeted. "The warden said everything is back to normal at the prison," the officer reported, keeping an eye on Griff's still form in the doctor's office bed.

After Griff's shoulder was put back into place, a figure-eight style bandage was wrapped around his shoulders to prevent any further damage. The teenager's head wound was covered in a thick, white bandage as well once Griff had been settled into bed. Adam was initially concerned about Griff whip wounds, but before racing off to deliver a baby outside of town, the doctor assured Adam that the salve he applied would protect Griff from infection. The doctor, having been trained to recognize signs of malnourishment and exhaustion explained that it was no surprise to the doctor that Griff had not moved since the explosion.

Adam inwardly smiled when Sadler responded, "I don't want it back to normal if normal means those men in there have to be treated like animals. Mr. Cartwright has been filling me in on the system here."

Letting go of his baton, Calhoun relaxed. "Maybe we can make some of those much-needed changes now," he softly recommended, hoping that he would be able to be proud to work as a guard for the state prison.

"Yes, and the first one's going to be to get a new warden," asserted Sadler. "You up for the job?"

Calhoun cracked a slight smile. "Yes, sir!"

Adam stared at Griff, grossly fixated on the dirty chains that enveloped the boy's ankles and wrists. The metal contraptions clashed with the paleness of the clean, white sheets. "Are these really necessary?" Adam asked as he hooked his fingers through the chain links.

"It's state law," Calhoun shrugged. "He's a convict, and he needs to be kept secure. I know the boy's no threat, but-"

"Consider yourself off-duty, Warden" Sadler instructed. "That's a direct order."

"Yes, sir!" Without thinking twice, Calhoun quickly exited the doctor's office and headed down the street to the saloon. After all, it had been one hectic day.

"Jim, what about Griff King here?" Adam prodded, resisting the urge to run his hand through Griff's hair, just as he would to comfort either of his brothers if they were bedridden.

Not following, Sadler offered a politician's typical answer. "I don't know, Adam. What about him?"

"If he's put back into that cell, he's as good as dead. Hiding Candy's real identity like that," he recounted. "Those men will see him as a traitor."

"Well, I could parole him," Sadler mentioned after a moment. "But then I'd have to find someone who'd assume responsibility for the boy."

Adam grabbed his hat from the rack and placed it atop his head. "That shouldn't be too hard. I think I know a certain ranch owner outside of Virginia City who just might be convinced to do that."

From the nearby room, Candy and Joe swiftly entered, unnerved by Griff's immobility. "Any change?"

"He's still out of it, but the doctor said Griff will make a full recovery," Adam confirmed, eliciting a smile from Joe and Candy.

"That's great news!" Joe said.

Speaking of health prognosis reminded Adam of Candy's voluntary injury. "Candy, what'd the doctor say about your back?"

"Oh, it's gonna be alright." Candy rubbed his shoulder for dramatic effect. "He said with a couple of weeks off, it'll be good as new."

"Couple of weeks off?" Adam repeated indignantly, obviously kidding his good friend. "Maybe I would've believed you if you had some acting talent. Your performance today was mediocre at best!"

"We're just about to get the horses ready. You set to ride out?" Joe added, hoping that he could distract Adam enough to help Candy trick his brother into giving his friend a long vacation.

"Not yet," Adam replied, eyeing Griff. "And find an extra horse when we are ready to ride out."

Candy grinned, understanding Adam. "You got it," he winked.

"An extra horse?" Joe reiterated curiously. "For who?"

"Come on, Joe," Candy mentioned. "I'll explain on the way to the stable," he offered, leading his friend out the door.

Once he figured he would be staying for a while, Adam dutifully took his hat back off of his head. Easing himself into the chair near Griff's bed, Adam let his head droop back and stared at the ceiling as the past memory of the adrenaline-infused riot washed over him.

"Mhmm…" Griff softly moaned, squeezing his eyelids together. "My…m'head." Griff began to raise his right hand to his head, but Adam quickly reacted and held Griff's arm down so there would be no further injury.

"Griff?" Adam breathed, keeping his voice low. "Griff, can you hear me?"

Not wanting to expend the effort to talk, Griff decided to reply with a short nod. He instantly regretted that judgment. "Oww… Yes."

"Good, good. You're at the doctor's," Adam explained. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Inspection… Riot." Griff haltingly sifted through his memories. "Cooper." Griff blinked back tears when he thought of his friend's murder. Too uneasy with Adam sitting next to him, Griff refused to show emotion, but Adam was well-versed in detecting hidden emotions. "Candy's fight. That damn blast."

"Good, good," Adam endorsed, glad to see that Griff had not suffered any memory loss. "Then you remember helping Candy and me survive during the riot. I never got a chance to properly thank you for that."

Unfamiliar with Adam's display of gratitude, Griff uncomfortably shifted in the bed. "Well, I… Uhh… You're welcome," he awkwardly accepted.

"I know what your helping us meant," Adam continued. "You could've been killed for doing that."

"The day's not over yet," Griff gruffly mentioned, his thoughts straying to what would happen as soon as he was well enough to return to prison.

"Or gone along with Plank and possibly escaped," theorized Adam.

"No!" Griff quickly denied. "I'm not like Plank."

A half-smile appeared on Adam's lips. "I see that. And I'm thankful." He paused, thinking of an appropriate transition to inform Griff about his parole. "And I never got a chance to properly introduce myself. My name is Adam," he politely winked. "Adam Cartwright."

"Griff King," Griff automatically reciprocated. "Please keep what Cooper said in mind when you meet with your committee. Plank's not the average con in there. Things do need to be changed." Griff did not waste time with a transition.

"I will," Adam promised. "And you've made it quite easy for me." Adam pulled the list of original demands front his back pants pocket. "You're a very eloquent writer."

Griff waved his left hand in the air, but his right hand was painfully dragged along because of the chain connection between his wrists. Ashamed at his lack of freedom, Griff cleared his throat. "Ain't nothing. Just thought that what was in my head sounded a little better than what Cooper said. It was basically the same thing." Griff cautiously moved both of his hands in unison to reach the cup of water on the nightstand next to the doctor's bed. Adam recognized the teenager's movements. Between his shoulder and the chains, Adam knew Griff could not manage grabbing the water by himself, so the rancher amiably stopped Griff and held the cup up to the injured boy's lips. After drinking greedily, Griff continued speaking. "I finished school early, when I was 14. Never got any chance to write much after getting arrested."

"Yes, well." Adam folded the note back up and returned it to his pocket. "I hope that you get more of a chance when you're working on my family's ranch."

Griff snapped his head so he was directly facing Adam. Without waiting for his swimming vision to clam, he asked, "Working on your ranch? What are you talking about?"

"As soon as you're feeling better, the governor offered to parole you into my custody," Adam smiled. He had expected a bigger reaction from Griff, but he attributed Griff's quietness to his injuries and pure shock.

"I… Paroled? You mean-"

"You get some rest." Adam patted Griff leg as he stood up from his chair. "We'll meet with the governor later to discuss the full details. I'll be back soon to see if you need anything. The minute you're paroled, I promise, these…" Adam indicated the chains. "Are coming off." Satisfied, Adam thought it was best to exit to the next room so Griff was left alone with his thoughts.

"Paroled?" Griff whispered to himself. "Working on a ranch?" Griff chewed on his lip. He could have jumped for joy at the notion of never going back to the prison again. Griff did, however, resent not having a say in his own life. Glancing at the shackles, Griff wondered if he was simply trading one prison for another. He struggled to believe that he could trust Adam, and that he would enjoy working on the famous Ponderosa with Adam, his family and Candy. With a pang of sadness, Griff knew that there was a time, before he had been sent to prison, when he would have trusted Adam and been happy to be given such an offer.

"Well," Griff sighed, breathing deeply to relax for the first time in four years. "Maybe I can't trust them now. But with luck, this will be my chance to trust again." Sinking down into the soft pillow that he was not at all used to, Griff fell asleep, eagerly awaiting morning's arrival so he could start his new life with the Cartwrights and Candy.

End

Hope you enjoyed Riot! (What-Happened-Instead). Let me know what you thought in a review! Again, an undying thank you to all readers and reviews. Hope to see you around for the next story!