Vin Tanner was a sight, wrapped in my heaviest quilt, shuffling his way from my bedroom to my parlor. I set my mending aside and went to him, guiding him to the rocking chair I'd been sitting in at the fireplace.

"C'mon and rest those old bones, honey."

It was testament to how bad he was feeling that he didn't fuss at my fussing. He'd never sat in my rocking chair before, not even once, because when he was at my place he never sat unless I was sitting, and if I was sitting in my own parlor, he'd only hear of me sitting in my own rocking chair.

But he sat in it now, settling in with a groan and a sigh as his broken body adjusted to the new position.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"Just about ten p.m."

"How long I been sleeping?"

I chuckled and added more wood to the fire.

"Day and a half."

He rested his head in his hand and pressed his eyes closed like his head ached or he was trying to remember something. After a minute or so, he asked,

"Any recollection why?"

"You came to take me to town, so I could pay my mortgage. A fella along the way decided he'd try and help himself to my money. You took a particular exception to that."

"Hmm…" Vin sat up straighter, or tried to, and winced. "Big fella? Coulda been Yosemite's big brother?"

"That's him."

"What in tarnation'd he hit me with? Feels like I got stomped by a buffalo."

"He got y'with both fists, a tree branch, the side of the wagon, and the road. Twice."

"Guess I showed him, hunh?" Vin asked me, managing a smile.

"He did seem a might put out that you wouldn't stay down."

"Are y'all right?" He asked. He was honestly worried. "He hurt you? He get your money?"

I scoffed.

"He no sooner took hold a'my harness than you ran your horse at him and put him flat on his back. After that, he was too busy introducing you to the landscape to spare me a thought."

"How'd I finally best him?"

"You kept him busy 'til I cold-cocked him with that tree branch. Casey brought brought the fellas out and he's filling a jail cell now."

Vin laughed with as much breath as he seemed able to muster, and that wasn't much. He smiled as he seemed to be thinking on it, then his smile faded.

"Sorry y'had to put me up."

"Vin Tanner, have you heard even one word I said? You saved my money, my mortgage, my place and likely my life. There's no 'had to' about it."

Well, that made him uncomfortable. He pulled my quilt closer and looked at it like he wanted to disappear inside of it. I decided not to devil him with it any more.

"I've got some whiskey that'll ease that pain y'got climbing all over you."

"'Preciate it…"

I poured a healthy shot and brought it back to him. He winced as he lifted his hand to take it and I saw it.

"My wagon took a hunk a'hide off your shoulder blade. I'll check that dressing before you go back to bed."

Vin looked downright embarrassed. He pulled the quilt closer again and held the edges tight in one hand, like he wasn't practically fully dressed already under it.

"I been checking that wound every few hours the past day and a half," I said. "It's tending toward infection and I don't aim to have that."

That made him stop and think about it, but even after thinking about it, he was still Vin Tanner.

"I'm awake now, I can look to it myself."

"You're in my house and you'll do what I say." I told him, meaning it to be the last word. But Vin apparently didn't hear that tone in my voice because he swallowed his whiskey and shook his head.

"I 'preciate it, but y'don't gotta look to it. I can –"

He got himself a clear look at my face right then and what he saw stopped him mid-sentence.

"You were hurt protecting me. You're in my house. You'll do as I say." I repeated.

A lesser man woulda just said, "Yes, ma'am" and been done with it. Vin Tanner was still not having it.

"I don't cotton much to fussing." He said it like he was apologizing.

"I don't fuss." I told him. "I do what needs doing. And that shoulder needs looking at."

That finally got me the "Yes, ma'am," I'd been looking for.

Having won that battle, I decided not to push it on him just yet. I knew if I pushed him too hard and too fast, he'd be out the door and down the road before I even realized he was out of the chair.

"You up to eating something?" I asked him.

He thought about it and nodded, and added,

"Think my head's more likely t'stay on if there ain't much chewing to be done."

"I have soup warming on the stove. That should be easy on your poor head."

I filled him a bowl, as close to the brim as was practical. Vin didn't ask for seconds when he needed them and he didn't take them when he was offered them, so better I give him seconds with his firsts.

"Here you go." I handed him the bowl and spoon and napkin.

"I 'preciate it."

He stirred the spoon in the soup a few times, not looking at me.

"Did I say anything while I was sleeping?" He asked.

"You threatened to have my hide once or twice, when I was cleaning your shoulder." I told him and smiled at the horror in his eyes. "But you weren't in any strength to follow up on your threat."

That lessened the horror a bit, though it did pink his cheeks in mortification, and he started eating his soup and I went back to my mending.

When the soup was gone, I took the bowl back to the kitchen then stood beside Vin.

"Let's get you back to bed."

He didn't give me an argument and he looked too worn out for me to think that he would. He eased himself up outta my rocking chair and headed back to my bedroom.

"All right, set yourself down and let me get a look at that shoulder."

I turned to my bureau to light the lamp and get my supplies and to give him a chance to pull the blanket and his shirt off his shoulders. I saw a hint of defiance in his face when he reached for the hem of his undershirt but I lifted an eyebrow and the undershirt came off and I got to work, unwrapping the old bandage from his shoulder and washing the wound out.

This was point where, over the past day and a half, Vin would threaten to have my hide or worse. But now he only sucked a breath in then held his peace. Of course, when he was threatening me, he didn't have any notion who I was, friend or foe. Other than the threats though, he hadn't said a thing. He hadn't asked for anyone or called for anyone. Even with half his sense knocked out of his skull, he didn't seem to expect anyone.

I finished cleaning the wound and tying fresh bandages on and I'd barely stepped back before Vin had his undershirt pulled back on.

"All right. I'll leave y'to shuck outta them trousers and get back to bed." I told him. "Nathan'll be back out tomorrow to have a look at you."

"I hate putting you outta your bed."

"You'd hate it worse trying to not sleep in my bed, so get any other idea right outta your head."

"Yes, ma'am," he said and then seemed about to add something.

"And don't even think of saying you might be gone before I'm awake, 'cause that ain't gonna happen either. "

He closed his mouth fast and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Before I left him, though, I gave him a long look.

Nathan had told me that under the strain of sickness and fever he'd heard JD call for his mother, heard Josiah mutter worry for his sister, even heard Chris Larabee himself in pain and confusion once whisper out for Buck. But Vin, Nathan told me, Vin never called for anybody, he only ever reacted like he expected more pain and no help.

That was going to change.

"I'm gonna leave this door open and I'll be right outside. You need anything, you call me."

He shook his head, "I'll be fine." He kept his eyes down so he didn't see the look I was giving him.

"You'll call me." I said again. "Or I'll sit in here all night with you."

That made him look up, fast, but there was doubt in his eyes.

"Vin Tanner – you know I'll do it."

And the doubt seemed to shift to relief.

"Yeah, Nettie. If I need anything, I'll call you."

"Good." I patted his good shoulder. "Now get some sleep."

And he smiled, "Yes, ma'am."

##