Betrayed and Hookdwinked
By Yankee01754
Something cool and damp is on my forehead. Now it's moved to my cheek. I can't do anything more than move my head and my right arm.
I hear voices.
The doc's here. Why?
That's Slim's voice ain't it? Or am I imaging things?
"Slim." I'm calling his name hoping he's really here.
I hear footsteps. Sure hope it's Slim but I can't get my eyes open.
The bed is sinking on my left and now there's a hand on my shoulder.
"Say pard, you gave us a scare."
It is Slim! I'm so happy to hear his voice! Now if I can only tell him about Grundy - what he did and what he's planning to do.
"Grundy." I can say his name but it's so hard to talk and I can't seem to put two words together. How'm I gonna tell him about Grundy if I can't talk?
"Now Grundy's okay," Slim's telling me. "He went down to see if Mort is back yet. Now just rest easy. Doc says you're gonna be all right."
No! That's not so! You don't understand, Slim!
"It was Grundy." I try again to get Slim to understand that's Grundy's why I can't move or talk so good.
"What was Grundy?" Slim's confused. I can hear it in his voice even if I can't open my eyes to look at him.
"Kio..." I can't say the Cheyenne word for the stuff Grundy gave me. I hope my pard can understand.
"The what?"
No. He doesn't. I have to try again.
"Cheyenne hu-huntin' stuff."
"What about it?" He still don't understand what I'm trying to tell him.
Keep trying Harper. You have to make him understand that Grundy's a crook.
"Kerrigans were right." Let's try another way.
"Right about what Jess?" Slim's beginning to get the idea that something's seriously wrong besides me being hurt and sick and all.
"Grundy. He's gonna rob the bank."
The effort to speak is exhausting and I think I'm gonna pass out.
Is that Slim I hear going out the door? No! Don't go alone!
I can't talk and Slim probably wouldn't listen to me even if I could. His footsteps have that urgent sound to them like he's got to move fast to try and keep something bad from happening.
I'm trying to get up but I can't do more than half sit up and Doc isn't having any trouble pushing me back. Who woulda thought an old man like the doc could keep me in bed so easy.
Exhausted by the effort, and Grundy's drug, I'm gonna fall asleep.
BOOM!
I just about jumped out of my skin. Gunshots are one thing but that was an explosion. Slim! Slim's out there! What if he's hurt? What'll I tell Daisy and Mike? I'd have to write Andy and Jonesy. I couldn't do it! It would be too hard.
When I try to get up I'm still too weak. Dad gum frustrating when an old man can keep me from going to my friend's side. Slim needs help. I know it!
Gunshots again. Now it's quiet. What's going on? Is Slim all right? Was anybody hurt?
All of a sudden, I hear footsteps in the hall. Slim's back and he's hurt. His face is kinda pale and I can see blood on his left sleeve.
While Doc patches him up he's telling us that it was Grundy that shot him. The Kerrigans confronted him from across the street so he threw some dynamite at them.
Slim warned them. They got a bit shook up when its blew but Slim says they were just far enough away to avoid any serious injury.
Slim's getting his arm bandaged. It don't look too bad. Now he says he's going after Grundy - by himself!
He won't wait for Mort to get back and he isn't taking anybody with him. He says it'll be too late and he doesn't want Mrs. Grundy dragged into this. She's been living him down all these years. He don't want the whole town to know who she really is.
All he says, when I remind him that the Kerrigans couldn't take him - and there are three of them - is "Then wish me luck pard."
I think maybe as couple of hours have passed. I reckon I've been sleeping part of the time. Doc says it's only natural what with the going over the Kerrigans gave me and Grundy's drug. Says it's my body's way of dealing with the trauma it's suffered.
Slim's back. He's okay - he says. Doc's not too happy with him. Seems Slim may have aggravated that arm injury where Grundy's bullet hit him. He saw Slim ride into town with Grundy's body. Not having taken anyone with him - the young fool - he's caused himself some trouble.
Great. Doc says we have to stay in town at least overnight. Slim's writing Daisy a note to let her know so she won't worry. Ben is around the relay station this week. Between him and Mose they'll manage the changing of the teams and the feeding and watering. Mike may only be nine-years old but he's already doing good with the horses. We know Ben and Mose won't let him near the skittish ones.
Just in time for the afternoon stage, Doc is finally letting us go home. He's given Slim strict orders not to overdo it and I'm supposed to go to bed when I get home. And no heavy work of any kind for either of us until he says otherwise.
We're both in a bad mood. We can't believe that Grundy betrayed, and hoodwinked, us the way he did. Better get out of that mood before we get home or Daisy will have something to say.
Home. It's never looked so good. Daisy and Mike are coming out of the house to welcome us. I can smell fresh baked bread, coffee and raspberry pie. It doesn't take me long to sit up to the table to have a feast. Mike would sit in my lap if he could I think. Or switch back and forth between me and Slim.
Drat! Daisy's in full blown mother hen and nurse mode. She's making me go straight to bed. At least I'll get my pie and coffee. She says I can have it as soon as I'm settled.
My pard sure is telling me a great story. Daisy insisted on going into town today. She said she had an errand to run. Her "errand" was a visit to the hotel where she laid into old Firth like she's never laid into us no matter how mad she gets.
She gave him what for about making Lon take me around to the side entrance, instead of directly through the lobby yesterday. Something about endangering his guests by denying them immediately rest and medical attention.
According to Slim, Firth didn't get more than two words out. Everybody who witnessed it was enjoying it. Slim's pretty sure he saw Mort standing outside long enough to hear it all. He's also pretty darned sure our friend was laughing. Old Mort don't like Firth any more than we do. Sure wish I could have been there to see it. Our Daisy's a force to be reckoned with (Slim's expression) when she's got a bee in her bonnet.
Ah, heck! Slim's askiing Mike how he managed to keep me in bed. For a nine-year-old boy Mike can be as talkative as an old biddy. He's telling him all about how Daisy made him promise to keep an eye on me and tell her (and Slim) if I got out of bed before I have permission from the doc.
One of these days I gotta find a way to charm my way around her when she's in that mood. A man's got no chance when his "mother" sics his little brother on him!