"Duck," my brain told me and I did so. The whoosh of a fist passing over my head met my ears, and I slammed my attacker twice in the sides. They groaned and I stood.
"Had enough?" I asked breathily.
"No!" they pushed out, and took another swing.
It made contact that one, right down my cheek and set me off balance. I stumbled backward into a haystack and hit my head on the pitchfork. Now I was mad. I understood their irritation before and as they had never actually hit me, the friendly shoves I understood. But this? This was taking things way too far.
Spitting hay out of my mouth and sending the pitchfork off in one direction I jumped to my feet and met the cowboy balling his fists at me. I knew Slim had a temper but gravy, I never thought he could get this mad. Not with me anyway. Guess I should have known. Being so mule headed stubborn and so dagum set in his blasted ways.
I was thinking about all of that, as we tussled about the barn and it came to an abrupt end when I was suddenly sitting on top of him, blinking blood out of my eye. I had his collar gripped and my fist pulled back, I was ready to let him have it, but I stopped.
Slim's eyes were no longer sparking at me, and he no longer looked like he wanted to hog tie me and toss me to the wolves. No his blue eyes were pinching closed and his face screwed up in pain. It was true pain too. Not a wince that comes from a punch and it weren't no grimace for what was about to come. He was hurt, and every ounce of anger washed away and I dropped my fist grabbing the other side of his collar, giving him a little shake.
"Slim… Slim? What's wrong?"
He made some mutter of a reply, hardly worth calling anything, and I was off him in a second onto my feet and jerking him up with me. He came up rather easily and bent over grabbing his side and moaning out some protest. He was leaning on a railing and I was there for added support.
"Tell me right now what's got you busted up, or I swear I'll tell Daisy you was playin' hooky yesterday."
I drug a smile out of him with that, and he dropped his hand, that was hugging his ribs, and playfully punched my shoulder.
"But you forget, you were with me…"
His eyes were sparking with mischief and his voice, although softer, was almost normal. I let go, backing off a step searching him, not quite sure, but he had an easy smile on his face, and the tension that had started to build in my shoulders loosened.
"Well…" I began, intending to come back with some sort of Jess Harper reply, but his face screwed up again, his hand shot to his side and he slumped forward.
No longer facing the post, but me, he was making a perfect dive, and I caught him, lowering him down. The tension came back, and a knot started again in my stomach. He groaned, his eyes pinched closed and I laid him down in the hay. Catching his chin I pointed it to look at me.
"Hey…" I wanted him to open his eyes and he obliged me quite nicely. They seemed hazed over with pain and my worry grew. "There's no denying it now, tell me, what's wrong?"
His hand was back at his side and he started to shake his head back and forth. His jean jacket was bunched in his hand and his jaw was set. Whatever was bothering him hurt like the blazes.
"I don't know…" he whispered. "It started… a couple… a couple a days ago… But it wasn't soo… so bad."
I know my face dropped to astonishment as I felt as if the wind had mostly been knocked from me.
"A couple a days ago!" I sputtered. "Why the duce didn't you say somethin' then?"
He smiled slightly. "Wasn't so bad then."
"Slim of all the―"
I bit off my angry reply, for I wasn't actually angry. I was worried out of my skin and appalled at his… His big head.
He smiled again and limply punched my shoulder telling me not to worry about it and I shook my head, slid my arm under his shoulder and lifted that stubborn headed mule off the floor. I didn't pay much attention to the protests shot at me, and paid even less attention to what he was saying once I got him into the house and on his bed. All I did pay attention too was the way he held himself, the way he'd let out a breath or suddenly groaned and I watched his expressions.
"I'm gettin' a doc." I mumbled after successfully getting his coat, hat and boots off with little to no resistance.
Daisy was in town. Daisy went to town with Mike. He needed shoes and she needed a hat and me and Slim had work to around the ranch so she had headed off early that morning.
"No," Slim replied and that got me to halt.
I stopped just inside the door to look down at his pale face and I set my jaw. One good look was enough to convince me.
"You don't have much choice, pard." I smiled down at him slightly and stalked out of the room.
However, I was then struck by a thought that froze my confident/triumphant stride and I winced, glancing back at the room. If I left, than Slim would be alone. Daisy had the buckboard and I didn't really think Slim could sit a horse even if I rode double with him.
My hand shot across my face and I scrubbed my forehead. What the world was I gonna do?
