Discovery
Pain sliced through Lou McCloud as the Kid hefted her onto his shoulder and straightened into an upright position. She did not know how long she had lain on the dirty ground before he arrived at the Elk Grove station. She must have passed out from the agonizing pain when she hit the ground after being shot by the outlaws raiding the station.
She grunted and groaned as Kid carried her into the cabin and tossed her none too gently onto the bed. She grimaced against the pain as Kid undid her gun belt and quickly worked to unfasten the buttons of her shirt.
"You'll be okay Lou." Kid told her as he worked. 'Let me just see how bad."
"No, don't!" Lou panicked, gritting her teeth against the pain and using her hands to try to prevent Kid from lifting her shirt. At that moment she was less fearful of the bullet in her flesh, than having Kid discover her secret. Her feeble attempts were in vain and her true identity was revealed.
Shock flooded Kid's features at what was revealed beneath Lou's bloodied shirt. "Lou?"
"What's the matter, Kid, never seen a girl before?"
Lou turned her head away, tears springing into her eyes. Her job with the express was as good as over now that Kid knew she was a girl masquerading as a boy.
Kid patched her up in silence, wanting to ask her a dozen or more questions, but resisted the urge to do so. Tending to Lou's injury was the most important thing to accomplish at that moment, and so that is what he concentrated on.
Lou slept fretfully that night as Kid tended to her. Kid built a signal fire that he was certain would alert the other riders that help was sorely needed. When morning came, Lou knew it was going to be her only chance to talk to Kid alone and convince him to tell her secret.
"Listen, kid, I ran away from an orphanage in St. Joe, Missouri. I got a little brother and sister still back there. A girl with no ma and no pa, no kin…..what's left for me?"
"Well, isn't there something else you can do?" Kid asked.
"Why should I? I already showed you, Hickok, Cody, any of you."
Kid gazed at her for a moment. "What's your real name?"
"Louise…Louise McCloud."
Kid held out his hand, "Pleased to meet you, Louise."
Lou knocked the hand away. "You already met me"
"You won't fool people forever." Kid told her.
"I don't have to. I'm going to save all my money. Find a place of my own and get my brother and sister out of there. Kid, don't say nothing. They'd get rid of me for sure."
The sound of horses riding up into the yard outside ended their conversation and Lou watched with panic still turning inside of her as Kid disappeared outside. All she could do was hope that Kid decided that she had the right to live her life the way she chose to and not reveal her secret to the others.