Fever
It had first started as they were leaving Rebecca's. John liked to stop by and make sure everything was okay, and stay a couple days. Life as an outlaw, of sorts, was hard. Never knowing when your next meal may or may not come. Sleeping on hard ground and bathing in the rivers. John wasn't used to this sort of life, even though Tonto was. He almost used Rebecca and Danny as a type of security blanket. Whenever the life he led became too difficult he would crash at her place.
While they were there Tonto had scratched himself on a barbwire fence while, ironically, trying to show Danny how the climb under it without harm. It wasn't too terrible of a scratch and Rebecca wrapped it without much incident.
As they were leaving Rebecca's, John had noticed that Tonto kept itching at the wrapping. John had put it out of his mind, he figured that Tonto had accidently got some of that bird feed of his in it before Rebecca had gotten the chance to wrap it. If only he knew how wrong he was.
That nigh John had been awoken by the sound of retching. It took him a minute to wake up and fully realize what was going on. "Tonto, are you okay?" he asked, excepting a sarcastic reply. "Yes, Kemosabe" was the short answer. John would have been worried by the uncharacteristic reply but sleep was already dragging him back into its peaceful abyss.
When he came to in the beautiful Texas dawn, he could tell something was off though. First was that their fire had gone out. Tonto was never one to sleep through the night and would often rekindle the fire. At first John had thought that maybe the stubborn Comanche had taken some liquor from Rebecca's and had too much to drink. That would explain the fire and last night's retching. Yet, something was still off. At this point John was tired of speculation and just decided to go and check on Tonto himself. Dragging himself over to Tonto's sleeping bag, he shook the man's shoulder. "I finally got up before you did" John said. At this point John was truly beginning to worry. Getting up so he was standing straight above Tonto, he could see that Tonto was shivering and sweating bullets simultaneously. "Son of a bitch", he said running over to a creek nearby and wetting a rag. He hoped that his limited knowledge of medicine would be enough to help Tonto. He hadn't thought to learn more about medicine then the basics; law school had been a cozy haven and he never would have expected that his life would consist on guns, outlaws and danger. When he got back to where Tonto laid he gently put the rag on Tonto's forehead and tried to get him to choke down some water. At one point Tonto had looked up at him and whispered "Wrong Brother". John knew that his companion was delirious, that he had probably meant to say Kemosabe and had mistakenly translated it instead but it still stung. It was almost as if Tonto didn't trust John to save him. Like he was conceding defeat without even bothering to fight. Then without warning Tonto started to spasm, and with sudden understanding John gently unwrapped the bandage covering the man's wounded hand and winced at what he saw.
The wound had become infected, it was red and angry and searing. It explained why Tonto had not been able to swallow the water John had given him. If Tonto had Lockjaw, he needed more help than John could give him. In that moment he knew he would have to get Tonto back to Rebecca's. As if the horses knew what was happening the white Stallion appeared right behind John with Tonto's horse Scout not too far behind. Though it took a couple minutes to get Tonto laid across Silver, John raced for every second. He had heard people call him 'The Lone Ranger', but that name wasn't at all accurate. Since he first dawned his black mask Tonto had been there; and all though they got on each other nerves sometimes he truly did not want his title to become more accurate. He raced as quickly as he could to Rebecca's, careful not to throw Tonto. When he got to her house, he barged in without his usual greeting and placed Tonto on the couch simply pleading "Help him".
Rebecca, bless her jumped right to work, propping Tonto's head up and getting cold water and gently pouring it over rags, which she placed under each of the man's armpits and one on each of his leg's near his crotch. Then she washed his wound out and re-wrapped it. She too, placed one on his forehead and tried to get him to drink. He wouldn't, much the John and Rebecca's chagrin. "Come into the kitchen with me, John", Rebecca said, "let him rest". John slowly left his friends side and followed her. Sitting in that familiar kitchen with her familiar face staring at him, John finally let out the sigh of anguish he had been holding for quite some time now. "John, I think you may need some rest now too" she said gently, sounding so much like a mother. "I can't leave him" John started to resist. "Now John, do you honestly think I wouldn't tell you if something happened?" she asked. "You know I would come and get you right away, go lay down in my bed and I will look after Tonto" she said. Rebecca had always been good at getting her way. John made his way to the bedroom and laid down on the bed that the women he loves and his late brother once shared and fell into a troubled sleep.
He woke up because Danny was gently shaking him. "Uncle John, wake up". He was up in a flash. "What is it Danny?" John asked trying not to sound too worried for his nephews' sake. "Mom said she got Tonto to drink". A large smile broke across John's face. "That's great buddy, anything else?" he asked. "Yes, mom said told me to tell you to stop worrying and let her handle things". Shaking his head and letting out a short laugh John told Danny to go downstairs and thank his mom for what she had done and been doing for them.
He went downstairs to check in on Tonto, and was upset to see how frail he looked. Most of his paint had been washed away and his bird gently placed on the table beside him. He was asleep, which was a big change to earlier when he had been mumbling incoherently. Tonto had told John that he could never be killed in battle, but John knew Tonto worried. The older man would never admit it though. John worried just as much about Tonto if not more. Unlike John, Tonto could be killed in battle; though by the way he acted most people would think it was Tonto that was the invincible one. Honestly John didn't know what either of them did before starting their little posse. He spent most of the next couple days spending half the day doing whatever it was that Rebecca and Danny were doing and the rest of the day by Tonto's side. He had stopped mumbling. John didn't know whether or not he was relieved or upset by this. Tonto got just a little better day by day. He couldn't thank Rebecca enough for what she was doing. Even Danny brought water and even flowers for Tonto. It made John laugh to think about how Tonto would react to be given flowers by Danny.
On the third day there Tonto was able to both eat and drink for a meal. He had yet to say a word though yet. Rebecca told John to be more patient. John used to be a patient man, but then he saw his brother heart taken from his body. He discovered enough silver to start a country; he started to wear a mask. The ordeal had been made more tolerable though by Tonto. Not that Tonto had done it on purpose though, but all the same. He knew his life would never be the way he imagined it. It was worth it though, to be able to fight for goodness and justice; and Tonto made this life much more bearable. As he was pondering this he heard a stirring from the couch. "Hmnn, Kemosabe" Tonto moaned looking over at him. "Where am I?" he asked still a bit confused. John laughed and answered "Exactly where you're supposed to be" he said. John knew now that everything would be alright.