By Daydreamer P.
Here they are two new chapters of my story. I know, I'm quite slow with the updates, but I assure that this story won't remain unfinished so, please, continue to read it!
A big thank to Broedy and Ellie for their help, and to Enzdi for reading this story.
Chapter 3Kid observed his friend sleep leaning against the stagecoach's window. She was curled up in herself with her arms crossed on her chest, almost in a foetal position. He adjusted his jacket on her shoulder, hesitated a moment and then he caressed her cheek, grateful of the fact she didn't recoil from his touch.
Since that damned morning, when Charlotte had brought Louise to him, the girl had barely spoken to him, and she never looked at him in the eyes. Kid would have done anything to hold her tight and make her feel safe, but now the only thing he could do was to touch when she was sleeping.
The boy had seen the scared look on Louise's face, the way she tried to sit as far as possible from him and the other passengers. Probably she hated him because he hadn't been able to protect her, but Kid wouldn't abandon her, he would take care of Louise even if she didn't want to have anything to do with him ever again.
"St Louis!" the stagecoach announced.
They finally had arrived. Kid got off and took their luggage then he turned to help Louise, but she had already dismounted and now she was staring at him with her arms crossed in that way that had became customary to her.
"Let's find somewhere to stay, ok?" Kid had talked to her softly, he had noticed how she startled every time someone talk too loud or too harshly.
The girl nodded and followed him. Kid was the only one she could trust for the time being. He could have gone away from Wicks' brothel a long time ago but he chose to remain with her. Wicks' men had beaten him badly because of her and they would probably kill the both of them if they found them, but Kid didn't abandon her. He had brought her away from there and taken care of her. Even if she hadn't the nerve to tell him, the only thing that made her go through those days of pain and shame had been his blue eyes and his gentle smile.
"Narcissus Pook." Kid said to the hotel clerk.
Louise's eyes popped out of her head. That was the weirdest name she had ever heard. Despite her current situation she found herself biting her lips to not laugh and silently followed her friend upstairs.
"Narcissus Pook!?" she exclaimed when they found themselves alone. "What kind of name is that?"
"It is my real name." Kid shrugged, clearly embarrassed. "Jethro Narcissus Pook, after my father and my grandfather …oh well I thought it would be better to use a name no one knows me by."
"Oh…" Louise was speechless at his revelation. No wonder he preferred to be called the Kid.
"I'm sorry …Narcissus Pook…" she smiled impishly.
At that sight Kid's heart soared. For the first time since they left St Joe, Louise didn't seem the scared little bird she had become.
°°°°°°
Kid woke up suddenly; Louise was thrashing and moaning in the bed near his. It had already happened during their trip, but never in such a violent way. She was curled up in herself and her cheeks were wet with tears.
Immediately the boy approached her and lighted the lamp on the nightstand to get a better look at her. She gnashed her teeth from the pain and her hands clutched her belly frantically. Kid's heart skipped a beat, that was the way he had found Sally the day she died.
He brushed away a sweaty lock from her forehead.
"Louise." He called softly. "Louise…"
The girl cracked open her eyes to look at him. "It hurts."
"I know darling." He caressed her face. "I have to bring you to a doctor."
She shook her head terrified. "No! Please, no doctor."
"But you need help!"
"Please Kid…" she managed to say one last time, then she closed her eyes again, breathing in short gasps, trying to fight the pain that was tearing her inside.
"OK…" Kid muttered.
He tried to remember how the girls had taken care of Sally and hoped it was enough.
°°°°°°
The morning after found them asleep and embracing, Louise's face was resting on Kid's chest while his arms surrounded her protectively. The girl was exhausted and her lower belly and legs felt sore and weak, but the pain had disappeared. She didn't completely understand what had happened to her but she thanked God that Kid was with her. He had never left her, he had soothed her, rocked her and took care of her the best he could.
Louise observed his face lying on the pillow next to her. It was relaxed now, almost childish in his serenity. Her look fell on his slightly parted lips. She felt stupid now but, when she first met Kid, she had fantasized a lot about how would have been to receive her first kiss from him. But she didn't have a first kiss to give anymore, nor a first special time to share with the man she loved she thought bitterly.
The girl shook her head to chase away those bad thoughts and returned to look at Kid. She hesitated for a moment, and then she stretched out to brush her lips against his. Kid stirred and Louise hurried to lower her head.
"Good morning."
She heard his sleepy voice and raised again her eyes. He was adorable with that goofy half-awake expression on his face.
"Good Morning to you too, Kid."
°°°°°°
In the following days Louise stayed in bed for the most of the time. She felt weak for from the blood she had lost and also Kid feared moving her too much could hurt her. The boy continued to pay for the room they shared with his money. He knew that sooner or later they would use up his savings but he didn't know what else he could do. Louise wasn't well and she was still scared; she hadn't said anything but Kid could read the fear in her eyes every time he left her alone and the few times he tried to take her to the hotel's restaurant or out, for a walk, she grabbed his arm with all her force, and she was barely able to conceal her trembling. She still hadn't overcome what Wicks did to her, she needed time to recover, and Kid was ready to give it to her, even if it meant to spend all the money he had.
When he wasn't with Louise Kid looked for a job, but it wasn't easy. St Louis was a big city, but there weren't many people ready to give a job to a boy like him, this was the reason he had ended up with Wicks, the first time. Luckily the hotel owner had accepted his proposal to pay half-price for their room in exchange for his work at the stables; but Kid knew he couldn't go on like this, he needed to find a permanent solution.
°°°°°°
Louise put down the book she was reading and puffed. It was a nice book, Kid had bought it for her so she wouldn't get bored when he wasn't with her, but the girl couldn't bear anymore to stay closed in that room. The first days she didn't complain, she still was too weak and barely could get out of her bed; but now she was beginning to feel better, and bored. She had even yelled at Kid before. Now Louise felt guilty for that outburst but she wasn't used to twiddling her thumbs all day and that forced inactivity was making her crazy.
On the other hand she still wasn't able to leave the room, not alone at least. Kid tried to take her to the hotel restaurant sometimes, or out for a little walk, but she couldn't even go through the hall. It seemed to her that all the people were staring at her, and that they could see what had happened to her and how dirty she felt.
But such behaviour was unlike her, she couldn't go on like this; she had to find the force to go out and face the world, and this moment was as good as any. She got up from the bed, she took her time to dress and brush her hair and when she finally felt she was ready she went to the door.
Louise leaned her hand on the door-handle, she took a deep breath and then she forced herself to open the door. She remained for a moment on the threshold, there wasn't anyone in the hallway and this calmed her a little. She exited from her room and rapidly closed the door behind her, before she could change her mind.
At the beginning she was so tense that even the slightest noise made her freeze on her spot, but little by little she began to relax. 'This is a hotel' Louise said to herself 'not the Wicks' brothel'She arrived to the hall, another deep breath and she went outside.
She stopped another time, observing the busy people on the street. Nobody seemed to notice her, but Louise had to fight the impulse of running away. 'You're in St. Louis. Nobody knows you. You're safe here.' she repeated. But still she felt as if she was watched, as if every man who passed could grab her and bring her away, without the chance for her to avoid it.
Suddenly she saw Kid in the alley that led to the back of the hotel. Her heart gladdened for the relief and she ran toward him. He looked as if he was talking to someone, maybe he had found a job, Louise thought hopefully. She slowed down not to run straight in his arms. When she was the expression on his face she stopped though. Kid was talking with the hotel owner.
"Boy…" the man was saying, "I'm not saying you aren't doing a good job, but I can't continue to keep a room tied up like this. If your sister comes to work for me, maybe I can let you have one of the bosses' rooms."
"Louise is sick, she can't work now."
"I'll see…but I've my business to think about so…or either you pay the whole price again, or I'll have to make you leave… you understand me?"
Kid swallowed and nodded.
"Are you really sure your sister can't work? A pretty little girl like her is always welcomed among my maids."
"No!" Kid responded vehemently. "No. I'll go back to paying the full price."
Louise heard the desperation in Kid's voice and a sudden thought hit her. Kid had spent his saving for their room and now he was working to pay it. She got angry, things should not have gone that way. Kid should have looked for a job for the both of them, not provide for the both of them as if she was an incompetent child.
But she had been just that for all that time, she hadn't been even able to go out of her room without trembling! Wicks had made her became a shadow of herself. How could she have permitted it?
The girl ran back to their room and took the pouch where Kid kept his savings: there was less than half of his money. That fool had spent it for her. It couldn't continue like that, it shouldn't be him taking care of the both of them. Louise felt she had to find the way to face the world again. But how?
Her glance fell on Kid's spare clothes…
°°°°°°
Kid came back to their room with a heavy heart. The owner had done all but drive them away. Sure, they didn't have to leave immediately, but soon the money would be gone and they wouldn't have a place to stay. He sighed and opened the door.
What he saw made him pale.
A boy was rummaging in their things, and Louise was nowhere to be seen.
"Stop!" he said coldly. He pointed his gun to him and cocked it. "Turn slowly with your hands up."
If he had dared to lay a finger on Louise…
He found in front of him a small boy with two wide scared eyes. It took a moment and then Kid's expression changed abruptly.
"Louise!" he exclaimed.
Kid dropped his gun and kept staring at her. For several seconds, his brain refused to form a coherent thought.
"Your hair…my clothes…" he babbled. He reached out a hand to brush the tips of her now short hair.
"Your beautiful braid…" he couldn't help but whisper, Kid loved her long hair, even if he had never told it to her.
"Why?" he finally managed to say. "Why did you dress like a boy?"
"To find a job!" the girl exclaimed.
"Louise, you don't have to do that. You still need to recover."
Kid was still trying to protect her, but this made her mad.
"You spent all your savings! You lied to me Kid! You've told me you were looking for a job for the both of us, instead you were working to pay the hotel!!"
The girl punched hard his chest, while tears of rage and frustration threatened to spill out her eyes.
"You didn't have to do that…"
Her rage was rapidly fading, "You should have told me there was a problem. We are in this together!"
She sat down on the bed, angrily brushing away the tears she couldn't hold back.
"I'm sorry Louise…" Kid sat near her. "It's only that I saw you so troubled and I didn't want to upset you further…I wanted you to feel ok…"
"I know." She responded after a while. "And I thank you for that…but I don't want to be a burden."
She raised her head to look at him in the eyes.
"If I can't go out of this damned room as Louise, I want to try as Lou."
Kid wasn't totally convinced of her decision. Even with his oversized clothes on she still was the prettiest girl he had ever seen, plus she still didn't look well. But if that was the first step to regain her trust in the world, then it was fine for him.
"Ok, Lou. Let's try to find something to do."