Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work and I unfortunately don't own them. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 4

Later that morning Chris had glanced through the window as he'd been walking by the jail and what he had seen had made him do a double take. There was Buck. Feet propped on the desk, leaning back in the chair, head tilted back at an impossible angle and his mouth hanging wide open. This is too good to pass up he thought to himself as he grasped the door knob and pushed the door open. The door bounced off the wall with enough force to rattle the windows without shattering them. "Look out!" he called at the top of his lungs. Buck jumped in surprise, jerking his feet off the desk too quickly causing him to upset the precarious balance he had with the chair. Chair legs slipped on the worn wooden floor boards sending it and Buck to the ground.

"I interrupt your nap?" Chris chuckled as he entered the room to get a fresh cup of coffee. Buck looked up at him owlishly from the floor. "I guess I did. You need to spend more time sleeping in the bed instead of pirooting with your latest lady friend."

Buck picked himself and the chair up off the floor. "Pull in your horns Larabee." He groused. "I was just resting my eyes. There's nothing goin' on right now anyway."

"Well be that as it may, I'm gonna ride out and check the area. Just want to make sure no one is caught out there." Chris informed Buck as he rinsed out the coffee mug and threw the dregs outside.

"Are you plumb loco?" Buck stammered "As if you hadn't noticed it's raining cats and dogs out there. You yourself said you were concerned about flash floods. It's not safe."

Chris walked back to the door and stopped with his hand on the knob. "I've got to at least check, what if there's someone out there in trouble? Someone's got to go. For my peace of mind, I've got to go."

Buck reached for his coat "I'll go with you. Someone's got to watch your back." Chris shook his head. "No Buck, I need you to stay here, keep the town safe, keep the townspeople safe. Maude has told Ezra that she's coming in on the afternoon stage. I have no idea if this is just a social call or if she's runnin' again. I need to know that the town is safe, please, stay in town."

"Alright I'll stay but I'm not happy about it. This weather is dangerous and I still think you should wait, but I will abide by your wishes." Buck grumbled as he sank back into the chair.

"I won't be gone too long." Chris smiled and walked out the door.

Nathan looked up as another lightning bolt lit up the room. He'd spent the morning organizing his stores and had planned to stop by and see Mrs. Potter later today. She had just gotten in a new shipment of medical supplies that the town needed and he was eager to collect them. Nathan grabbed up his hat and coat and set out to brave the elements to Mrs. Potter's store. Halfway down the stairs he was beginning to think that maybe he should have just stayed put; the wind had picked up and the rain was already working itself into his clothing.

The creak of leather and the jingle of a bridle brought Nathan's head up as he reached the bottom of the stairway. "You have somewhere important to be?" Nathan asked as he watched Chris mount Pony in the livery yard.

Chris leaned over to hear Nathan better over the din of the rain and wind. "What?" he asked as the rain water poured from the brim of his hat.

Nathan stepped closer hunching his shoulders against the rain. "Where are you going?" he shouted.

"Just gonna ride out a little ways, make sure everything's okay." He shouted to be heard over a rumble of thunder. "I'll be back soon." He sat up and coaxed Pony out of the yard and up the street before Nathan could say anymore.

Nathan shook his head and ran to the relatively dry boardwalk. "That fool doesn't have the sense the Lord gave a goose, gonna catch pneumonia and then I'll be stuck with his ornery hide."

Chris had started by checking the south and west sides of town finding nothing out of the ordinary. There were a couple areas that had flooded but nothing worth worrying about at this time. Chris halted Pony trying to decide on what would be the next best course of action. Pony huffed out a breath and tossed his head. "Sorry boy, we'll be goin' in soon." Chris soothed as he leaned forward to pat the horse's neck. He reached up to pull his coat tighter about his neck. Over the last fifteen minutes an annoying stream of water had been working its way off the back of his hat, into the neck of his coat, and under his shirt to run down between his shoulder blades. As he made up his mind to continue on with this daunting task he urged Pony on. The mud was getting deeper and slicker, pulling at Pony's legs without remorse. Chris knew Pony was tiring and leaned forward in the saddle to rub between his ears. "I'll make you a deal boy. You get me through the storm and I get you a treat good enough to make the other horses jealous." Pony's ears just flicked back and forth. "Alright, how about a good long rub down too." Pony's ears stayed turned to him this time. "Sorry bud that's all you get. You're one lucky son of gun; I don't get a nice rub down at the end of a ride. The only thing I'm getting is a wet ass." He chuckled.

He turned Pony toward Ms. Nettie's to check on her and Casey. It wasn't until he had ridden up in the yard and seen J.D.'s horse that he'd remembered the youth telling him that he'd stop by here on his morning patrol.

He watched as the front door opened on the quaint cabin and a gray haired woman stepped out carrying a rifle with J.D. hot on her heels. Chris could hear J.D.'s excited voice "Ms. Nettie come back here and let me check it out first, it may not be safe."

"Young man I've been taking care of myself since before you were born and even longer before that. I know how to handle myself." Nettie's voice rang out with her usual pure cussedness. She lowered her rifle when she recognized the drowned rat riding towards her cabin. "Chris Larabee get your scrawny hind end in this house. Are you trying to catch your death?

"No ma'am" Chris said as he dismounted from Pony with a muddy splash. "I most assuredly am not." He trudged over to the porch steps, his boots making sucking noises in the mud.

Ms. Nettie cocked an eyebrow at him as he came up the stairs with rain pouring off his hat and the end of his nose. "Leave your boots by the door. I'm trying to keep the house clean." She grumbled good naturedly as she set her rifle on the by the door and trundled into the kitchen area to get a mug to fill with coffee. She eyed Chris up and down as he came in through the door shucking off his coat and hat that were creating a large puddle on the floor boards under his feet. Despite having worn the hat his hair was plastered to his head causing the wheat colored locks to darken. Casey handed him a towel that she had picked up; with a sheepish look he accepted the towel to dry his dripping hair. Once his hair was dry to his satisfaction he used the towel to sop up the puddle he'd made in the entry way. Nettie sighed as she took in his bedraggled form. "Grab that seat by the fire and set a spell. You look about half drowned and frozen to boot." She followed him over to the fire and watched as he eased himself into the chair. "You should have stayed in town somewhere nice and dry. I appreciate all you do, unfortunately many in this town will not give a second thought to your good intentions."

Chris thanked her as he took the mug of coffee she had poured. He wrapped both hands around the mug to soak up its comforting warmth. "So how are things out this way?" he asked turning the conversation away from himself. She sighed and pulled another chair up to the fire and sank gratefully into it.

"We're just fine. J.D. helped us get ready for the storm and as long as it let's up soon we should be okay." She smiled looking over to where Casey and J.D. were playing checkers at the table. "He's an upstanding young man and one day he'll go far."

"Yes" Chris agreed. "He's matured over the last two years. He's someone I could ride the river with."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. You boys have done a lot for this town." She said as she leaned over to pat his knee and pulled herself up out of the chair. "Now you stay by the fire and warm your bones. I've got to start supper. You're welcome to stay if you'd like."

"Unfortunately I can't stay for supper but I'll stay until I finish my coffee. Your hospitality is always appreciated." Chris stated as he sipped at the rich brew.

All too soon he had finished his coffee and though tempted to ask for another he knew he had to be moving on. He pulled himself wearily from the comfortable chair and began the task of putting back on his soggy boots in order to go back into the stormy weather when J.D. called out. "Wait Chris. I'll go with you. I need to be heading out myself." He grabbed his hat and coat off the hook by the door and prepared to follow Chris out. "Thanks for lunch Ms. Nettie. I'll stop by later in the week to help you around the cabin." He waved at Casey as he turned toward the door. "Thanks for the game of checkers. It was fun." Casey and Nettie followed the two men out onto the porch. "Be careful." Casey called as the two peacekeepers rode out. J.D. and Chris waved back in acknowledgement.

A short time later as Chris and J.D. urged their floundering mounts up a short rise they saw the afternoon stage headed toward town. Hey could hear the driver yelling at the team as he pushed them through the rain and mud. The horses, stage and driver were so completely coated in mud that you were barely able to tell where one ended and the other began.

"Stage is running a little early, looks like they're pushing it." J.D. commented and then jerked in the saddle when a lightning bolt struck near by. "That was too close, don't know about you but I'm ready to call it a day."

Chris was about to agree with J.D. when he saw one of the stage horses falter and go down. "Come on!" he yelled at J.D. and pushed Pony to a lope afraid to push any faster with as slick as the ground was. In impossibly slow motion he watched as the stage tilted, seemed to right I itself before going over on its side and sliding over the embankment. One horse was laying motionless on the road still in its traces. The other was at a full gallop toward the town limits.

Chris pulled back hard on the reins causing Pony to sit on his haunches. He quickly dismounted and slipped and slid down the embankment toward the splintered stage. The stage was lying on its side so Chris reached up to pull himself up onto the side.

"Driver's dead!" J.D. yelled from below him.

"Ok. Wait there a minute." Chris huffed and he struggled to yank the door open. He looked in hoping for the best but preparing himself for the worst.

"Oh thank you Lord." came a distinctly female voice from the dark interior of the stage "Please, get me out of here." Maude Standish's mud spattered face came into view as Chris reached in to grasp the hand she was extending.

"Are you injured?" Chris asked as he started to pull her from the splintered wreck. He tried valiantly to keep the look of foreboding off of his face as he came face to face with Maude. This woman was becoming the bane of his existence, couldn't she arrive in town like normal people did. Why did her arrival always have to coincide with some type of calamity? "I'm getting too old for this." He thought to himself.

Maude frowned up at him for a moment trying to read the emotions on his face. From the emotions flitting across his face Chris Larabee was most definitely not happy to see her. "No, just my pride, please just get me out of here." She pleaded and reached up to wrap her free arm around his neck.

Maude's movements pulled Chris off balance and they both tumbled off the side of the stage into the mud and the muck below. Maude tried to push herself up out of the mud but it was too slippery and she just slid further back into the mud tangling her skirts around Chris Larabee's legs. She was starting to feel trapped and breathing with a corset was difficult as it was. Suddenly she was having trouble getting air and started thrashing around in earnest; grabbing onto to anything that felt solid to get up. "Ms. Standish, Maude, calm down. Everything is going to be okay." Chris choked out pulling her arms free of his neck and untangling his legs from her voluminous skirts. "J.D. take her up to the road while I check on the others."

J.D. grasped Maude's elbow and helped her to stand up. She wiped at the hair falling lankly in her face and followed J.D. Chris was pulling himself back up onto the stage as they haltingly made their way up the embankment.

Chris was pulling his leg up as a head popped out of the doorway, surprising him. He squinted through the rain and realized that he was face to face with Josiah. "I didn't think you were coming back until later in the week?" He asked as he helped his friend struggle out of the opening. He noticed Josiah had a gash in his forehead and was favoring his side. "You ok?"

Josiah coughed and groaned. "Think I may have busted some ribs, at least it that's what it feels like." Josiah groaned again as he moved to get down.

"Hold on Josiah, let me help you get down." Chris jumped over the side of the stage first and worked with Josiah to negotiate his way down. "J.D.! I need you to lend a hand!" He called up from below.

J.D. peered down over the side of the embankment. "Be right there, let me get a rope, it's gotten really slick."

"Chris there's still another passenger, Gus. He's unconscious, I don't know what's wrong with him." Josiah groaned as his strength started to give out and he slid down along the stage into the mud.

"You gonna be okay if I go back up? Chris asked running a shaking hand through his hair, the adrenaline rush fading away.

Josiah gave a small smile. "I'm fine, a few busted ribs, nothing that won't heal." He grasped Chris's forearm. "Don't worry about me, J.D.'s back and he'll give me a hand." Josiah continued as J.D. slid to a stop beside them.

"Wow, Josiah that's some goose egg, you ok?" J.D. asked peering up at Josiah through the rain. J.D. wiped at the rain that was dripping off his lashes into his eyes and pulled his coat closer around him.

"Fine, Fine. Help me to get up to the road and then help Chris with Gus. I'm going to be useless with these busted ribs." Josiah moaned as he struggled to stand back up. Chris grabbed him under one arm and J.D. the other. Between the two of them they managed to get Josiah to his feet.

"You got him?" Chris asked as J.D. turned Josiah toward the embankment. The embankment wasn't too steep but with the rain the grasses had become slippery making it difficult to negotiate.

"Yeah, we're okay, I'll be back before you know it." J.D. nodded affirmative to Chris.

Chris sighed and turned toward the wreck. He pulled himself up once again and peered down into the interior gloom of the stage. He leaned in further trying to see Gus, among the shadows. He strained to hear any noise; he prayed to hear some kind of noise. When nothing was forth coming he sat up and shucked off his coat and hat. The rain soaked him through in moments and more lightning flashed a second before the crack of thunder. "Please, can't you give me a break, just for a minute?" he cried up to the heavens.

Chris lowered himself slowly into the stage being careful not to step upon the body sprawled below. He knelt beside Gus and placed two shaking fingers on the clammy skin. He couldn't feel a pulse and snatched his hand away. He took a breath and held it, reached forward and felt for a pulse again. This time he felt a pulse, weak though it was. "Gus, Gus can you hear me?" he asked to the unresponsive form next to him. There was no answer only a roaring noise that seemed to be increasing in magnitude. The stage started to shutter and shake. "Oh shit!" was all he could get out before debris filled water poured in from above and the stage lurched and gave a sickening move. The power of the water cascading down threatened to push him to the bottom of the stage.

With strength pulled from his reserves he reached down and pulled Gus's limp body up beside him. The stage was filling with water and if he couldn't get himself and Gus out they were going to drown and as far as he was concerned that was unacceptable. "J.D.!" Chris yelled at the top of his lungs praying that the young man was close by. As he went to call out again the stage lurched once more and his foot slipped causing him to fall beneath the water. Coughing, he pulled Gus and himself back above the water which was quickly reaching the top of the stage. "J.D.!" he coughed out again but was unsure if he could be heard over the rushing water.

Realizing that he was quite possibly on his own he took a deep breath and dropped down into the murky water to push Gus up and out of the stage from below. Only by pure luck did Gus remain on the side of the stage as Chris struggled to pull himself free of the interior. As he climbed out he looked around to see angry water rushing around them on all sides just brushing the top. If the water level rose anymore they would be swept away with everything else.

"Chris,.Chris!" J.D. yelled as loudly as he could; trying to get Chris's attention. The stage had moved about seventy-five feet further away than before the flash flood had made its untimely appearance.

Chris tiredly looked in the direction the voice was coming from and signaled that he was okay. "Jesus, I'm tired." He moaned and began trying to figure out how he was going to get Gus and himself out of their current predicament.

He looked up again when he heard J.D. and Josiah yelling for him. "I've got the rope. You can tie it around yourselves and we'll pull you out." J.D. yelled above the roar of the water.

Chris reached down and grabbed Gus by his coat and pushed him over the side of the stage. Chris followed him into the water and started dragging Gus toward the embankment. As they neared the embankment Gus started to struggle and the grip Chris had on him slipped. "Stay still." Chris hissed into Gus's ear and struggled to the bank with Gus in tow.

J.D. threw a rope down to the two and yelled. "Chris, grab the rope and I'll pull you up."

Chris grabbed for the rope and tied it around Gus. "Go J.D.!" Chris yelled and pushed as J.D. pulled with Maude's and Josiah's assistance. Chris grabbed on to roots that were in embedded in the side of the embankment. He was so tired that his muscles were trembling uncontrollably. As he held on he heard a rushing noise and wondered if it was in his mind. He dragged his heavy head up and tried to focus his eyes.

The next thing Chris knew his tired body was being painfully pummeled by pounding water, tree limbs and other storm run off. One particularly large limb struck him in the temple causing an explosion of stars to erupt before his eyes. He lethargically pushed the limb away amid the uncomfortable feeling of skin being torn by the sharp branches that were rushing by. He held on for as long as he could and as his grip was slipping he felt someone grab his hand.

"Hold on Chris. I've got you, hold on." J.D. yelled as he grabbed at Chris. J.D. looked up behind him and yelled "Ok. I've got him, pull!" Maude and Josiah pulled for all they were worth until J.D. and Chris were on drier ground.

Josiah sank to the ground next to Gus and let out a long groan. Chris had not moved so J.D. leaned over and tapped Chris on the face. "Chris, Chris are you ok?"

Chris groaned and tried to turn over. Everything seemed garbled and was going in and out of focus. He was sure he was going to vomit. As he pushed to straighten his arms in order to get up, the ground came up to meet him and he knew nothing more.