Chapter Six:
Collisions
"Miss Alex, don't go away like this." Nathan pleaded as he followed Alex after she picked up her valise from the front hallway of her house and started towards the door.
Alex refused to listen because she did not want to hear another person telling her why she should stay in Four Corners, when every instinct inside her told her she needed to get away from Four Corners for a while. After what transpired between herself and Vin two days ago, Alex found it exceedingly difficult to stay in the same town as the tracker after their quarrel, even more so since Vin had made no effort to see her since that day. Even though she felt badly for leaving, what with Billy Travis still missing despite the seven's best efforts to recover him, Alex was confident Mary would have the support of Inez and Julia to comfort her through this difficult time. In any case, Alex was no use to the widow in her current condition.
"Nathan, I just need to get away for a while," Alex turned to him, wishing he could understand how hard it was for her to remain. She loved Four Corners and the friends she made here but she couldn't face Vin right now, not when Charlotte was lurking in the wings ready to manipulate him into a further state of paranoia. Still, it wasn't just Charlotte who had driven this wedge between them, it was Vin's belief he was not good enough for her. She could not imagine how he could come to that conclusion when she had never given him any reason to doubt she loved him for everything he was.
"Miss Alex he loves you." Nathan said quietly. "You have to know that."
It was his last-ditch effort to try and keep her from doing something rash because he did not want her to go any more than Vin did, Nathan was sure. Alexandra Styles was a part of the fellowship, the way Mary and Inez had become since the seven banded together. To Nathan, she was more than just a friend, she was family. He understood perfectly, the pain she was feeling but suspected much of this had to do with pride more than anything else.
He just knew if she left here, she would eventually find a reason not to come back.
"I do know Nathan," Alex softened, feeling the emotion well up inside her whenever she looked into her heart and was faced with everything Vin was to her. She loved him unconditionally and suspected she always would but Alex was still furious he could think all he was to her was someone to share her bed with at night. Hadn't she proved it time and time again? Vin should have known better and yet he let Charlotte twist and poison his mind with her vile words. "I know he loves me and I love him but he has no faith in me, not enough to disbelieve Charlotte's words about our relationship."
Nathan could not argue with her on that point because Vin was foolish enough to let Charlotte get to him, but the healer was not ready to give up on Alex.
"Miss Alex don't leave this." He begged, feeling helpless because he knew she wanted to stay while the one person who could prevent her from leaving was doing nothing to stop her.
Alex continued down the steps, emerging into the afternoon sun. The stage was due to depart for Sweetwater in less than twenty minutes and she had everything she needed to stay away for a while, or at least until she decided what came next. Alex had not thought beyond leaving Four Corners and made arrangements with Doctor Atkins in Bitter Creek to help Nathan while she was gone. Atkins was an old country doctor who knew Nathan by reputation and was more than happy to assist the healer in her absence.
"Nathan, I don't have time to discuss this with you." Alex replied, wishing he would just drop the subject since there was nothing to talk about. Didn't he know how hard this was for her? It was tearing her heart out walking away from her home and her friends, but it had to be done! She had to get away from here. She could not bear to stay here and watch Charlotte continue to manipulate Vin, with the tracker doing nothing to stop it. "I've got a stage to catch."
"I know," Nathan retorted, angry at the approaching deadline, realizing how close he was to defeat each time she took one step closer to the stage depot. "But it ain't just Vin who needs you, it's this whole town. You can't leave Miss Mary in the state she's in. She's all torn up inside about Billy and we're no closer to finding him then we was two days ago!"
"That's not fair Nathan," she glared at him. "You can't put this burden on me!"
Alex was trying not to cry as she descended the steps and started towards the boardwalk and the stage depot. "I can't stay here! Don't you understand? It's ripping me apart being this close to him and knowing he would rather believe Charlotte's lies than having faith in what we've been to each other."
"You stayed when it was Ezra," Nathan said foolishly and regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
"Ezra is not VIN!" Alex snapped, feeling the last vestiges of control break into a thousand pieces as the tears started coming down her cheeks. "Nathan please understand, I can't stay here the way things are. Now Inez and Julia are here for Mary and I'm sure Chris will find Billy like he always does. Things will go on just fine without me. I'll be back in a few days, once I've collected my thoughts."
Yet even as she said those words, he didn't believe her.
Defeated, Nathan knew there was nothing else he could say to her and stopped following Alex, allowing her to widen the distance between them as she continued on her way. He watched her disappearing up the boardwalk deciding it was up to him to do something about this situation before the damage was permanent. He knew both Alex and Vin still loved each other very much and this quarrel had resulted because of Charlotte's venomous words and Alex's pride. Although the tracker had said nothing about his fight with Alex, every member of the seven knew it preyed heavily on his mind, just as they knew how badly Chris was feeling over his own troubles with Mary Travis.
The healer was not about to let two people who made such sense together, walk away from each other because someone had manipulated them both. Out of sheer desperation than anything else, Nathan started towards the saloon, hoping against hope if he could not reach Alex, he might have better luck with Vin.
Ezra sat in the saloon watching Vin and knew he had to do something.
Since Billy's abduction, the group had been taking turns searching the countryside for any trace of the boy. So far, their efforts were less then successful, serving to worsen the situation between Mary and Chris who were no longer on speaking terms. While the seven understood Mary's anger would last as long as Billy was gone, the same could not be said for Vin and Alex. Ezra had known from the moment Charlotte Richmond arrived in town, eventually she would cause enough difficulty to drive the couple apart. However, even Ezra had underestimated how well she could trick Vin into doing most of the work for her.
With Chris, Buck, Josiah and J.D. out searching today, Ezra, Nathan and Vin were left in town to keep an eye on Mary as well as getting some rest since they had been riding most of the night. However, no one could sleep knowing the boy was still out there. Vin on the other hand, had more than just Billy Travis's absence to contend with, especially with Alex due to leave Four Corners a short time from now. Ezra could not understand how things could deteriorate between the two so terribly in just one afternoon. While he did not know the specifics of their argument, he heard enough from Nathan to know the tracker had wounded more than Alex's pride. Somehow, he brought into question their entire relationship and Ezra could not fathom how that could be, when he knew how much they loved each other.
Even though Ezra was never proud of how he ended his relationship with Alex when Julia entered his life, he consoled himself with the knowledge the misstep allowed them both to find the true loves of their lives. During the time he and Alex were affiliated with each other, Ezra never once saw Alex look at him the way she looked at Vin. Ezra recognised it the night Vin and Alex attended their first dance together and realised despite the dissolution of their connection, ultimately it was for the best.
Alex belonged with Vin.
Except now, Vin was sitting in a corner of the room, having made it clear to everyone he did not want company. The tracker spent the better part of the morning, simply staring at the velvet box containing the band of gold Ezra helped him select the day Charlotte arrived in town. It sat on the table next to the tall bottle of whisky Vin was working steadily through, unopened and unpresented to the woman to whom it was meant for.
Vin seemed his age very much then, confused and lost. Ezra could not appreciate his dilemma when his choice was so clear. Ezra remembered Buck Wilmington telling him how much the young man reminded Buck of Chris Larabee. This was Chris before the fire, before hardship and tragedy had changed into what he was now. Chris's close friendship with Vin had to do with this familiarity. Perhaps Chris recognised in Vin what once existed within himself, now gone forever. Buck once admitted to Ezra part of the reason he got along so well with Vin was because of his similarities to the Chris he once knew.
"Ezra we can't just let him drink himself to oblivion." Nathan whispered in Ezra's direction as they both sat at the bar, trying not to notice Vin had poured himself another drink and drained it as quickly as he was draining the bottle on the table. The healer had walked into the room hoping he could convince Vin to stop Alex from leaving. However, one look at the tracker banished the thought because Vin's expression was a stern warning to all, he had no wish for company.
Ezra who was completely of aware Vin's present condition because he too had been keeping a close eye on the young man, frowned unhappily. "What do you suggest we do Mr Jackson?"
"I don't know," Nathan hissed back, feeling time pressing up against them because Alex would be boarding that stage in a matter of minutes. "But he's been sitting there ever since we got back. He ain't even gone and seen Alex to try and work things out."
Ezra was still uncertain whether or not he ought to intervene. Vin was hurting because Charlotte had properly surfaced every insecurity the tracker felt about his relationship with Alex, causing the rift driving Alex to Sweetwater. The expression Ezra saw mostly in his eyes was intense guilt and shame. It was a sentiment he was more than familiar with. Ezra was also aware of how the prolonged presence of it could poison the soul and he did not wish that for his friend. He knew Nathan was itching to go over to Vin and shake some sense into the tracker but all that would do was get Vin mad.
Vin Tanner angry was something not even Chris Larabee was prepared to tangle with.
"I'll talk to him," Ezra said finally, deciding he better do it because this required subtlety and Nathan's confronting honesty could do more harm than good.
Rising to his feet, Ezra took his glass of whisky with him as he strode over to Vin's table. The tracker did not look up at him as he approached or react when the gambler set his glass down on the table and pulled himself a chair. Vin merely continued to stare at the velvet box with the engagement ring he bought Alex days ago. The ring he had been eager to present to her before Charlotte arrived and made him ruin everything. Now, it angered him just like he knew the only person he should be angry at, was himself. Vin knew how he felt about Alex and he knew how he felt about Charlotte. She was a memory but apparently a memory who believed she had been wronged. To his discredit, Vin had been stupid enough to believe her.
"Mind if I sit down Mr Tanner?" Ezra asked.
"If you gotta." Vin responded, his speech somewhat slurred which was hardly surprising considering how much he was drinking.
Ezra sat down and let a few minutes pass by, merely staring into his drink as he tried to think of the best way to approach Vin who was clearly in need of some counsel but was too proud or too stupid to ask for it. Sometimes it was so easy to forget just how young Vin was, being not much older than J.D. even if life had treated him a little differently.
"You're going to try and tell me I'm being stupid." Vin turned an accusatory glare at him. The tracker was fixing for a fight and Ezra was so determined to help him, he was tempted enough to let it happen.
"You said it Mr Tanner, not I." Ezra replied, meeting his gaze directly. "I am here because you do not have a lot of time. Mr Jackson tells me the stage will be leaving soon and Alexandra will be on it."
Vin said nothing but his eyes spoke volumes.
"Mr Tanner..." Ezra paused before resuming with a gentler tone. "Vin, just go to her and say you're sorry."
"I didn't ask for your opinion Ezra." Vin growled, with more than enough warning in his voice to the gambler to leave things be.
Ezra who knew when he was treading on dangerous ground refused to back down. "You may not wish for an opinion but you damn well need one. When I warned you about Charlotte you did not believe me. Trust someone who has more than enough experience with deceptive females than you will ever know, you played into Charlotte's hands like you were a wind-up toy."
"I said let it go." Vin snapped. "I know what I did. I don't need you to tell me."
"Well someone ought to." Ezra persisted. "It should be Mr Larabee but he is not here and so it falls to me because I am your friend. We have ridden together for two years now and while I may not be the most appropriate person to say this to you, at the moment I am all you have. Now I am saying this to you because you need to hear it, before the liquor drowns out all your senses completely."
Vin started to get up and Ezra grabbed his arm and forced the tracker to remain.
"Vin, do not let her do this. You and I both know you are letting the best thing that has ever happened to you walk out of your life because you are too damn proud to admit that you were wrong!"
"I ain't wrong," The tracker replied shooting Ezra a menacing glare as he regarded the arm on his person. "I ain't good enough for her. She'd be better off without me."
"I tend to agree," Ezra declared raising his voice as well and determined to see this through even if it came to blows. "Unfortunately, that is not how Alexandra views the situation. For Christ sake, Vin, all one has to do is see how she looks at you to know she loves you more than anything. Do not let her leave because Mrs Richmond said all the right things to get to you."
"It's too late Ezra," Vin said softly because something of what the gambler said did actually reach him. The numb feeling inside him, induced by too much liquor, was starting to wane and with its banishment came the overwhelming emotion of loss and profound sorrow. "I said things to her I can't take back and I don't ever want to see her looking at me that way again. I hurt her Ezra, I hurt her bad and I can't even think of why I did it, except maybe I always knew she was a lady and I weren't good enough to have someone like that."
Ezra felt some measure of relief knowing his words had penetrated on some level, even if it had not reached the end result of convincing Vin Alex was not lost to him.
"Forgive me for saying this Vin but that is not your choice to make. It is Alexandra's. She may be angry at what you were misguided enough to say but I do not believe she would lock you out of her heart for that. She is leaving because she cannot bear being here while you two are apart. Can you not see that?"
Vin could not and neither could he listen any further to what Ezra had to say. In reaching the place inside Vin that was a raw wound of pain at what he had done, Ezra had stolen Vin's last refuge from himself. The tracker coiled his fingers around the bottle and stood up shakily, taking it with him as he walked out of the saloon, unable to look at either Ezra or Nathan because he could not stand them looking at him like a fool.
And he was a fool.
He stepped out in the sunshine outside the saloon and winced as the light poured into his eyes, amplifying all the reasons why drinking during the day was a bad idea. No one paid him much notice, even with the bottle in his hand as he paused on the boardwalk for a moment. Life went on in Four Corners, oblivious to his inner demons or the sorrows of his heart. Vin wondered if it mattered even to himself.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of horses and turned instinctively towards the direction it had come from. Vin froze as he saw the stagecoach and the driver loading baggage to the top of the old Concord. He could not see her yet but he knew as he felt the clenching inside his chest, she was there. There were other travellers going to Sweetwater and only after they piled into the carriage one by one, did he see her.
Alex was standing there, looking so sad as her gaze swept across Four Corners and the home she was leaving. Vin almost withdrew before she saw him but found he could not leave. Her eyes touched his and they both stood there staring at each other, feeling the invisible threads of longing pulling at them. Her expression melted when she saw him and the profound grief that crept into her face as her eyes locked onto his was more than he could stand. He knew she wanted to cry because her lower lip was quivering in that familiar way. Vin swallowed hard as his blue eyes stared at her intently, secretly begging her to stay but lacking the courage to articulate the words so she could hear him.
Instead, he saw what her eyes were seeing and, in that instant, shared the same memories. Memories of the first time he saw her, how she graced into his life and left him astonished by how easily she captivated his heart with the beauty of her smile and her familiar sense of humour. Lost in warm reminiscences, he could feel her arms around him as they rode with the sun on their backs and how she called out his name the first time they made love. A thousand things moved back and forth in secret messages only the heart could read, where words had no meaning.
She did not smile or frown as they stared at each other, the expanse between them growing wider as the seconds ticked by. She could only look at him, exuding heartbreak with every breath she took, until she was forced to swallow it away. Vin could see her brown eyes were glistening and her tears were not far behind but she held strong as she always did, giving him one last glimpse before turning away and walking towards the stagecoach.
It was only when he realized the ring he bought her was no longer in his coat that some semblance of what he was letting go, hit him. Almost frantically, he turned around and hurried back into the saloon, unable to bear parting with the trinket because he knew now in those last few seconds he could not bear losing her. Not for anything, not for his stupid pride, not for Charlotte and her words of venom.
Vin burst through the bat wing doors of the saloon and saw Ezra at the table he just vacated. The gambler was studying the ring inside its velvet case, with a bitter expression in his face that reeked of failure at being unable to talk some sense into Vin before it was too late. Vin felt another wave of shame as he realized how cruelly he behaved not only to Alex, but to the friends who tried to keep him from making a mistake.
"I need it back Ezra," Vin declared as he reached the table, indicating at the box in the gambler's hand.
"About time Mr Tanner," Ezra sighed, handing it back to him, clearly relieved as Vin snatched it out of his hand and hurried out of the saloon again.
Unfortunately, by the time he reached the boardwalk again, Alex was nowhere in sight and the stage was rumbling down the street, taking her with it, away from Four Corners and him.
Considering how she was feeling, Alex thought she held on to her composure quite admirably when she found herself staring at Vin during those final moments before she boarded the stagecoach. At that moment, she realized how correct she was in her choice to leave Four Corners for a time because she couldn't stand seeing him again, not with the way things were between them. She cringed in the shadows of the coach, trying not to weep openly as she faced the window watching Four Corners sweep by, leaving behind the part of herself that died at being forced to leave him.
Alex hoped and prayed he would say something to make her stay but he had been content to let her go, denying her any miraculous reprieve from a broken heart. His silence only confirmed Charlotte had won because he didn't even say goodbye when for all he knew, they might never see each other again. The rumble of the stage was loud enough to drown out the sound of her quiet tears, allowing Alex that dignity at least. She watched Four Corners moving past her and tried not to dissolve into complete despair as she left behind everything that had come to mean so much to her this past year.
He could still catch her.
All he had to do was get to Peso and he could catch her. It should never have gotten this far in the first place. As soon as she had thrown him out of the door, he should have pounded on it until she let him in again and beg her forgiveness at his complete stupidity. He allowed all kinds of foolishness to get in the way of what should have been the most important thing to remember when Charlotte filled his head with all those ugly ideas, that she loved him.
The more he thought about it, the clearer it became. Vin hurried out of the saloon and strode towards the livery, the fresh air going a long way to lifting the alcohol induced fog over his brain. Since that first night, she had let him set the terms of their relationship. Alex never complained when he waited so long to ask for her hand, even though he was sharing her bed almost every night. Not once did she mention about the price on his head or his lack of prosperity. When Randall Mason's brother had almost dragged her to Texas, Alex was willing to risk a bullet to keep him from having to chase her there, fully aware what danger he would be in if he entered that state. Nor was it lost on him that whenever he was called to read or write something, she would manoeuvre herself into doing it for him without his ever needing to ask.
How could he have doubted someone who was so determined to make him feel good about himself? How could he just let her leave?
After days of wrestling with his conscience over Alex and Charlotte, suddenly he knew what to do and that knowledge lifted the weight off his shoulders. Clutching the velvet box in his hand, he knew without doubt Buck had been right that day in the saloon when he said Charlotte was old news. She was in his past and what he felt for her once would never really fade away, but it would not eclipse what he felt for Alexandra Styles. Now if he could just reach Peso, he could go after her and drag her back to town if need be.
After all, he was a subtle guy.
Vin rounded the corner and walked straight into Charlotte, making the tracker wonder if God was trying to put obstacles in his way as retribution for his stupidity. In any case, running into his old love gave him the opportunity to clear the air between them before he went and got Alex because after this day, he would be done with Charlotte Richmond. While he would help her as a friend to get settled in Four Corners or wherever it was she chose to live after this, that was as far as he was willing to involve himself in her affairs.
"Vin, I'm so sorry about Alex," Charlotte gushed as they stood before each other.
Vin scrutinised her as more than just his past lover and for the first time, questioned everything he saw in her eyes. "I'm sure you are Charlotte, but it ain't quite over between me and Alex yet."
He saw the flicker of dismay steal across her lovely features which more or less confirmed her intent during their previous conversation, was to create this break between himself and Alex. Vin felt a gush of anger surge from inside him, realizing how correct Ezra had been when he accused Charlotte of manipulating him into this position. Still, Vin forced himself to remember she did this out of love and ultimately, she would be the loser when everything was said and done.
"I thought she left..." Charlotte started to say but Vin cut her off.
"I'm going after her." He said curtly, brushing past her and continuing towards the livery. "If I have to, I'm going to hold up the stage just so she listens to me so get out of my way, I ain't got a lot of time."
"Are you sure this is what you want?" Charlotte questioned, desperate to stop him now she was so close to having him again.
Vin stopped abruptly and swung around.
"Yeah Charlotte," he glared at her, allowing his fury to surface a little. "That's what I want. I shouldn't have let you fill my head with all that crap about how she was too good for me and she was just using me. You played real dirty Charlotte and I ain't forgetting that. I know why you did it and it's the only thing keeping me from knocking your teeth out."
Charlotte looked at him with tears filling her eyes, most of it genuine even though she knew he was right and there was no reprieve in the harshness of his voice. "Vin, I never meant to hurt you."
"No Charlotte," Vin sighed, unable to feel any compassion for her in light of what happened between himself and Alex. "You never meant to hurt you. I never came into the picture until you decided Will weren't good enough for you, not even when we were on the trail. I was always something to fall back on when you and your husband weren't getting along. I was that to you then and I'm still that to you now."
"Vin that's not true!" Charlotte exclaimed desperately trying to make him understand he was not just some substitute. "I do love you. I tried it with Will, I really did but I couldn't stand being without you."
"Well I couldn't stand being without you either," he said unable to keep the emotion from his voice. "For a long time, it ached so bad I thought I was going to die but then Alex turned up and she made me feel better than I ever felt in my whole life without me needing to steal another man's wife." Vin swallowed and decided he could waste no more time with her. "I loved you and a part of me always will, but the difference between you and Alex is I can't live without her and I can without you."
"CHARLOTTE!" A new voice roared loudly in their ears.
Both Vin and Charlotte turned around, startled by its sharpness. Will Richmond stood meters from them, having just emerged from the stage that recently departed town and which Vin was intending to catch. He was still in his travelling clothes, looking no different from the last time Vin saw him, except where there was heartache and despair before, now there was only bald hatred.
"I knew it!" Will barked angrily. "I knew I would find you here! With him."
"Will," Charlotte said astonished, unable to believe he followed her all this way. "This isn't what it looks like."
"The hell it doesn't," the man snapped and it was at this point Vin became aware he was armed.
Suddenly, the tracker had this terrible premonition things were about to go to hell.
"Richmond, there ain't nothing going on between us." Vin tried to convince him, hoping to avert the outcome the three of them were tumbling headlong into. His fingers dropped to his own gun and hoped the alcohol in his system had not slowed him down too much. However, he was more worried Richmond's first shot would not be aimed at him but at Charlotte. Somehow, he had to get her out of the line of fire before this ended up going the way he suspected.
There was no time to formulate any kind of a plan because Richmond was too filled with anger for any words to reach the red haze of his betrayal.
The gun fired before Vin even finished his sentence and instinctively knew he was not the target. Amidst Charlotte's scream, he pushed her aside, dropping her to the floor as he pulled out his gun and fired. His fingers tensed to pull the trigger when suddenly he felt the projectile from Richmond's pistol tear into his chest with white hot pain. Reflex made him pull the trigger of his Winchester and through the agonizing pain flaring across his chest, Vin was aware of Charlotte's screaming when the Winchester's bullet met its target.
Vin was not conscious of much else after the exploding sound of his rifle dissipated. His legs buckle beneath him as he fell, aware briefly his gun was no longer in his hand when he hit the ground. Charlotte's cries were still in his ears as she scrambled away but not to him. Vin rolled his head in her direction as he lay on the ground, his eyes taking in the sight of blood pooling under him and rolling in heavy progression across the dirt. He saw Charlotte scrambling towards her husband and would have laughed at the irony of it if the blood in his mouth allowed him the chance.
Charlotte was weeping over her husband's body and as Vin heard the gurgling sounds emanating from Will Richmond as he clutched his ruined neck where Vin's bullet had hit him, he had some measure of satisfaction knowing he had been right about his assessment earlier. When it came down to it, for Charlotte, Vin Tanner was always second best.
As for himself, Vin wondered what was worse, the dying to come or the realisation he would never be able to tell Alex he was sorry.
Ezra and Nathan heard the gunshots from the saloon and for a moment thought Mary Travis was in danger. Although they were meant to be protecting the widow, Mary was adamant her daily routine not be interfered with, mostly because she needed her work to keep her from worrying about her son. Besides, both lawmen could see the widow through the large window in the Clarion's office where she was working steadily for most of the morning and she appeared safe.
With the eruption of gunfire, both men ran out of the Standish Tavern and noticed even Mary emerging from her office to investigate the commotion. Nathan and Ezra exchanged quick glances in confusion, trying to discern the nature of the threat until a woman's scream from the direction of the livery, answered that question. Both men immediately followed the small crowd going to investigate and as they approached, heard someone calling out for a doctor.
When Ezra and Nathan arrived, the group immediately stepped aside for the recognized law in Four Corners. Through the rumble of concerned voices as they broke through the ring of townsfolk surrounding the scene, Nathan heard a female voice demanding the services of a healer for her husband.
"Let me through!" Nathan demanded as he pushed through and emerged to see Charlotte cradling a man Nathan recognized immediately as Will Richmond. Richmond was holding his throat, gurgling loudly as blood flowed from his ruined neck. His blood covered his wife's dress as she held him in her arms, weeping incoherently as she tried to assure him he was going to be all right. Nathan just had to look at the wound to know it was a promise she would not be able to keep.
"Jesus Vin!" Ezra exclaimed as the gambler reached the prone body of Vin Tanner lying in the dirt, his chest gushing blood so profusely the ground was puddled with it. "Nathan!" Ezra called out frantically as he dropped to his knees next to Vin and tried to stem the bleeding despite lacking the expertise.
"Christ!" Nathan tore open Vin's shirt and seeing the extent of the damage on his ruined flesh. It was difficult to see through all the blood but the bullet had entered frightfully close to Vin's heart and the bleeding was the result of an arterial rupture. Vin was not quite conscious but his pulse was thready and Nathan knew he had an hour maybe less before Vin lost so much blood there would be no surviving it. Will Richmond's wounds were beyond anyone's ability to heal but there was still a chance for Vin unless the damage was where Nathan suspected it was.
"Ezra," Nathan said quickly, thinking fast what to do because if Vin was hit where Nathan believed he was, the healer did not have the skills to do the surgery. Only one person could keep Vin alive longer than the hour Nathan estimated and she was presently on her way to Sweetwater. "You got to get to that stage and bring Miss Alex back here. I think the bullet's penetrated the heart and if it has, I ain't got the know how to get it out. She does."
Ezra nodded in understanding, realizing it took a great deal for Nathan to admit he was less than capable of helping anyone and Vin did not look as if he had a lot of time. "I am on my way." The gambler rose to his feet and ran towards the livery, making the journey Vin had never had a chance to complete.
At least she had stopped crying.
Alex dried the last of her tears almost an hour after her departure from Four Corners, unable to believe she was leaving under such a cloud. The other passengers in the coach had left her to her sorrow, choosing not to offer any words of comfort or make any obligatory attempts to ask her what was wrong. Alex was grateful for that. She still felt most miserable and wanted to crawl into some dark place and die but for the moment at least, she was no longer a quivering wreck.
The farther away from Four Corners she was, the more Alex wondered if Nathan was right. Perhaps she behaved rashly by departing. Her life in Four Corners was more than just Vin Tanner even though seeing him on a daily basis would be agony, she supposed she could learn to weather it. The more she tried not to think about the tracker, the more her mind ultimately returned to him and she felt the fresh stabs of pain as memories of him plagued her. Everything from the way Vin smiled at her to the quiet manner in which he humoured her when Alex was in one of her more trying moods.
Before she even knew it, Alex wondered if she was not being a little hasty in her departure. Perhaps, it might have been wiser to spend some time apart as opposed to running out on him because they argued. For sure it had been a terrible argument but what had it been about really? They never discussed the future in any depth beyond knowing they wanted to share it with each other. Besides, Charlotte had known which buttons to push and perhaps what had been needed was Alex's assurance to Vin that Charlotte was just casting aspersions instead of losing her temper.
Although the old Concord was rocking back and forth, rolling ahead with the team of horses leading the charge, the passengers became aware of another set of hoofbeats fast riding hard alongside the carriage. Alex could see nothing from her window but she could hear voices being traded between the rider and the driver. After a few seconds of this verbal banter, the stagecoach began to slow and like all the others inside the stage with her, Alex wondered the reason for this sudden break in their journey.
By the time the stagecoach had come to a halt, there was enough ire raised by the passengers at this sudden pause to make Alex climb out of the carriage to escape the noise and to stretch her legs a little. Besides, whatever the problem was, she was certain it would be dealt with eventually. This whole trip was painful enough without her becoming additionally agitated over trivialities. She swung open the door and was about to step out when she gaped at Ezra dismounting his horse a few feet ahead.
"Ezra?" Alex exclaimed, surprised to see the gambler.
"Alexandra," Ezra replied, lines of worry etched across his face as he strode towards her. "I apologize for this intrusion but you must come back to Four Corners now."
There was enough worry in his eyes for Alex to feel immediately alarmed because she knew he would not have ridden out here for no good cause.
"What is it? Is someone hurt?" She demanded, knowing it was the only reason to justify this sudden appearance.
"Alexandra, its Vin." Ezra wasted no time identifying the problem, discarding the need for lengthy explanations. She needed to know what was at stake here. "Vin was on his way to the livery when he encountered Charlotte. I do not know the specifics but apparently, he was on his way to catch this stage. He was coming for you."
Alex felt the air suddenly disappear around her as she heard Ezra's words through a whirlwind, telling her about Charlotte's husband arriving in town and finding them both together before assuming the worst. Shots were fired and Vin was hurt so badly Nathan had sent Ezra riding after her. For a few seconds, she could not breathe and after hearing Nathan's estimation Vin had no more than an hour, she had no illusions as to how severely he was hurt. Not if a bullet to the heart was a factor in the equation.
"I'll get my bag." She said quietly, brushing past Ezra as she walked towards the driver. "Have my things sent back to Four Corners when you get to Sweetwater, I'm going back."
They rode hard and fast to town with Alex saying little during the trip back to Four Corners. Ezra had no doubt in his mind as to why. Secretly Ezra prayed her unceremonious return to Four Corners would not be in vain and Vin was still alive to receive her attention. What Ezra saw of his injuries was cause enough for him to believe death was a very real possibility. When the gambler arrived on the scene, he was disgusted to see Charlotte Richmond at the side of her husband, proving once again how correct they had all been in assuming her estrangement was not as permanent as it seemed. Ezra hoped the woman was satisfied with the knowledge she may not have just killed one man, but two, by her irresponsible actions.
"Where is Nathan treating him?" Alex asked as they rode into town. As they passed the livery, Ezra did not need to tell Alex it had been the scene of the shooting. Although the crowd had since dissipated, the crimsons stains of blood seeping into the dirt remained, telling the tale of what transpired here better than any explanation. Ezra felt Alex's grip around his shoulders tightened as she realized all that blood belonged to Vin.
"I believe Mr Jackson was taking them to your clinic because it was bigger and better facilitated." Ezra replied as Chaucer continued his strong gallop through the community, cutting through the centre of town with enough thunder in his hooves to warn pedestrians on the street to step aside as they approached. It was only a matter of minutes before they arrived at the clinic and Ezra practically leapt off the animal before Chaucer came to a stop. Alex was in no mood to waste any time herself and she dismounted without his help, pausing long enough to retrieve her doctor's bag, before running through the front door of the clinic.
The first thing Alex saw when she burst through the room was Charlotte Richmond weeping.
Judging by the desolate look on her face and by the fact Mary Travis was offering the woman comfort, Alex guessed Richmond did not survived the shooting. Charlotte's eyes met Alex's but the doctor refused to offer any more acknowledgment than an icy glare before she turned her attention to Mary. It was just like Mary to offer support to someone in need even though her son was out there somewhere and in danger. But then Mary Travis was like that, Alex decided. She was at her best when things were at their worst.
"Thank God you're back." Mary said clearly relieved at her arrival because Nathan had been unable to save Charlotte's husband and was not certain he would be able to do the same for Vin without Alex. "They're in there." She gestured towards the partition where Alex could see Nathan's shadow through the white canvas.
Alex nodded, saying nothing as she brushed past them because the only thing on her mind at this moment was Vin and the fact he was still alive. She strode forward, pulling her gloves off her fingers as she slipped past the partition and saw Nathan standing over Vin. Nathan looked over his shoulder at the sound of her arrival and let out a sigh of relief even though the expression on his face was still grim.
"Miss Alex," Nathan greeted as Alex stepped forward, removing her travelling coat before draping it on a nearby chair. "I can't remove the bullet."
The healer apprised her of the situation as she came to Vin and examined the extent of his injuries. The tracker was unconscious and it was just as well because her preliminary diagnosis of his state of health indicated surgery needed to be done and very soon. Nathan had managed to stop the bleeding with multiple clamps but it was not enough. The examination table he was lying on was slick with blood and Alex guessed immediately why Nathan estimated Vin had no more than an hour left to him.
"Where is it lodged?" Alex asked, swallowing hard because seeing Vin like this was shaking her resolve to remain professional and detached. This was not just some patient. He was the man she loved, the man without whom her life would mean nothing. Stop it! She rebuked herself inwardly because this sentimental hysterics was useless to him! He needed a doctor and a surgeon to survive, not a terrified woman.
"It's in the aorta." Nathan explained. "I got him open to see what was happening but the fact is, the bullet isn't the only problem. There's a lot of damage that isn't stopping the bleeding even with the clamps."
What an understatement, Alex thought as she took note of the injury and realized any chance of keeping blood flow to a minimum had flown out the window the moment Richmond pulled the trigger.
"That's serious but repairable." Alex responded, until she saw Nathan's face and knew there was more to it than that. There was something else Nathan wasn't telling her and she guessed it had to do with all the blood smeared across Vin's pale skin and her exam table. Vin's exposed heart cavity had clamps sticking out of it in places as Nathan attempted to reroute the flow of blood to the damaged heart. She marvelled at the skill taken to do this from just observation. Nathan had surgical skills that put most doctors to shame and it was to his credit he kept Vin alive this long.
"The bullet destroyed a large piece of artery Alex." Nathan explained softly and saw the colour drain from her face, the full implications of that diagnosis impacting on her.
"We can over sew it." Alex declared, trying not to show how horrified she was by his words.
"No," Nathan shook his head, hating to be the one to deliver this kind of news. Vin was his friend too and the death of one of the seven was something he never wanted to see. "Too much was lost to do that."
"We have to think of something!" Alex exclaimed, refusing to believe there was no solution because the alternative was something she could not accept. "If we don't he's going to die!"
Nathan merely stared at her because there was no way to stop it.
Alex felt an invisible fist clench around her heart as she understood what Nathan was trying to tell her. Alex turned to Vin, trying not to let the despair over take her as he was lying there oblivious to the sands of his life draining before her eyes. She wanted to hold him in her arms and tell him so many things like she loved and needed him. She even understood why he said what he had because of his fears of becoming something she would tire of someday. As if that could ever happen.
"I'm not letting him go!" Alex stated stubbornly, unable to fathom giving him up. "This can be fixed. It's just a length of artery!" She was trying not to break down but as it always was with Vin, emotions got in the way of her cool demeanour. "We've gotta think of something else!"
"It's a length of artery we can't replace Alex." Nathan argued. "Lord, I don't want this to happen anymore than you do." Of course, he could not even begin to imagine what she was feeling and understood she could not just accept Vin was beyond either of their ability to save.
Alex wiped the tears from her eyes as she looked at Vin again, feeling a thousand emotions running through her in that one second. How could she survive without him? Steady Doc, she almost heard his voice in her head, calming her before she descended completely into panic. Forcing away her fear at the inevitability of his death, Alex resolved herself to think like a surgeon not like the woman who loved Vin Tanner.
While his heart was still beating, there was a chance and she was unprepared to give up on him. The bullet was lodged in the aorta and Nathan had clamped all the other bleeders so oxygen was still getting to his brain but not enough to sustain him for very long without the main artery. It had to be repaired before the bullet could be removed and since it was more or less shredded as Alex confirmed when she studied what Nathan had done, its repair was impossible. The only way to save Vin was to magically produce a new length of artery and that was impossible.
Or was it?
Alex's mind was reeling. When she was in medical school, she studied the work conducted by Dr John Hunter, a surgeon of note at St Thomas Hospital a hundred years before. Hunter had conducted the successful ligation of the superficial femoral artery in the thigh to treat an aneurysm. Fifty years later, Astely Cooper had made similar strides in aortic vascular surgery. True, he killed as many as he saved but Alex knew the technique he used and she had something Cooper didn't. It was a monstrous idea but Alex's desperation was such at present, the monstrous was all that stood between Vin and oblivion.
"Nathan," Alex spoke very calmly, her mind already focussed on how to do this outrageous thing in her head. "How long has Richmond been dead?"
"Not long," Nathan replied, wondering what this had to do with anything. "No more than thirty minutes."
Alex nodded. "So, necrosis of the tissue has yet to take place." She mused and lapsed into silence for a few seconds as she considered his words. Nathan knew the look well and knotted his brow as he waited for her to deliver what it was she was deliberating with such intensity.
"What are you thinking?" He asked her cautiously. If there was one thing he learned about her since they met, Alex was a hell of a surgeon. He was good with patients and was able to diagnose things with amazing accuracy but Alex was better at surgery and Nathan who witnessed battlefield cutters at work during the war, could say with confidence she was one of the best. Much of this had to do with her ability to make conceptual leaps and improvise when faced with impossibility.
Like now.
"Ezra!" Alex hollered on top of her voice, hoping the gambler was still outside.
"Miss Alex, what are you thinking?" Nathan eyed her as Ezra emerged from the waiting area beyond the partition.
The gambler stepped through just far enough so to be inside the space but not close enough to see Vin's exposed innards. Not even Ezra's strong constitution could take the sight of that much blood.
"How is he?"
Ignoring his question, Alex launched into the reason for his summons. "Ezra, I need you to go to the Emporium. Julia has a jeweller on staff there."
"Patterson," Ezra nodded, familiar with the man. "I have indulged him in a game of cards on occasion."
"He has a magnifying glass for fine work." Alex said quickly, knowing she had not much time if she intended to do this thing. "I need it here immediately. Tell him that I need it for surgery but get it here fast."
Ezra could not understand why she would need the object but recognized the urgency enough to not give her any debate on the issue. Nodding shortly, the gambler left the room immediately as Alex turned back to Nathan. "Get the respirator and keep him oxygenated." Alex glanced at Vin praying her gamble would work.
"What do you plan to do?" Nathan demanded, not liking at all where this was headed.
"Where's the body?" Alex asked ignoring answering the question. He would understand soon enough.
"The body?" Nathan stared at her confused.
"Richmond's body, where is it?"
"Next door," he gestured to another partitioned area before his eyes widened in understanding. "You can be seriously suggesting what I think you are." Nathan declared as she started out as soon as he had responded.
"It's his only chance," Alex paused long enough to say.
Nathan who had been pouring over Alex's medical texts for his practitioners exam in recent months, realised what she was planning and could barely wrap his head around the notion. "Miss Alex, no one has ever done this kind of thing before. You could kill him."
"As opposed to what Nathan?" Alex returned frustrated. "You know as well as I do that if we can't repair the artery, he's dead anyway. His blood will slowly suffocate him. This is Vin's only chance!"
"Alex, you ain't thinking straight." Nathan called out as she continued out of the room.
"I may not be," she agreed, refusing to take that much from him. "But I'm still going to do this."
Alex stepped out of the partition and found herself facing Charlotte and Mary Travis.
Although she had no desire to converse in any shape or form, with the woman who almost destroyed her relationship with Vin and might still do so if Vin died, Alex had no choice in the matter. To save Vin, she would walk through hell and speaking to this woman was nowhere as terrible as what she intended to do with Will Richmond's body.
"How is Vin?" Mary asked automatically, having seen Ezra run out of here only a short time ago. With Billy gone, Mary could not handle another tragedy so close to her son's abduction.
"He's dying." Alex said coldly, glaring at Charlotte, revealing in no uncertain terms the new widow was completely responsible for this.
"Oh Lord," Charlotte whimpered. Losing Will was bad enough but now with Vin following close behind, it was more than she could stand. Her grief was made worse with Alexandra Styles staring at her with accusation.
"Charlotte," Alex took a deep breath and launched into the explanation she had not even given Nathan. "Vin's dying. His main artery had been damaged. We can't remove the bullet in his heart until it is repaired and he will die if it isn't. Now I've got an idea to save his life but I need your permission to perform some minor surgery on your husband."
"But Will's dead." Charlotte muttered in confusion, not understanding. "What kind of surgery are you talking about?"
"I need to take a section of undamaged artery from Will to use on Vin." Alex replied, sucking in her breath as she announced her intention, surprised by how calmly she was describing a technique she had only read about in books and medical journals, with limited success.
"You want to cut Will up?" Charlotte exclaimed horrified. "He's dead! Can't you leave him be?" The woman burst into tears, ignoring the issue at hand completely and infuriating Alex to no end because as far as the doctor was concerned this entire mess was Charlotte Richmond's fault. "He's my husband and I'm not going to let you tear him to pieces any more than he already is!"
Alex cast a glance at Mary who was caught between sympathy for Charlotte's loss and concern for Vin's life. Mary should not be here, Alex thought. She had enough to deal with already, without paying nursemaid to this foolish woman who behaved like a teenager and was now weeping because everything had gone wrong, condemning two men to die instead of just one. Taking a deep breath, Alex fought to restrain her anger as she turned to Mary and said quietly, "Mary, can I have a moment with Mrs Richmond, please?"
Mary hesitated, unsure whether or not it was such a good idea to leave both women alone with the bad blood existing between them but could see no reason to deny the request. With Charlotte's agreement vital to Vin's survival, Mary hoped the argument Alex intended to use was a convincing one.
"Of course. Alex, I hope you don't mind if I go make some tea." Mary stated before she made a discreet exit.
Alex waited for Mary to ascend the steps to her house upstairs before she turned her attention to Charlotte. Taking another deep breath, she braced herself for what she intended to do and knew time was a commodity she did not have. Charlotte was still weeping pathetically as she mourned her husband but Alex felt no sympathy whatsoever, not while Vin was in there dying.
"Now you listen to me," Alex grabbed Charlotte by her chin with such force she lifted the new widow off her chair. Charlotte squealed as Alex shoved her against the wall and leaned close to the woman, making certain Charlotte could see how determined she was on this point. "I have had just about enough of you and your foolishness to last me a lifetime Mrs Richmond. I am not even going to start on what your meddling did to me and Vin. All I am interested in now is saving his life. Do you understand me?"
"Let me go!" Charlotte struggled to force Alex's hand away but Alex was not going to remove her grip for anything, not until she had what she needed.
"As far as I am concerned, you're just as responsible for Vin as you are for your dead husband. If you want compassion, go to a damned church because you're not getting it from me! I need that artery so I can clean up this mess you've created before another man dies because you decided your husband was not good enough for you!" With that Alex released her and Charlotte slumped back into her chair, staring at the doctor in amazement and shock.
"I'm a doctor Charlotte," Alex continued, eyes blazing with fury at what this woman and her selfish desires had wrought to the men who cared for her. "I promise to do no harm but I'm telling you if Vin dies because you're too weak to make a decision to save his life, I will kill you myself! Do you hear me?"
Charlotte nodded slowly, wiping her tears as she weighted the words delivered so harshly by the doctor. After a moment, she exhaled loudly and met Alex's gaze. She hated Alexandra Styles for what was said but the truth of her words could not be denied. Whether or not Charlotte may wish to admit it, Alex was right. She had brought this on Vin and Will. Will was gone and she could do nothing to change that but Vin was still alive and she was in the position to help him.
"Go on," she gestured to the room where Will's body was kept, trying not to cry as she conceded defeat. "Do what you have to but save him, please."
"Thank you," Alex gave her that much consideration before sweeping out of the woman's presence to where Will Richmond's corpse lay waiting for her to save Vin's life.
"Are you sure about this?" Nathan asked as Alex once Ezra returned with the mirror she asked for, courtesy of Mr Patterson of the Pemberton Emporium and the vital piece of artery that could possibly save Vin Tanner's life.
Alex met the healer's gaze and could not say for certain whether what they intended to do could give Vin the chance of life he almost certainly did not have now. All she knew was she had to try this because there was no other alternative except to let him die. In the face of that, Alex was willing to gamble on the preposterous.
"I have to do this Nathan," Alex said softly as she stood poised over Vin's open chest ready to begin the surgery. "If I don't, he'll die and I'll spend my entire life regretting I never took the chance."
While he was dubious at their chances of success, Nathan had to admit a slim chance of life was better than no chance at all. Alex was one of the best medical minds he knew and if she believed so earnestly this could be done, it was impossible for him not to wish for it too. Besides, she was right. They did not have a choice and at this point Nathan was willing to try anything to save his friend's life, even this experimental procedure.
Alexandra Styles took a deep breath as she picked up her first instrument and prayed to the powers that be, to guide the hands her father had once claimed to be surgeon's hands. Letting out a slow exhale, she cantered herself and remembered what was at stake when she stared at Vin whose breathing was becoming dangerously shallow, despite their best efforts to keep his vitals stable.
The procedure was not complex in theory. With the jeweller's magnifying glass to give her an enlarged view of the delicate veins within the chest cavity and every lamp in the room lit so brightly it was almost glaring, Alex was ready to begin. She would have to snip away the damaged section of artery and replace it with Will Richmond's transplant. If successful, the replacement should work as effectively as the one destroyed, allowing them to finally remove the bullet lodged so precariously in his heart. It was the fine sutures that would ensure the success of the operation and the jeweller's glass would allow the magnification necessary for such delicate work.
"You ready?" She asked Nathan.
The healer nodded. "No, I ain't." He admitted honestly.
Alex could not fault him for his trepidation. After all, not even a qualified surgeon, let alone a healer attempting accreditation ever tried what they were attempting to do. To date, the technique was used to treat aneurisms, not traumatic gunshot wounds. Still, while Nathan was nervous about the operation, Alex was not. A strange serenity had come over her in the last few seconds. In surgery, she had to be completely confident. She could not be any other way when holding Vin's life in her hands.
Nevertheless, Alex spared herself a moment to gaze lovingly into Vin's face and knew he would have faith in her to do well by him. That alone, gave Alex the strength to be the doctor he needed. At this moment of course, he had no idea she was about to embark on something untried and dangerous to save his life. She hoped he could understand why she was willing to make the gamble.
Enough of this, she told herself silently. Time was short and they needed to begin. Turning to the instrument tray, she let out another breath.
Picking up a scalpel, Alex said softly, "Let's begin."
When Chris Larabee and company rode into town later that evening, his first destination was the saloon. After searching every possible watering hole between here and Texas, they had come up empty and Billy was still out there somewhere in the clutches of Ella Gaines. Not even bothering to appraise Mary of the situation because until he brought home her son, there would be nothing he could say to her to make up for this unforgivable situation. He could not blame Mary for her anger because she was right. He should have told her about Ella or at least made her aware of the danger before she chose to bring Billy home.
"Why don't you go see Mary," Buck suggested as they made their way towards the saloon. Buck had been told how strongly Mary reacted to learning Ella's part in Billy's abduction and it pained him to see Chris so tormented. He knew Chris was twisting inside with guilt and wished there were some way to help his friend. Perhaps if Chris would just speak to Mary, the enmity between them would end. After all, Chris was the closest thing Billy had to a father and Mary needed him more than ever at a time like this.
"Stay out of this Buck." Chris said sharply, his tone so cold and grating, it was reminiscent of the days when the seven first banded together in Four Corners. Buck hated seeing the return of that sombre gunslinger, wallowing in despair and the guilt of not being there for his wife and child when it mattered most.
"All right," Buck declared, deciding if Chris did not want to be helped there was little he could do about it. Experience with the gunslinger taught him that much over the years. Besides, it was not like he didn't have problems of his own, what with Inez avoiding him like the plague and maintaining their encounter was just another night, when clearly it had not been to either of them.
"We'd better find Billy soon," Josiah commented as Buck let Chris walk on ahead. "He's getting worse."
"I know it." Buck sighed, giving Chris a pained look as he watched the gunslinger lean across the counter where Inez soon met him to take his order for a drink. "Unfortunately, Ella has got money to hire herself some good talent. Vin tracked her for almost a week after she got away from us and there weren't no sign of her anywhere."
"I wonder where Ezra is." J.D. commented noticing the table the gambler customarily occupied to be empty.
"I don't know." Buck answered and then realised that neither Vin nor Nathan were around either.
Suddenly, Chris left the bar abruptly and turned back towards them. His expression seemed even grimmer than ever and Buck swore inwardly, wondering what had happened now? Did they never get a respite from trouble?
"Vin's been hurt." Chris announced as he brushed past them.
"Hurt?" Buck exclaimed. "What happened?"
"Charlotte Richmond's husband." The gunslinger replied as he continued towards the door and did not have to look behind his shoulder to know his friends would soon be falling into step behind him.
"Oh shit!" Buck swore knowing how ugly things had become the last time Vin Tanner and Will Richmond fought over a woman. "How bad is it?"
"Bad enough from what Inez told me." Chris answered tautly. "Richmond is dead but he got Vin first, in the chest."
Inez told Chris Vin had been taken to Alex's clinic and Chris hoped his best friend's injuries were not as bad as the lady bartender described. No one spoke as the party made its way to Alex's clinic, as if they had not enough troubles lately. A chest wound could mean anything but if Chris was this worried then they had reason to be as well. Judging by the way their luck had been lately, there was every reason to assume the worst.
After the past few days, Buck had learnt it was not wise to be optimistic about anything.
