Miss Alice stepped forward, unarmed. "Mr Taylor, this here is mission property. You are trespassing." She stood in front of Daniel, who had pushed Cecile behind him.

"Might be your place now, but my people been on this here mountain a mite longer than anyone can remember so I say these folks aren't welcome, and neither's those who brought 'em here."

"If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all?" Miss Alice began, bringing her hands together.

Christy watched her, then Bird's Eye. He was going to shoot. "No!" She leapt at Miss Alice, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She and Alice hit the ground in chaos.

"I warned ye." Bird's Eye's voice had lost some of it's boldness.

Christy's chest burned. She was on top of Miss Alice. She tried to get up. She had no strength in her arms. She couldn't breath. She was lying on the ground, Miss Alice knelt beside her.

"Get out of the way!" Neil bellowed. Somebody stumbled, pushed aside, scuffing dirt over her face. Neil fell to his knees and she saw his face. She saw the switch – for a moment he was wild eyed like Bird's Eye had been, but panicked, horrified; a moment later he was Doctor MacNeil, barking orders, rolling her over to check for an exit wound.

Bright patches spun in her eyes.

"Stay with me, Christy." He rolled her onto her back.

She tried to speak but he told her not to. He tore her shirt.

"Doctor," Miss Alice's voice was calm, certain, "We need to move her inside."

"Yes," he tore fabric from somewhere – not her clothes as far as she could tell, but she wasn't all that aware of her surroundings. He pressed the wad of cloth to the wound. It burned and ached; she cried out. "I'm sorry, I have to stop the bleeding. Someone get my bag. Alright, lift her slowly."

She was lifted from the ground. Daniel Scott's cabin was dark and smelled like wood and iron – or maybe the iron was from the blood. She could taste it and yet her mouth felt dry. She must be breathing but it felt like someone was standing on her chest.

She groaned when they put her down, closed her eyes.

"Stay with me, Christy."

She tried to open her eyes. They were so heavy.

"Come on," he touched her face, "you gotta try and stay awake."

"So tired." her voice was raspy and weak, it didn't sound like her.

"I know. It's cause you've lost a bit of blood. There's a bullet in your chest, a hole in your lung, and a broken rib. I'm going to take out the bullet, but I don't have anything for the pain. I don't want to wait for someone to ride to my cabin."

She nodded. "I trust you."

"It's going to hurt."

"Already does." Talking was so hard.

"Alright. I'm going to give you something to bite on."

She passed out from the pain almost as soon as he started. The last thing she saw was his tortured expression.


She came to in warm light. She turned to see where she was – a dark cabin with a fire and little else in it. There were candles, and people discussing something of which she could make little sense.

One of the people turned to face her, Miss Alice.

Christy smiled at her.

"How do you feel?" Alice rushed over.

Neil and Dan turned around and followed her. Both assessed with their eyes. Alice turned and let Neil take centre place.

"Water?" Christy asked, mouth feeling dry as paper.

"I don't want to move you. Can you suck water from a cloth?" Neil watched her face like a hawk. She nodded.

Alice held a wet clean rag to her mouth and she drank from it.

"Not too much. I don't want to risk you vomiting."

She nodded, mouth just wet but she felt much better for it. "Thank you."

He shook his head, "Don't."

"I'm going to be okay?"

"It'll be a miracle if there's no infection."

"You're going to be just fine." Alice glared at him.

"What happened?" Christy wheezed, "Is everyone else okay?"

Neil turned away but Dan answered her, "We're all alright. Cecile has gone back to the Mission with David and everyone's gone home."

"Bird's Eye?"

"He took off."

"I'm sorry." Christy took Dan's hand.

"There ain't nothing you ever need to apologise for, Christy." He squeezed her hand then let it go. "I'll send someone to the mission with a message." He left the room.

Alice pulled up a chair and sat down beside her. "We're going to stay the night here, so just relax. How's the pain? I can get you something for it."

"It feels heavy – my chest." She turned to Neil. He looked really worried. "It's not that bad, Neil."

He moved closer again. "I need you to tell me exactly how you feel, Christy. I can't help you unless you're totally honest."

"My chest hurts. I was shot."

He cracked a smile. "I know that much."

"The pain's not too much right now. I'll tell you when I want something. I promise."

"Thank you. You should try to sleep. I'll be right back." He left the cabin with a significant look at Alice, who nodded slightly.

Christy looked at Alice's grim expression. "I'm going to be alright."

Alice took her hand, "My dear girl."

"I can't believe Bird's Eye would shoot you."

"And thee took the bullet."

"I was just trying to get you out of the way."

She lifted Christy's hand to her lips, held in both her own. "You should sleep."

Christy nodded, closing her eyes. "This isn't your fault." She squeezed her hand.


When she woke again it was Neil at her bedside. He had rested his head on his arm, on the bed beside her arm. She pushed her fingers into his messy hair. He lifted his head and she ran her fingers around to his cheek.

"You can't sleep here."

"I was." He contradicted, "How do you feel?"

"A bit sore."

"Where?"

"My chest, and I have a headache."

"You'll be a bit dehydrated." He got up and retrieved a bottle. "I'll lift your head. Try to relax." He gave her some medicine, then water. "How's that?"

"Good. Better. Thank you."

He sat down again. "Do you think you could go back to sleep?"

"Maybe. I feel awake now."

"I need to check your dressing but I'll wait for the laudanum to take effect."

She nodded and took his hand again. "I'm okay, Neil."

"Is that right? Here I was thinking I was the doctor."

She sighed. He was impossible, a perfectionist; he'd never forgive himself if he didn't do everything just right and she knew the stakes were only higher with her as his patient. "I didn't stay awake very long, did I?"

"You did fine. It was better that you passed out. It was killing me, hurting you like that."

"I know. It went okay though, didn't it? It must have – I'm awake."

"The surgery went fine, yes. I removed the bullet, sutured your lung," he sighed, "This should never have happened."

"At least it wasn't someone else – it'd be the beginning of another fued."

"You, on the other hand, will be offering hospitality to Bird's Eye next time he's in a bad patch."

She reached out and touched his cheek. "You need to sleep."

"I will when you do."

She traced the lines on his forehead with her fingers, then moved onto the lines around his eyes and mouth. "You are a good doctor. I'm in good hands."

"We're still in a half-finished mountain cabin, Christy. You didn't even have pain-killers." He took hold of her hand in both of his.

"At least I do now."

"I should check that wound. I'll get Alice."

She held on tight tolet?"

He stopped, laughed. "Are you serious?"

She nodded.

"You are... yes of course." He shook his head.

She was glad to see him smiling, shaking off the darkness that had clouded his eyes since she'd woken. It made her feel better to see him smile.

Alice returned and helped Neil to remove the dressing.

"No sign of infection." His voice was full of relief.

He applied iodine. It stung but Christy tried not to react, tried to stay completely still.

Silently, they bandaged her up again.

"I'll stay for a while," Alice took the bottle of iodine and the dirty bandages away. "You rest, Neil. I'll call you if anything changes."

He hesitated, then nodded.

"He's angry, isn't he?" Christy asked once he'd left them.

"Of course."

"Do you think he'll sleep?"

"Don't worry about Neil. You just need to rest and get well. Is there anything you want?"

"Maybe you could read to me. I'll try to sleep, but I want to hear your voice."

"Of course." Alice went to her bag and retrieved a bible. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul." She held Christy's hand, "Shut your eyes. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness."


She woke in the morning, alone. Gently, she lifted herself up a little, her weight on her elbows. Her skirt was dirty, her shirt torn and bloody, the bandages wrapped around her, over the top, were clean. She must be in Dan's cabin – of course; it made sense. The others would be in the other room – still asleep maybe. She lay back. Neil would be furious if she moved at all. She smiled at the thought. He was going to be fastidious and over-protective. She should try to be a good patient – for his sake at least.

The pain was getting bad again. She felt her stomach, working her hands upward until she felt the edge of the bruise. She fingered around it, gently and carefully figuring out where she was wounded, where it was worst. It seemed to be just above her right breast. She blushed, realizing Neil would have seen most of her chest, then reminded herself that modesty wasn't as important as her life.

"What's wrong?" Neil must have been watching her. He crossed the room in a moment.

"Nothing's wrong."

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, Neil. Did you sleep?"

"Yes. How do you feel?"

"A bit sore. Am I going home today?"

"Back to the mission? I hope we can move you today. We'll wait till the ground's dried off a bit. You'll be strapped to a stretcher and carried."

"Is that really nec-"

"Please, Christy. Let me do the best thing for you. Just this once, do what I say."

"Okay."

He looked at her, surprised at how quickly she'd conceded.

"I'll do what you say."

"Thank you." He put his arm underneath her neck, lifting her gently. He held the bottle to her lips and tipped it back. The taste was awful and she coughed a little. The cough was like a punch to her chest.

He laid her back down, brushed the hair back from her face.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "That stuff's awful."

"You are so brave."

"I'm just trying to make you feel better." She coughed again, grimacing, arching a little, till it hurt.

He watched her, concern etched into his features, and something else she couldn't put a name to. "Are you okay?"

"Water?"

He helped her drink.

Alice came in with a plate of food – left overs from the previous day's party. "How is thee feeling?"

"Alright, sort of."

"Very convincing, Miss Huddleston. Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Well, that's a good sign." Neil looked over the food and picked out the most boring thing on the plate. "Alright, let's sit you up. Really slow, mind, you might feel dizzy."

She felt better sitting. "It's easier to breath upright." She took the bread Neil offered and tore a piece off.

"You didn't tell me you were having trouble breathing."

"It's not that bad."

He glared at her.

"You told me yesterday that you sutured my lung – I'm not expecting to feel the same as every other day."

"You need to tell me things like that."

She resisted the urge to tell him her chest hurt – the expression on his face warned her not to sass him. "I'm a bit wheezy. It's better now – not perfect, but better."

He put his stethoscope in his ears, sat beside her, and put the head against her back.

She took his free hand.

He sighed, removed the earpieces, letting the stethoscope hang from his neck. "It's to be expected. You're right – a little shortness of breath is normal after what you've been through. I just want to be careful."

"I know." She held tight to his hand so he wouldn't get up.

"You should eat," Alice held out the plate and Neil took a slice of pie.

They changed her dressings and then she slept, dosed up to keep the pain at bay. When she woke again it was bright and sunny outside, making the cabin seem dark by comparison. Alice was stoking the fire and Neil was outside talking to someone – she couldn't be certain who.

"Are we going home soon?"

Alice turned, smiled, nodded. "As soon as they've got your stretcher ready. How do you feel?"

"Heavy. Not too sore. Would it be better while we're moving for me to feel the pain? At least then I can tell you if anything gets worse."

"I'll talk to Neil. Just rest."

She lay back. Her whole body ached and she felt so weak, but she was restless, bored. She tried to see out the window but the light was so bright it hurt her eyes. She closed them but didn't sleep.


A gentle hand on her forehead alerted her to his presence.

She smiled up at him.

"How are you feeling?" Neil asked.

"Ready to go home."

They helped her onto the stretcher, which had been constructed overnight, from branches, twine, and a blanket. She was strapped around her hips and knees. A group of the men helped Alice and Neil carry her. Alice would not accept their protestations that she shouldn't help.

The ride was bumpy. She held onto the branches at her sides, tried to relax and follow Neil's instructions. He watched her closely, miraculously only fumbling his footing on the trail a couple of times. It wasn't far but they went slowly. She was exhausted and relieved to sink back into her own bed.

Alice helped her to wash, changed her clothes and brushed out her hair. Neil returned to check the dressing. No change. He left again, barely speaking more than absolutely necessary.

Alice saw Christy's expression, "He's tired, and concerned about you, amongst other things. Give him time."

Christy nodded. "He carries the weight of the world – or tries to."

"Yes." Alice stayed with her, despite her protestations that she was fine, and she slept till evening.