Beth vanished into the noise of the back room, where the upset voices of Corey and his hired men and the sounds of struggle quieted almost immediately. Corey and his two young men helpers got kicked out, leaving Beth and Heyes alone. After a couple of minutes, Beth came out of the back room again, white as a sheet. "Corey!" she shouted, taking no time for any polite please, "Get him into a room with a bed as close as possible. Go very carefully and slowly. Don't rush him. You might have to carry him, if he'll let you. Don't talk to him. Not one word! Just lead him where you want him to go. Make him go, but don't fight him. Get him into bed. I'll be there right away to help. He might not cooperate without me. But I have to get the doctor."
Jed and Cat, standing nearby, stood silent, waiting for news. Beth looked away from them as she ran out the door. Beth was glad to find Curtis still standing on the porch. She put her arm around his shoulder and spoke as calmly as she could. "Curtis, I want you to go get the doctor for your uncle right away."
Curtis was puzzled. "For Uncle Jed? Uncle Heyes hit him in the eye, but I didn't think it was that bad."
Beth spoke quickly and anxiously. "No, for Heyes. I think he's badly hurt."
"But he looked fine. Mad as a wet hen, but fine."
"Curtis, what does your Uncle Heyes do a whole lot of? And what haven't you heard him do since Jed hit him so hard?"
Curtis hesitated for a minute, thinking. Then he took off running as fast as he could go, yelling, "Doc Murphy! Doc Murphy! Come to the hotel, quick!"
Beth headed back into the hotel. She went up the stairs to find Corey and his helpers still slowly walking Heyes up to a vacant room on the second floor. There was a man on each arm and one behind him to make sure he didn't fall. Heyes was pale and panting, but otherwise silent.
Corey turned, "Beth . . .!"
Beth put her finger to her lips and silenced her brother-in-law. The quiet group slowly got Heyes to his room. By the time they got there, the doctor had arrived.
Jed and Cat waited in each other's arms at the bottom of the stairs while Heyes, Beth, and the doctor were closeted together in the room. Corey and Curtis were also waiting at the bottom of the stair, while Barbara worked in the kitchen and watched the girls. The guests needed dinner no matter what. Minute after quiet minute went by.
Finally, Beth and the doctor came down the stairs. Beth looked shaken, but in control of herself. She spoke in a voice filled with barely contained emotion, "Jed Curry, if you ever strike my husband again I will not be responsible for my actions."
Curry could barely meet her eyes to mutter, "Beth, I didn't mean to . . ."
Beth's fury nearly got away from her. "I don't give a damn what you meant! You . . . well, tell them, Doctor Murphy."
The middle-aged doctor stood as the base of the stairs, leaning on the ornate newel post. He spoke in a deep southern accent, "Mr. Heyes has a concussion. To put it in laymen's terms, that's shock to the brain. I should check you for the same, Mr. Curry. You seem to have a fine shiner coming up. Mr. Heyes' concussion is fairly mild. I hope that a couple of days in bed and a few days taking it very easy after that should set him right."
"Oh thank God! He's alright!" said Jed, smiling.
The doctor put up a hand and interrupted him. "Your partner is most certainly not alright! Or at least, we can't know that yet. He might be. The concussion is centered in the area where you struck him, Mr. Curry – the left temple. According to Miss Warren here, that is a center of language use where he was shot in the past. He has an ailment with which I understand you are all too familiar: aphasia."
"No!" Curry whispered in dread, "Not again!"
"How bad is it, Beth?" asked Cat.
Beth spoke grimly. "Total. He has no use of language at all. He won't even nod yes or shake his head no. No reading, no speech, no understanding. I admit, I didn't test him on writing yet. He's very upset and hard to deal with right now. You can hardly blame him. He's terrified. And furious."
"Beth!" Corey was as upset as his new in-laws, and he was holding his boy's hand to comfort him. "Just like that? One punch and all he's worked for for six years is gone?"
Beth nodded sadly, "Yes. At least for the moment. He could get it all back when the concussion wears off. Or not. Pardon me. I need to be with my husband. He's as miserable as he's ever been in his life and he needs me." She turned to go up the stairs, fighting tears.
"Beth!" the Kid called after her. "Can I see him?"
Beth shook her head, "No, Jed. He's very, very upset. He's not rational. Without language, people aren't the same."
Jed wasn't backing down that easy. "I know that, Beth! I've been with him when he's like this. I know how to handle him. I need to tell him I'm sorry before I leave."
"Leave?" asked Cat.
Jed wasn't happy, but he was determined in his course. "Yeah. Heyes was right. When we was pounding on each other, he said I oughta' already have a deputy signed up – before Wilde leaves the job. So I gotta get out to Louisville right now and get started looking for my man. I wish it'd be more than one, but I ain't betting on finding even one real soon. So I want to say good-bye and I'm sorry. I'll go west in the morning."
Beth pleaded, "Jed, you should wait to see him. He's terribly upset."
"He'll feel better when I've said I'm sorry," countered the Kid.
The doctor looked anxiously at the man who had hurt his patient so badly. "But Mr. Curry, he can't understand a word of English. Or German or French, either."
"He'll know what I mean. He's my partner," said the Kid. "Besides," he added softly to his wife, "I've got my guts set now. If I wait, I might lose my nerve. This ain't gonna be fun."
Curry went up the stairs with Beth and the doctor. When they got to the room where Heyes was, Beth knocked gently on the door. "We don't want to surprise him."
"He doesn't have a gun in there, does he?" asked Jed.
"No," said Beth. "Now don't try to talk to him. I know it's a terrible temptation . . ."
"I know all about that. I've been there with him, remember?" Jed was getting a bit riled that Beth the expert was forgetting his own bitter experience with his partner and aphasia.
"I'm going in first with Mrs. Heyes," said the doctor. "I want to make sure he's alright."
A minute after the two had entered the room, the door opened silently. Curry swallowed and walked in.
Heyes was lying in bed, on top of the covers, still dressed except for his boots. Every muscle in his body looked tense. As soon as he saw Jed Curry, the confused look on the injured man's face turned into a vicious glare. Heyes leapt to his feet and turned toward his partner.
"Heyes," started the Kid.
Heyes flung himself at his partner, growling like a panther. Beth and the doctor grabbed Heyes with one of them clinging to each arm. They could barely hold the man back. Heyes began to use his outlaw skills to fight his way free, elbowing the doctor viciously, but to no effect. But suddenly the ex-outlaw realized who he was fighting. Even without language, he knew his wife and didn't want to hurt her. He also recognized a doctor who was trying to help him. He had needed too much help from too many of them over the years. So Heyes stopped struggling. He stood, panting and sputtering with rage. He spat into his partner's face. Heyes began to struggle against his captors again, then stopped and stood still.
Jed didn't draw back at all. He stood with the spittle running down his cheek. He gazed sorrowfully at his stricken partner. He put his left hand on his Heyes' shoulder. Heyes shrugged. The hand didn't move. It stayed there, affectionately, for a long time. Slowly, the anger in Heyes' eyes began to ebb away. He looked more confused and frightened than furious. Jed reached a very gentle hand toward Heyes' temple, barely touching it and looking with wrenching regret into his partners' eyes. Heyes glanced at Beth. She could see that he wasn't raging any longer. She let go of his arm. Heyes reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. He wiped the spittle away from Curry's face. Heyes softly touched the edge of the black circle appearing around his partner's left eye. He looked as sorry as Curry had ever seen him.
The two partner dropped their arms to their sides and looked into each other's eyes for a long, silent moment. Finally, Curtis raised his right hand and waved. Heyes waved back. The Kid began to turn, but Heyes touched his shoulder. Curry turned back. Heyes extended his right hand. The new sheriff reached out and they shook hands. Curry touched his partner's shoulder again. Then he turned and left, wondering when he would see Hannibal Heyes again, and if he would ever hear his partner's voice after this day.
As Curry went out the door, Heyes turned and took his wife in his arms. They sat down on the bed together. Dr. Murphy smiled at the pair, waved his farewell, and left the room.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Corey was trying to explain things to his son. "I'm sorry, Curtis, about all this," said Corey. "You know your Uncle Jed didn't mean to hurt anyone. I guess he and Heyes just fight sometimes, like brothers do. They were both swinging and Jed happened to connect with the wrong spot. Jed'll be rooting harder than anybody for his partner to get better again."
"Are you sure about that, Pa?" asked Curtis, sounding thoroughly confused.
"Positive, Curtis. No doubt about it."
"Your pa's right," said Curry, coming up behind the pair. "I hope you can forgive me, Curtis. Heyes just did."
"How could you tell, Uncle Jed? Can he talk again?" Curtis was more puzzled than ever.
Curry looked up the stairs. "Heyes and I know each other real well. We don't need words to get stuff across. I think he might be getting better already. I sure hope so."
"Do you still want him to go to Louisville with you and be your deputy?" asked Curtis.
Curry looked torn. "I'd like to have him watching my back, but he's gotta do what's right for him and Beth. I don't guess he'll be up to riding around and using a gun for quite a while, anyhow. And when he's better, he gotta be getting that job as a professor."
"But what about you, Uncle Jed?"
Curry said, matter-of-factly, "Tomorrow, I'll head out west and get myself a deputy. I'll find a real professional. There must be somebody someplace who won't be too afraid to work with me."
"I wish I could help you, Uncle Jed," said Curtis earnestly. "But I guess I've got a lot more to learn about firearms."
"And lots of other things, Curtis. Don't grow up too fast. Heyes and I had to. I don't want that for you."
Dr. Murphy came to speak with Jed before he left. Barbara had come out of the kitchen to make sure she got any directions from the doctor that she might need to look after Heyes properly.
"I've got to learn to trust you a whole lot more, Mr. Curry," said the doctor with a smile. "Corey, Barbara, Curtis and Mrs. Curry, you all should hear this from me, because otherwise you might not believe it. Not only did Mr. Curry not upset Mr. Heyes, or not for long. He got him settled right down and into bed without a peep. I've never in my life seen two men communicate like that. Without a word, they said volumes. Mr. Heyes went from wanting Mr. Curry's blood to shaking his hand – obviously wishing him well with his new job."
"So do you really still have to go West, Jed, now that Heyes isn't mad at you?" asked Cat. "It is our honeymoon."
"Yes, love, I think I do," said Jed. "I can't miss a day getting me a good deputy any more than Heyes can miss a day taking care of himself and getting to be a professor someplace. It's our future I'm thinking about. I want a safe place for our family. And a well-trained deputy with more than a day or two knowing me could make all the different. Alright, honey?"
"Alright, if that's what you think, Jed," said Cat sadly. "Do you want me to come along?"
"No!" said Curry anxiously. "You wait here until I've got things set and pretty safe. Then I'll let you know and send somebody to come west with you on the train, safe and sound."
"Alright, Sheriff Curry, I'll do as you ask," said Cat. "But it sure will be hard to let you go from my side! We only just got married, after all."
"We'll be back together in no time, honey," murmured Jed, embracing his wife. "I just gotta get some stuff done first. You folks please send me a telegram down the train line every day to let me know what's going on with Heyes. And to make sure I know you're alright, little girl, and that you still love me."
"Always, Jed Curry, every single second!" said Cat. "But, oh Jed. Poor Heyes! Silent again!"
"I hope it won't be for long, Mrs. Curry," said the doctor. "If you ladies will keep Mr. Heyes still and relaxed and feed him well, the concussion should pass off in a few days. God grant that the aphasia goes with it! Good night. I'll be back tomorrow to check on Mr. Heyes."